National Policy Database URBACT Czech en 1116842370932

8/3/2019 National Policy Database URBACT Czech en 1116842370932

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This questionnaire centres around three key strands:

A general presentation of the urban agenda in the country concerned;

A detailed analysis of integrated urban development policieselating to the URBAN Programme strands in the particular country;

Annexes: summary timeline of urban legislation and regulations in

he country concerned; list of documentary sources.

Urban policies [ in country X ]:

Setting the territorial, demographic, political

and administrative context

in each Member State

URBACT PROGRAMME

Implementation of 25 national studies onintegrated urban development policies

and future Member State of the European Union



ease specify in brackets the sources of the figures given.1.1 Total population on national territory

1.2 Urban population

1.3 Urbanization rate

1.4 List of cities (or urban areas) with populations over 1 million

1.5 Is there a dominant central city?

so, demographic load as a % of national population

1.6 No. of large cities (over 250,000 people, Urban Audit criteria)

of national population living in a large city

1.7 No. of medium-sized cities (50,000 to 250,000 people, Urban Audit criteria)

of the national population living in a medium-sized city

1.8 No. of small cities (between 20,000 and 50,000 people)

of the national population living in a small city

1.9 Describe the main features of the historical development of the cities in the country

istorical functions fulfilled by the cities, key dates, etc)

Section 1: General presentation of the urban agenda [ in country X ]

1 General data

ague, capital city

1.36% of the country's population

ague, Ostrava, Brno ( 3)

8.13%

hlava, Pardubice, Karlovy Vary, Plzen, C. Budejovice, Kladno, Opava, Karvinná, Havírov, F.-Místek, Zlín, Olomouc (12)

64%

8

6.63%

0 230 060 (national census 2001)

542 226 (national census 2001)

4.20%

ague (1 161 938)

om the start, urbanization on the Czech territory was determined by geo-morphological and economic conditions.

he country's territory, surrounded by a belt of mountains along its borders, is occupied by a fairly dense network of wns and villages, with the capital city at the center. The north-west and north-east of the country are rich in natural

sources and have been urbanized. Several times during the country's history, and in particular in the 12th century,

e demographic evolution was disrupted by political, economic and religious conflicts. Finally, in the 19th century,

e industrial revolution brought about a massive wave of urbanization. Industries settled not only in towns but also

e countryside. World War I interrupted this movement. In 1918, the Czech and Moravian nations and Slovakia were

nited to form the State of Czecoslovakia. This political and administrative change did not disrupt the processes tha

ad started before the war, except as regards the development of the city of Prague. Prague became the capital of a

ew nation and experienced a construction boom as public buildings and facilities were built. The area of the capital

as expanded and its management re-centralized. The 1930s saw the beginnings of urban planning on a large scale,

ometimes on a regional scale. Town planning and development have been influenced by the ideas of progressive

chitects who signed the Athens charter.

he political upheavals that followed World War II and the move to nationalize property profoundly affected the

banization of towns and of the country as a whole. The focus of urbanization moved east and into Slovakia. The

evelopment of the service sector, especially in Prague, was stopped and rechanneled towards productive functions

actories were built beyond the perimeter of compact cities (in a first peripheral circle); this was followed by the

onstruction of large estates in areas that were situated further from the center of towns, where sufficient land was

vailable. On the other hand, small and medium sized towns experienced positive growth in the 1970s and 1980s. In

is respect, the Czech situation differs from that of Western European countries where people migrated to big cities

anagement and construction of cities experienced another major change in the year 1989. The term planning was

ssociated with centralised management, and this led to a rejection of urban planning in general. Reforms in public

dministration transferred responsibility for town planning to municipal authorities. Faced with a lack of funds for

eir development projects, these authorities turned to private investors who were then able to impose their own rule

n municipalities.he transformation of the economic base manifested by the de-industrialization and delocalization of economic

ctivities towards the west of the country led to the emergence of new regional disparities. The capital city attracted

rge part of the investments and its economic superiority is constantly increasing. However, aside from a few cities

two regions which are experiencing economic difficulties, the urban situation is not a cause for concern. Cities ar

ontinuing to grow, despite a slight decline which is due to the current demographic situation. A few towns which

ave traditionally focused on industry, and where qualified workers are available, have succeeded in effecting a

ositive transformation and have attracted foreign investors.



