The Chamber of Deputies' Legal Committee has suspended the deliberation on the amendment to expedite building permits

Prague – The discussion of the coalition amendment to the building code, which aims to expedite and simplify the approval of constructions according to its creators, was also interrupted today by the constitutional and legal committee. The economic and administrative committees had already taken similar steps two weeks ago, allowing MPs time to submit any potential amendments. The committees are expected to return to the draft in the second half of March. The Minister for Regional Development, Zuzana Mrázová (ANO), earlier announced a comprehensive adjustment of the parliamentary amendment.

The amendment primarily anticipates the establishment of a central state building authority. It declares mass housing constructions as a public interest, which could facilitate expropriation of land. The opposition fears that the changes will not be effective and that some officials from the current building offices under municipalities will not want to work in the state building authority. There are also criticisms that the proposed changes will only strengthen the position of large investors.

The draft provides for the introduction of the principle of a single building procedure at one authority with one stamp. Only institutions for the protection of monuments and conservation of specially protected areas and fire department input for fire-hazardous constructions are to remain separate. Spatial planning is to be fully under the jurisdiction of municipalities and regions. Changes to spatial plans are to be quicker and their refinement easier according to the amendment.

According to the draft, municipalities could collect compensation from landowners based on issued decrees if the value of their plots increases due to changes in the spatial plan. A condition will be that the owner agreed to the change or requested it themselves.

Mass housing constructions are to be buildings with a total floor area exceeding 10,000 m². However, the amendment is set to declare public interest not only for these but also for schools, sports facilities, public buildings, roads, and bridges. Requirements for buildings, as mainly contained in standards, such as for parking and energy, are to be relaxed. Rules for the modernization of older buildings, interior modifications, or extensions are to be simpler. The amendment also aims to limit obstructive lawsuits during the approval of constructions.

The new building code from 2021 took several years to prepare. Its current form came into effect in July two years ago. Some opposition MPs claim that the current parliamentary amendment is essentially a new building code. Furthermore, the draft amends several dozen laws, including a provision in the nature conservation law that prohibits the hunting of foxes using the method of denning.