The Constitutional Court will decide whether the new runway is a public interest

Brno - The Constitutional Court (ÚS) will announce on Thursday how it decided regarding the proposal to repeal the law that designated the construction of a new runway at Prague-Ruzyně Airport as a matter of public interest. If the proposal is accepted, the project for the takeoff and landing strip will become significantly more complicated. The law was challenged by a group of senators, who argue that the statute is unconstitutional.
    The brief law came into effect in 2005. Legislators wanted to expedite and facilitate the demanding project. The statute declared the runway and all related constructions as a matter of public interest. It halved the timeframes in administrative procedures and amended the administrative code, construction law, and expropriation law for this specific purpose.
    According to the senators, one of the flaws of the law is that it does not meet the requirement of so-called generality. It serves a single purpose - the construction of the runway. They also argue that the problem lies in the easier expropriation of land. Furthermore, the senators assert that the law is in conflict with the principle of separation of powers and encroaches on the right to judicial protection. Decisions made based on the law are difficult to review by the court.
    The proposal to repeal the law was submitted by the senators in 2008, signed by 17 politicians from various clubs. They believe that similar one-purpose laws have no place in the legal framework of a stable and free society.
    The airport needs the new takeoff and landing strip due to the increasing volume of transportation and the possibility of further development. The runway is primarily intended for landings from the direction of Nebušice, while the current runway will mostly be used for takeoffs towards Jeneč. The opening date of the runway keeps getting postponed. The project has many opponents, including landowners affected and residents of the noise zone.
    The Constitutional Court has already issued another decision today that could influence the runway project. It ordered the Supreme Administrative Court to substantively discuss objections against the change of the Prague zoning plan that allows the construction of the runway. Previously, the administrative court refused to address the issue.