Documents and Laws in Parliament

Scope: pages 1–2.

On August 19, 2026, the Senate rejected a bill that would have replaced the existing civil service system with an employment-based system for government employees. At the same time, it tasked three senators with justifying this decision at a session of the Chamber of Deputies.

Scope: pages 1–2.

On August 20, 2026, the Senate rejected a proposal for a comprehensive amendment to the Building Act and related laws. The proposal is therefore returned to the Chamber of Deputies, which may uphold the bill. Senators Miroslav Plevný, Miroslav Kroc, and Tomáš Třetina were tasked with drafting the Senate’s reasoning for the decision.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; § 13b–§ 1048; pages 1–3.

The amendment removes the obligation of municipalities to arrange for and pay for the spaying or neutering of abandoned and stray cats, their identification, and repeated programs of trapping, spaying or neutering, and return. It also repeals the proposed automatic transfer of ownership of a found abandoned animal to the municipality and the related special provisions regarding its effectiveness. The reasons for this are legal ambiguities and the unaddressed financial and organizational impacts on municipalities; a solution is to be left to a future amendment aligned with European regulations.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; § 13b–§ 1048; pages 1–5.

The amendment repeals the obligation of municipalities to pay for the spaying or neutering of abandoned and stray cats, to mark them by ear-tipping, and to carry out a program for their capture, spaying or neutering, and return. It also deletes the amendment to the Civil Code under which a municipality would acquire ownership of a found abandoned animal, as well as the related special provisions on its effective date. The reasons for this are legal ambiguities, the risk of disputes, and the undue financial and organizational burden on municipalities.

Scope: Section 48; pages 1–5.

The amendment reduces the mandatory reserve for collective systems for electrical equipment, batteries, and tires from 50% to 25% of annual costs. At the same time, it repeals the proposed requirement to set aside a reserve of at least 10% of costs each year during the first five years. The goal is to free up tied-up funds, limit the growth of recycling fees and prices for consumers, and facilitate the entry of new collective systems into the market.

Scope: Sections 3–11; pages 1–13.

The amendment clarifies the rules for fluorinated greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances; in particular, it exempts halons from disposal requirements and expands the authorization for the recovery of gases during product recycling. The Ministry is to be granted the authority to conduct on-site inspections of certification and attestation bodies, and supervisory authorities will be able to require detailed documentation on the movement of gases; failure to submit such documentation will be punishable by a fine of up to 5,000,000 CZK. At the same time, outdated European regulations are being repealed, the first reporting deadline is being postponed from 2026 to 2027, and the effective date is being changed from July 1, 2026, to the fifteenth day following publication.

Scope: Part One–Part Three; § 2–§ 2a; pages 1–31.

Prior to its entry into force, the bill amends and clarifies the new legal framework for public support of research, development, and innovation. It introduces open access to publicly funded publications and research data, including their deposit in trusted repositories, while simultaneously protecting privacy, intellectual property, and security interests. It regulates the status of research agencies, the transfer of responsibilities to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, budgetary procedures, and the temporary processing of birth numbers. It allows public infrastructure institutions to conduct related research and raises the limit on the transfer of earmarked funds from 5% to 10%; the main changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Scope: § 112–§ 27; pages 1–12.

Congresswoman Jana Patková questions the transparency of Pavel Straka’s appointment as head of the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, as well as his expertise, political ties, and potential security risks. The minister stated that the first round of the selection process was terminated due to differing interpretations of procedural rules, and that a test was not necessary in the second round due to the smaller number of candidates. He described the selection as lawful and impartial, refused to disclose internal documentation due to legal restrictions, and denied claims regarding the director’s limited presence in Prague, the request for a better car, and the identified security risks.

Scope: Section 112; pages 1–10.

The parliamentary question draws attention to the potential impacts of kaolin mining near Jenišov and Božíčany, particularly dust, water pollution, land subsidence, failure to carry out reclamation, and threats to the health of residents and mineral springs. The representative calls for appropriate regulation, monitoring, and an assessment of the cumulative impacts of mining. The Ministry stated that it has not yet received evidence of the alleged exceptionally high pollution levels or violations of conditions, but it is prepared to review new expert documentation in cooperation with the relevant authorities. According to the Ministry, the direct licensing and oversight of mining operations fall primarily under the jurisdiction of the mining authority, as well as construction, regional, and other administrative bodies.

Scope: Part One–Part Three; § 4–§ 154; pages 1–4.

The bill primarily aligns the Czech Waste Act with the new EU regulation on the transboundary shipment of waste and replaces existing references to the old European legislation with the new one. It introduces electronic filing and service of documents through a central system, regulates the Ministry’s decision-making process, clarifies the rules for the take-back and safe storage of waste, and newly establishes a regime for facilities requiring prior authorization; At the same time, the conditions regarding the applicant’s good standing are being amended so that the applicant must not have a single fine of a high amount, and the total amount of fines must not exceed a specified limit. The provisions governing administrative offenses and penalties related to cross-border waste shipments are being significantly revised to make enforcement more effective against illegal shipments. In addition, the obligation for regions to prepare waste management plans is being repealed, and an administrative fee of 10,000 CZK is being introduced for applications to issue or amend prior consent.

Scope: Section 112; pages 1–8.

This concerns a written parliamentary question and the minister’s response regarding the Czech Republic’s position on the revision of EU food labeling rules under the CMO, particularly with regard to plant-based alternatives, flavorings, and novel foods. The MP points out ambiguities following the EU compromise, which retained general terms such as “burger” or “sausage” but reserved certain names exclusively for animal products. The minister states that the Czech Republic supports the protection of the term “meat” and related animal-based designations, while, according to him, the rules for flavors and aromas remain unchanged, and the general requirements that labeling not be misleading continue to apply. Regarding novel foods, the ministry notes that the text of the revision has already been finalized and no further changes are possible.

Scope: Section 20; pages 1–4.

The government has taken a negative stance on the parliamentary bill. It states that although the involvement of the Fire and Rescue Service in the national park council may be beneficial, it considers the proposed separate vote and the transfer of decision-making to the ministry following government deliberation to be ill-conceived, unclear, and administratively burdensome. It also criticizes the fact that the bill weakens the unified role of the board and may create legal uncertainty regarding the nature of the ministry’s decision-making. It considers the possibility of reopening already approved documents to be particularly problematic, as this would undermine the legal and economic certainty of national park administration and related acts.

Scope: pages 1–2.

The government takes a negative stance on the Senate’s proposal. It rejects the removal of restrictions on sickness benefits for working recipients of a third-degree disability pension, because, in its view, the loss of income for these individuals is already primarily covered by the disability pension. It points out that receiving both a disability pension and sick pay provides a higher level of social protection than for other insured persons whose sole income is their wages.