The parliamentary committee did not provide an opinion on the new heritage conservation law

Prague - The proposal for a new heritage preservation act, which according to the Ministry of Culture will allow for a more efficient care of the heritage fund, will be discussed by the members of parliament without the opinion of the committee for public administration. Its members today rejected several proposals for amendments to the bill, while not enough votes were found to support the government version. Before further discussion in the plenary, the cultural committee will deal with the draft.

According to the proposers, the law more precisely defines and emphasizes the public interest in the protection of the heritage fund. It will provide authorities with the tools to take action in cases where a heritage object is not cared for by its owner. On the other hand, it will also allow for the reimbursement of costs to property owners, who although not protected, are subject to various restrictions due to their location in heritage areas.

The law will also regulate the conditions for architectural historical surveys or archaeological research and will strengthen the powers of the heritage inspection. Administrative burdens for the restoration of the heritage fund should be reduced.

Independent MP Karel Pražák was unsuccessful in the committee with amendments he proposed, which among other things aimed to remove provisions regarding the rules for architectural historical surveys and the participation of the public in the protection of architectural heritage. In the final vote, three out of eight attending members of the committee supported the government bill, while five MPs abstained from voting.

The law has numerous critics among heritage professionals and various industry associations. The Association of Organizations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage and the Association of Professional Heritage Care Workers criticized the draft for not protecting the most valuable and at the same time the most endangered part of the domestic cultural heritage - historical cities. The Ministry mostly rejected the criticisms, referring to the fact that the critics misunderstood the law. Opposition MPs did not succeed in the initial round of discussions to push for its rejection or to send it back to the government for revision.