Documents and Laws in Parliament

The document contains a written interpellation to the Minister of Agriculture regarding the contamination of infant formula with the cereulid toxin and the possible failure of the consumer protection system in the Czech Republic. The questions focus in particular on the role of the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority (SZPI) as the contact point for the RASFF system, delays in informing the public, controls on recalled products and the responsibility of manufacturers. In its reply, the ministry states that most of the recalls were preventive, companies have complied with their obligations according to the available information, and SZPI has carried out dozens of inspections and laboratory tests. At the same time, the Czech Republic supports further investigations at EU level and the possible introduction of mandatory testing of infant formula for cereulicide toxin.

The document submits the ratification of the agreement between the Czech Republic and Kenya on defence cooperation to the Parliament of the Czech Republic for approval. The agreement establishes a legal framework for long-term military cooperation, for example in training, joint exercises, exchange of information or defence industry. It crucially regulates the legal status of seconded military personnel, who must respect the legal order of the other state on its territory. The implementation of the agreement will be ensured by the Ministry of Defence and should not have additional impacts on the state budget.

The document asks the Parliament of the Czech Republic to agree to ratify the acts of the Universal Postal Union adopted at the Extraordinary Congress in Riyadh in 2023. These acts change the rules of operation of the international postal services, expand the involvement of other entities in the activities of the organisation and modernise postal financial services, including measures against money laundering and terrorist financing. They also modify the technical and operational rules for postal payments, interoperability of systems, data protection and the terms and conditions of postal services and shipments. It also includes a climate commitment for postal operators and a political declaration supporting the Ukrainian postal sector and condemning Russian aggression.

The bill extensively amends the Code of Civil Procedure and related regulations, in particular to introduce protections against abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs) that threaten freedom of expression and participation in public debate. Courts will hear such cases on a priority basis, may require security for costs, impose sanctions for abusive conduct, and allow publication of a dismissal at the plaintiff’s expense. The amendment also regulates the service of court documents abroad, including advances for translation and service, and changes the running of procedural time limits. At the same time, it introduces new court fees for certain appeals and clarifies the rules on compensation for the exercise of public authority, for example when a prosecution is dismissed on the grounds of limitation.

The proposal amends the Waste Act so that municipalities with very low production of mixed municipal waste have a 10% lower mandatory target for the proportion of separated waste. It responds to situations where municipalities are effectively preventing waste (e.g. through home composting) and yet do not formally meet the legal sorting targets. A new annex is introduced with a formula and per capita limits on the amount of mixed waste that can be used to apply the reduction in the target; these limits will be progressively reduced. The law is proposed to take effect from 1 July 2026.

The document submits to the Parliament of the Czech Republic for ratification a new air transport agreement between the Czech Republic and Ghana. The Agreement regulates air carriers’ rights, airline operations, safety, tariffs, commercial activities of carriers, environmental protection and dispute settlement. The new agreement replaces the outdated 1961 agreement and brings the rules in line with EU law and current civil aviation standards. It is expected to facilitate air transport and trade cooperation between the two countries without impacting the state budget.

The document asks the Parliament of the Czech Republic to approve the ratification of a new agreement on air services between the Czech Republic and Iraq, signed in Prague in 2025, which will replace the outdated 1960 agreement. The agreement sets out rules for the operation of international air transport, including the designation of carriers, the issuance and revocation of operating authorisations, safety checks and the recognition of aircraft and crew certificates. It also regulates economic and operational conditions such as airport charges, tariffs, code-sharing, sale of services and the transfer of airline profits. The aim is to promote direct air links and the development of economic relations between the Czech Republic and Iraq without the need for changes to Czech laws or additional expenditure.

The document asks the Parliament of the Czech Republic to approve the ratification of the agreement between the Czech Republic and the Gambia on air transport signed in 2023. The agreement creates a legal framework for the operation of international air routes between the two countries, including rules on traffic rights, operation of airline companies, safety, charges and commercial activities of carriers. It also regulates cooperation between authorities, dispute resolution and conditions of operation, flight capacity or joint designation of routes. Ratification does not require any changes to Czech law and will not have a significant impact on the state budget.

The document asks the Parliament of the Czech Republic to approve the ratification of the new air transport agreement between the Czech Republic and Senegal signed in 2025. The agreement replaces the outdated Czechoslovak-Senegalese agreement of 1962 (and its supplement of 1963) and establishes modern rules for the operation of international air routes, designation of carriers, capacity of connections, charges, taxes and commercial activities of airlines. It also regulates civil aviation safety, recognition of licences, cooperation between authorities and dispute settlement. The implementation of the agreement does not require changes to Czech laws or additional state budget expenditure.

