The Chamber approved a law facilitating the establishment of temporary buildings for refugees

Prague – Building temporary structures for the accommodation and education of refugees from Ukraine should be easier and faster. This will be enabled by a special law that was approved yesterday by the Chamber of Deputies in a state of legislative emergency. It introduces a new term necessary construction, which is always temporary, for a maximum of three years. The builder can mainly be the state, its contributory organization, a municipality, a region, or an organization established by them. The law is set to take effect the day after its publication in the Collection of Laws. However, it still needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president. The law was supported by 160 present deputies from all parties, and no one voted against it.

Based on a parliamentary amendment, the Chamber extended the range of possible builders to include state enterprises or state organizations. A state enterprise includes, for example, Czech Post or Lesy České republiky, while a state organization is the Czech Railway Administration. The proposal was introduced by Klára Dostálová (ANO), the chairwoman of the parliamentary committee for public administration, her party colleague Ladislav Okleštěk, and ODS deputy Jiří Havránek. Minister for regional development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates) agreed with this proposal.

Dostálová stated that Czech Post has many unused buildings that could be utilized. Similarly, according to her, vacant railway station buildings could also be used.

A necessary construction will be a building serving to mitigate the consequences of a massive influx of displaced persons who fled from the war in Ukraine. This will apply to buildings for housing, accommodation, education, upbringing, as well as for educational, health, and social services. The term construction according to this law will also include related technical and transportation infrastructure. The law can also be applied to renovations if they meet the purpose required by law. The duration of such a necessary construction may not exceed three years. However, the faster rules will not apply to constructions subject to environmental impact assessment, known as EIA.

The constructions will not have to meet some technical requirements resulting from regulations. Builders will be able to deviate from the general requirement that the location must not worsen environmental quality and the value of the area. It will not be necessary to address parking and parking spaces.

The government states that a necessary construction can be placed not only in accordance with spatial planning documentation but also based on a decision on exemption from spatial or regulatory plans.

If there arises a reason why a necessary construction for refugees should continue as a permanent construction, it will be possible to extend it accordingly under both the existing and new building laws. An application must be made before the three-year period expires, and the office will proceed according to the rules for changes in the use of the building.