The Chamber approved a one-year postponement of the mandatory use of the national geoportal

Prague - The mandatory use of the National Geoportal for Spatial Planning is likely to be postponed by one year to June 30, 2027. The extension of the transitional period, known as the bypass, was approved today in an expedited procedure by the Chamber of Deputies. It still needs to be reviewed by the Senate and signed by the president. The delay was proposed by the Minister for Regional Development Zuzana Mrázová (ANO), who presented it as a parliamentary amendment to the building act. According to the minister, the geoportal is currently functional, but not all of its features have been fully tested yet. Hence, early activation might pose complications, according to her.

No one vetoed the expedited approval in the first reading. A total of 123 deputies from all parliamentary clubs voted in favor of the bill. No deputy voted against it. "This is not about politics; this is about municipalities, cities, regions, and the state," the minister told the deputies today.

The National Geoportal is the official information system for spatial planning. It is intended to store data and support spatial planning processes, enabling access to the outputs of spatial planning in the Czech Republic. The reason for the postponement, according to the minister, is the need to adjust the geoportal due to the extensive amendment to the building act currently under discussion.

In 2024, Parliament passed an amendment to the building act triggered by the challenges experienced with the launch of the digitalization of the building process. The so-called technological bypass allowed for the simultaneous use of the original building process systems alongside the new ones. It was divided into two parts. The first postponed the mandatory use of the National Geoportal for Spatial Planning, while the second part concerned, for example, the Information System for Building Proceedings, which building authority staff do not necessarily have to use until the end of 2027. Municipalities are therefore not required to upload their documentation to the geoportal and can continue to use existing methods of publication on the notice board.

The Chamber is now discussing an extensive amendment to the building act that has already been presented by the representatives of the current governing coalition after the elections. Primarily, it introduces a centralized state building authority, declares large-scale housing constructions as a matter of public interest, which in extreme cases can facilitate expropriation of land, and anticipates the introduction of the principle of a single building process at one authority with one stamp. Local self-governments should be responsible for spatial development. According to the minister, these changes will also require further adjustments to the National Geoportal for Spatial Planning.