The construction law hit a snag in the Senate, it awaits new approval in the Chamber of Deputies

Prague - The Senate today unanimously rejected the proposal for a new construction law. Members of the upper parliamentary chamber were mainly concerned about the transfer of building authorities under the state and the centralization of building administration under the Supreme Building Authority. The law will have to be voted on again by the Chamber of Deputies. If the regulation is not approved, according to the Association of Developers, it would have a fatal impact on construction and would reduce the competitiveness of the Czech economy. The Czech Chamber of Commerce labeled today's decision a mistake, calling on parliamentarians to expedite the approval of the legislation. Environmental organizations welcomed the rejection of the law, stating that it would cause disruption in the system protecting valuable natural areas, agricultural land, and greenery in cities.

The new construction law has been in preparation for several years. The government expects it to primarily facilitate faster construction proceedings. However, critics argue that the version approved by the deputies only favors developers.

Today, all 65 present senators voted against its adoption in the plenary session. The Senate also rejected a change law that was meant to adjust around sixty related regulations.

The Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová (ANO), whose office prepared the law, criticized the senators for their unwillingness to discuss the institutional change. "Many changes to the construction law were positively received by the senators; unfortunately, they did not want to discuss the institutional change at all," Dostálová stated on Twitter.

According to the chairman of the People's Party Mariana Jurečka, the law was poorly prepared. "In the end, we assessed that such a mess cannot be fixed in a few days," Jurečka wrote on Twitter. He is convinced that if the law is passed, it will certainly not lead to an improvement of the current situation.

The law now returns to the Chamber of Deputies. At least 101 votes will be needed for its passage. It is uncertain whether the proposers of the law will manage to secure this majority. During the June parliamentary approval, the law passed only with votes from ANO, SPD, and three Social Democrats.

The non-approval of the law would, according to the Association of Developers, have a fatal impact on the entire Czech construction sector and would reduce the economy's competitiveness against neighboring countries. The change in the law is necessary for small builders, construction companies, and developers, but also for cities, municipalities, regions, and the state, stated the director of the Association of Developers Tomáš Kadeřábek. "This is not about political points; it is about the future of one of the most important industrial sectors in the Czech Republic, especially in a very fragile and uncertain time," he added.

The Czech Chamber of Commerce critically evaluates today's decision of the Senate. "We consider it a mistake that the Senate did not support the proposal that would ensure a fast and modern construction process," said the chamber's president Vladimír Dlouhý. According to him, the Chamber of Deputies must act quickly, discuss the returned law without delay, and approve it. "There is no time to wait. The recodification will either be the greatest success of the current Chamber of Deputies or its greatest failure," Dlouhý added. According to the chamber, the Senate has relinquished responsibility for resolving the fundamental problems brought about by the current state.

According to the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA), the construction law has mainly become a political and electoral issue. It should be the result of a broader agreement among politicians, similar to pension reform, the chamber noted, which has long demanded and supported the adoption of a new legal norm. "Continuing the current situation is at least not a good solution," said Jan Kasl, chairman of ČKA. According to him, there is a risk that the result of more than two years of work by many experts could end up in the trash.

On the other hand, the association of environmental organizations Zelený kruh expressed satisfaction with today’s decision of the senators. The current form of the law would, in their opinion, cause destruction in the system protecting especially valuable natural areas, agricultural land, and greenery in cities. "A system where the building authority acts simultaneously as a nature protection authority, a forestry state administration, an agricultural land fund protection authority, and a heritage preservation authority represents a global unique case," stated the representatives of the association in a press release.

According to environmentalists, the proposal also eliminates the protection of public interests based on expert assessment, centralization poses a risk of strengthening corruption, and the law lacks tools to tackle climate change. "The current system needs to be changed, but not for the worse," noted Daniel Vondrouš, director of Zelený kruh.