Documents and Laws in Parliament

Scope: Part One; Section 13b; pages 1–5.

The amendment extends the municipality’s obligation to permanently identify abandoned cats and cats without owners—an obligation that has thus far applied only to stray and abandoned dogs. The municipality is to cover the cost of microchipping or tattooing; if the owner is identified, the owner will reimburse the municipality for the costs. The new measure is proposed to take effect on January 1, 2028, and in the provision on effective date, the reference is changed from Part Two to Part One.

Scope: Section 13b; pages 1–4.

The amendment specifies that the cost of neutering abandoned cats and stray cats is to be covered by the municipality in whose cadastral territory the cat is located. This is intended to resolve disputes between municipalities and confirm that the obligation applies regardless of the ownership of the land where the cat is located. The proposal follows the change in the regulation from “stray and abandoned animals” to a provision that explicitly includes animals without an owner and is intended to support widespread spaying and neutering programs.

Scope: Section 13b; page 1.

The amendment adds the state’s liability for the accidental sterilization of a cat in a pet-owning household during municipal regulation of the cat population, provided that the cat could not be reliably identified. Damages, non-pecuniary harm, and reasonably incurred costs—including court costs—are to be covered by the Ministry of Agriculture, not the municipality. The proposal thus shifts the financial risk of such errors from municipal budgets to the state.

Scope: Part One–Part Six; § 3–§ 2; pages 1–3.

The amendment supplements the main bill with comprehensive rules for free-roaming cats: municipalities are to ensure their identification, veterinary care, spaying or neutering, microchipping, registration, and, depending on the circumstances, return or rehoming. Mandatory microchipping and central registration will shift from the current system for dogs to a system covering both dogs and cats; breeders and veterinarians will also record data on changes in ownership and the spaying or neutering of cats. Starting in 2030, municipalities may introduce a fee for dogs and cats, though properly microchipped, registered, and neutered cats will be exempt from the fee; at the same time, the Civil Code now excludes the automatic acquisition of ownership of a found animal by a municipality.

Scope: Part One; Section 13b; pages 1–2.

The amendment changes the funding of mandatory spay-and-neuter programs for stray and ownerless cats. Instead of municipalities, the state is to cover the costs, which are to be spent efficiently, from the state budget through the Ministry of Agriculture. The goal is to avoid burdening small municipalities in particular with a new obligation that is financially difficult to predict and to ensure uniform conditions for regulating the cat population.

Scope: Part Three; Section 1048; pages 1–3.

The amendment deletes the section of the bill that would amend the Civil Code. Consequently, the rule under which a municipality immediately acquires ownership of a found abandoned animal upon notification of the find will not be implemented; the exception for feral cats is also eliminated. The proposers refuse to transfer the costs, care, and responsibility for found animals to municipalities without prior debate and secured funding.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; Section 13b; pages 1–2.

The amendment repeals the provisions governing the mandatory neutering of abandoned and stray cats, their identification by ear notching, and recurring municipal programs for trapping, neutering, and returning them. It also repeals the proposed change regarding the transfer of ownership of a found animal to the municipality and the related deferred effective date of one year. The sponsors cite legal uncertainty, the risk of disputes, and costs not covered by municipalities; they propose postponing a solution until a future amendment, particularly in connection with the microchipping of cats.

Scope: Part Four; Section 45; pages 1–3.

The amendment adds to the Game Hunting Act a prohibition on hunting red foxes underground in natural burrows with the aid of a hunting dog. The existing closing punctuation mark at the end of the list of prohibited hunting methods is changed to a comma so that a new prohibition can be added. The aim is to restrict burrow hunting, which, according to the explanatory memorandum, does not guarantee the swift killing of the fox.

Scope: Part One–Part Two; § 28a–§ 81b; pages 1–18.

The amendment clarifies the protection of abused animals, particularly the procedure for their removal and temporary foster care during criminal proceedings. Upon written referral of an animal by law enforcement authorities, the municipal office with extended jurisdiction must immediately order care for the animal, cover the costs of such care from the moment the animal is taken into custody, and may also arrange for care at the breeder’s premises. The costs are now to be covered by the person ordered to provide care; if the full advance payment is not made within 30 days, the animal may be transferred to the state or seized. The bill replaces the term “offender” with the neutral term “person against whom proceedings are being conducted” and regulates the transfer of abused animals from criminal proceedings to municipalities.

Scope: Section 14a; pages 1–5.

The amendment tightens the exception allowing the import of selected carnivores and great apes into the Czech Republic for breeding in a licensed zoo. Under the new rules, the animals must be kept in permanent care for at least 24 months to prevent opportunistic short-term transfers followed by export. Earlier transfers abroad or to an unlicensed facility will be permitted only with authorization from the Ministry of the Environment for serious reasons, such as health or rescue programs.

Scope: Part One–Part Five; § 7–§ 14; pages 1–9.

