Reject the amendment to the building law due to monuments, experts urged lawmakers

The amendment to the building law currently in the Chamber means a fatal weakening of the existing system of heritage protection. This was written to the MPs in an open letter by experts from several universities and scientific research institutions. The letter, which CTK has access to, calls on the MPs to reject the building law amendment in its proposed form.

According to the letter, the amendment radically and incomprehensibly weakens the position of the expert component of heritage protection, notably that of the National Heritage Institute. Under the proposal, the institute would not be able to independently express its views on interventions in buildings in heritage-protected areas or assess new constructions being erected in these zones, including reservations designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. "This proposal denies the very purpose of declaring heritage-protected areas," states the letter.

The appeal to the MPs has similar signatories as an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in January, which received no response. Among the 13 signatories are the director of the Institute of Art History at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University Richard Biegel, the dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University Dalibor Hlaváček, the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague Tomáš Pospiszyl, the rector of the AAAD in Prague Jindřich Vybíral, the director of the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences Tomáš Winter, the chairman of the Art History Society in the Czech Lands Marek Pokorný, along with other representatives from Charles University, but also from Masaryk University in Brno and Palacký University in Olomouc.

According to them, the current amendment to the building law goes even further in destroying the system of heritage protection than the first proposal from last December. They claim it abolishes the existing binding nature of opinions in heritage-protected areas and endangers the protective zones of heritage sites.

The restrictions would also affect rescue archaeological research if the law were adopted, due to the proposed significant shortening of deadlines for such research and the transfer of financial burdens onto public institutions.

"This is not about heritage professionals, but about heritage. Therefore, we urge you to reject the amendment in its proposed form," they stated in the letter.

In recent days, the Art History Society in the Czech Lands and the Arnika association have also warned against the adoption of the proposed amendment to the building law. The opposition has repeatedly raised objections. The bill is awaiting its second reading. At the end of May, the MPs postponed it to June 3rd.