The proposed establishment of the Supreme Building Authority and the system of regional building authorities in the Czech Republic will no longer proceed as planned. The issuance of construction permits will continue to be the responsibility of municipalities, as announced by the presidential office. The decision to abolish the state-run construction administration, as outlined in the 2021 Building Act, was signed by President Petr Pavel in the government’s amendment to the Building Act.

Under the approved amendment, municipal building authorities will remain under the jurisdiction of local municipalities. However, the Transport and Energy Construction Authority, which will be subordinate to the Ministry of Transport, will still be established. This authority will primarily focus on transportation and energy-related projects. The amendment aims to streamline and expedite the construction permitting process.

The creation of a state construction administration and the transfer of building authorities to the state were provisions of the new Building Act introduced in 2021, which was promoted by the former government led by Andrej Babiš of ANO. The main objective of these provisions was to accelerate the construction permitting process by implementing specific timelines. However, the current coalition government, comprising former opposition parties, opposed the establishment of a new state authority and decided to abolish it. The amendment preserves the existing 694 building authorities in municipalities, with a possible reduction based on construction activity.

The amendment received rare consensus in the Chamber of Deputies in March, with representatives from ANO and SPD also voting in favor. Ivan Bartoš, the Minister for Local Development and Digitalization at the time from the Pirates party, emphasized the amendment’s objective of ensuring a simple, transparent, and expedited construction permitting process in the Czech Republic. The principle of “one authority, one process, and one stamp” was intended to accelerate decision-making while maintaining a high level of protection for public interests in construction.

With the cancellation of the proposed Supreme Building Authority, municipalities will retain their role in issuing construction permits, ensuring local decision-making and citizen proximity in the process. The focus now will be on implementing the approved amendment and enhancing the efficiency of construction permitting throughout the country.

Article by Prague Forum