The document contains a written interpellation from MEP Marian Jurečka to Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik regarding the planned introduction of mandatory basic knowledge of the Czech language for drivers of taxi services and transport platforms. The MEP asks about the justification for this measure, its possible extension to other professions and also asks whether the same principle would apply to members of the government. In reply, the Minister stated that language skills were necessary, particularly for road safety, communication with passengers and understanding traffic instructions. He also rejects comparisons with other services and stresses the specific responsibility of taxi drivers for safety.

The Act adapts Czech law to the European eIDAS 2 Regulation and introduces the European digital identity wallet, electronic attribute confirmations and a new system of trust services. Public authorities and some private entities will have to gradually adopt digital identification and attribute confirmation, with the Digital and Information Agency taking over the supervision and management of the systems. New technical, security and record-keeping obligations are imposed on providers of these services and a wide-ranging system of penalties of up to €130 million or 1% of global turnover is introduced. It also introduces free qualified electronic signatures for individuals for non-professional purposes and changes administrative fees, for example increasing some fees from CZK 25,000 to CZK 50,000.

The bill extensively amends the rules for regulating advertising, particularly for human medicines, medical devices, diagnostic devices and certain foods, including infant formula. It clarifies the definitions of advertising, sets stricter conditions for marketing, limits gifts and hospitality to professionals and prohibits certain practices that encourage excessive consumption. It also establishes rules for patient programs, special protections for children in advertising, and more precise liability for advertisers. It strengthens supervision by state authorities and harmonises offences and penalties, with fines of up to CZK 5 million.

The interpellation by MEP Karel Haas concerns Decree No 169/2023 Coll., which allows energy recovery from waste fuels only in sources with a minimum capacity of 20 MW. The MEP proposes lowering this limit to 5 MW so that smaller municipal heating plants can also use them, which, in his opinion, would promote the circular economy, local energy and reduce energy costs. The Environment Minister said that the current 20 MW limit is the result of a compromise between the comment points and ensures control over the use of waste. He said changing the decree would require a new broad consensus among the concerned institutions.

The document contains a written interpellation from MEP Marian Jurečka to Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček regarding the planned introduction of mandatory basic knowledge of the Czech language for taxi drivers and transport platforms. The MEP warns of the possible impact on freedom of enterprise and the risk of setting a precedent for other professions. In his reply, the Minister states that the regulation of the taxi industry is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and that the introduction of a language test as a condition of doing business could negatively affect the business environment. He also mentions the possibility of less stringent ways of verifying language proficiency and that the impact of the proposal will be assessed only by a specific legislative proposal.

The draft law regulates the rules for remuneration of members of municipal, regional and Prague councils in the event of concurrence of several public functions and corrects the shortcomings of the 2025 amendment. The new reduction of remuneration focuses mainly on cases of concurrence of vacant positions; when concurrent with the position of a deputy, senator or member of the government, the remuneration may not exceed 0.4 of the remuneration of the vacant representative. The obligation for representatives to notify the creation and changes to other functions and their remuneration within 5 days is introduced. At the same time, the rules for determining remuneration are changed - some previous restrictions are abolished (e.g. the upper limit of 0.6 times for a non-elected mayor) and the method of determining remuneration is simplified.

The amendment to the Consumer Credit Act implements EU Directive 2023/2225 and significantly strengthens consumer protection in the provision of credit. It introduces price ceilings for loans linked to the CNB repo rate, stricter rules on advertising, extensive information obligations and stricter creditworthiness assessments, including a ban on the use of sensitive data or social media data. Providers must now help clients in financial difficulty, for example by restructuring debt and referring them to debt counselling. The law also sets high penalties of up to CZK 20 million for breaches and regulates related areas such as credit-related insurance and rules for providers and CNB supervision.

The draft law comprehensively replaces the existing Act on the Residence of Foreigners and newly regulates the rules of entry, residence, expulsion and legal status of foreigners in the Czech Republic in accordance with EU law. It introduces extensive digitalization of the migration agenda through the Integrated Foreigners’ Agenda System and a mandatory “foreigners’ account” through which applications will be submitted and communication with the authorities will be carried out. The law also introduces the institution of a residence guarantor (e.g. employer or school), new types of visas and residencies, regulates labour migration, study stays, family reunification and tightens residence registration, including a new mandatory registration for EU citizens staying more than 90 days. It also sets out more detailed rules on return and detention of foreigners, integration (language tests and integration courses) and the management of large databases on foreigners.

The Act implements European capital market regulations with the aim of reducing the administrative burden and increasing the attractiveness of the market for small and medium-sized enterprises. The main changes include increasing the threshold for the obligation to draw up a prospectus from €1 million to €5 million, introducing an issue document for smaller issues and strengthening investor protection, especially for retail investors. Rules on investment research, transparency of shares with different voting weights and supervision of ESG ratings are also amended, with the Czech National Bank gaining new powers.