The proposed amendment prohibits burrowing for red foxes, i.e., hunting underground by releasing dogs into burrows or digging out the animals for the purpose of killing them. It also prohibits the keeping of foxes in captivity, with exceptions for cases where a hunting permit is not required. Existing permits to keep foxes for dog training remain formally valid, but will no longer allow for such training; the special provisions of the Hunting Act governing these permits are also repealed.

Scope: Part One–Part Five; § 14–§ 7; pages 1–9.

The amendment prohibits burrowing—that is, hunting game underground using dogs or digging out game to kill it—as a form of animal cruelty. It also prohibits the keeping of red foxes in captivity, with limited exceptions, and repeals the special permit for their temporary possession for the purpose of training hunting dogs; existing permits remain valid, but foxes may no longer be used for training under those permits. The goal is to reduce stress and injuries to both foxes and dogs and to support the natural role of foxes in rodent control.

Scope: Part One–Part Four; § 4; pages 1–4.

The amendment strengthens the protection of birds against surgical wing mutilation that prevents flight. The existing ban is amended such that the procedure will be permitted, in exceptional cases, only for birds younger than three days and only for flamingos, pelicans, and wading birds; for other birds, this repeals the existing general exception for chicks. The proposal also sets the effective date of the main law as January 1, 2027, and establishes specific deadlines for selected provisions.

Scope: Part Four; Sections 4–64; pages 1–3.

The proposed amendment prohibits burrowing hunting—that is, hunting by releasing a dog into a burrow or digging game out of a burrow. It also prohibits the breeding and use of red foxes in captivity for the training and testing of hunting dogs; violations will constitute a misdemeanor for both individuals and legal entities. It repeals the existing special permit for the temporary possession of foxes for training purposes, but retains already valid permits for breeding, without the possibility of using the foxes for training. The bill justifies the change by citing the need to protect both foxes and hunting dogs from suffering and the possibility of replacing burrow hunting with other methods of game population control.

Scope: Section 11; pages 1–11.

The amendment repeals the fixed limit under which compensation for indirect costs for energy-intensive sectors could not exceed 25% of the proceeds from emissions permit auctions. The government will continue to determine the amount of compensation annually; however, it may now exceed the limit without being required to make across-the-board cuts to support for businesses. If the 25% limit is exceeded, a justification must be published, along with information on electricity prices for the affected sectors and an assessment of other long-term measures to reduce indirect carbon costs. The proposal aims to strengthen industrial competitiveness, limit carbon leakage, and take effect on the date of its publication.

Scope: Part One–Part Three; § 88–§ 88m; pages 1–12.

The proposed amendment adds an amendment to the Water Act to the amendment to the Plant Protection Act, effective April 1, 2027. The fee for groundwater extraction is increased from 2 CZK or 3 CZK to a uniform rate of 7 CZK per m³ to protect groundwater resources and limit their excessive use. The revenue will now be allocated as follows: one-seventh to the State Environmental Fund and six-sevenths to the Ministry of Agriculture for water management; the regions are no longer entitled to a share. Advance payments for the fee, payable quarterly or monthly, are being introduced, along with transitional rules for the years 2027 through 2029.

Scope: § 60–§ 5; pages 1–6.

The amendment simplifies record-keeping regarding the use of plant protection products for farmers without compromising oversight of the actual doses used and application conditions. It allows for a varying number of decimal places, does not require the start time of application or the crop’s growth stage unless such information is necessary or mandated by EU law, and permits a descriptive, general record of the measure’s effectiveness. Previous records do not need to be rewritten, and conflicting requirements of the decree shall not apply. The effective date of these changes is being changed from the fixed date of January 1, 2027, to the nearest January 1 or July 1 following the expiration of six months from the enactment of the law.

Scope: § 60–§ 60a; pages 1–6.

The amendment regulates the electronic submission of data by distributors of plant protection products to the national data repository. The Ministry must enable direct submission without requiring the use of specific software, confirm receipt, allow for corrections to individual records, and provide timely notice of technical changes. In the event of a repository outage, data may be submitted within five business days after the system is restored; previously submitted data need not be resubmitted. The effective date is being changed from a uniform date of January 1, 2027, to specific dates so that the government can prepare the system and users have at least nine months to adapt.

Scope: Sections 86–88; pages 1–9.

The proposed amendment changes the current rule, under which holders of an expired second- or third-level certificate were required to retake the entire basic course. If they apply within 12 months, supplementary training and an exam will suffice; however, the application itself does not reinstate their authorization to practice. It also allows for the theoretical portion of the supplementary training to be completed remotely, provided that identity and attendance are verified. It establishes transitional rules and the earlier, separate effective dates for these changes.

Scope: Sections 4–64; pages 1–6.

The amendment extends the first mandatory inspection of new, previously unused professional equipment for the application of products from three to a maximum of five years from the date of purchase. This also applies to certain previously purchased, as-yet-untested equipment; however, the period does not start over, and subsequent inspections or inspections following repairs are not extended. The owner must provide proof of the equipment’s new condition and date of purchase; a change of ownership or the buyout of a lease does not trigger a new deadline. The law otherwise takes effect on January 1, 2027, while this amendment is to take effect on the nearest January 1 or July 1 following 30 days from its promulgation.