2.1 Describe the territorial administrative system (federal, centralized, etc.)

2.2 Number of levels of territorial administration (region, département, district, Land, comunidad, etc)

evel 1

evel 2

evel 3

evel «

2.6 Distribution of sources of income of cities (as a % of the total budget)

2 Administration of national territory

2.3 For each level of territorial administration (from the widest to the most local), specify the responsibilities in the

llowing spheres: education, health, safety, housing and urban planning, land economics, transport, employment a

usiness start-up assistance, culture, environment (water, energy, waste, etc. management)

2.5 Is there a central (federal) administrative agency with specific responsibility for the urban agenda and/or

oordination of urban policy actors?

artly decentralized unified system.

our administreative levels: State, 14 regions, 250 municipalities with enlarged powers; 6 239 municipalities

State: Education: national policy; regulation; universities; redistribution of funds to the regions; research.

Health: national policy; regulation; university hospitals and other specialised institutions; redistribution of funds t

the regions; research. Safety:

national policy for safety and crime prevention; regulation; national Police Force; management of assoicated

organizations; research. Housing and

urban planning: housing policy; regulation; funding of programmes providing assistance to housing; manageme

of the housing development Fund; development of land use policies; research Land economics: Natio

Regions: Education: regional education policies; management of secondary schools; resposnbility for

teaching staff. Health:regional health policies; management of health institutions and hospitals. Safety:

crime prevention as part of the regional social welfare policy; unit of the crime prevention Coordinator; cooperati

and joint funding of local projects; monitoring and analysis of the regional situation. Housing and urban

planning: preparation of regional and supra-municipal town planning documents; supervision of planning activiti

at the local level; monitoring of the regional situation in terms of housing and urban planning, approval of region

Municipalities: Education: management of local educational institutions (elementary schools).

Health: - Safety:

public order, crime prevention. Housing and

urban planning: preparation of local urban planning documents in accordance with capabilities and needs.

Land economics: administration of municipal land reserves when they exist.

Transport: construction and maintenance of class 2 and class 3 roads.

Employment and business start-up assistance: -

he Ministry for regional development, through its Housing Policy Department and Urban Planning Department, is the agency

th the highest authority in the areas of urban planning and housing. The Institute for Land Development (UUR) is an

ganization associated with the Ministry and responsible for research in the area of urban planning.

wn revenues: 70%; grants: 20%; funding: 10%

articipation by parastatal organizations was found only in transport and in the environment.

Municipalities with enlarged powers (these have replaced the 75 departments eliminated in 2002):

Education: regional education services supervise and administer the activities developed by the municipal

authorities within their territories. Health: -

Safety: development of local crime prevention programmes; cooperation with regions; establishment of municip

police forces or delegation of this service to private agencies. Housing and

urban planning: preparation of local urban planning documents also for smaller municipalities that requestassistance; development of zoning plans required by law; building services grant planning and buiilding permits;

2.4 Parastatal organizations if any responsible for service delivery to the public in the following spheres: education

ealth, safety, housing and urban planning, land economics, transport, employment and business start-up assistanc

ulture, environment (water, energy, waste, etc. management)



ease specify the sources of the figures given National population

3.1 Age groups

of population under 16 years of age 16.18%

of population 16 to 30 years of age 23.38%

of population above official retirement age 18.45%

3.2 GDP per capita 6.195 euro

3.3 Labour market and employment (as % of the labour force)

ggregate participation rate 60.20%

ale participation rate 69.40%

emale participation rate 51.70%

nemployment rate 8.80%

ate of unemployment among the under-25s x

ong-term unemployment rate (continuously for > 1 year) 4,23%

3.4 Level of education

who have completed upper secondary education (ISCED level 3) 32.25%

males who have completed upper secondary education 18.78%

females who have completed upper secondary education 13.47%

who have completed the 1st stage of tertiary educ. (ISCED level 6) 25.91%

males who have completed the 1st stage of tertiary education 11.04%

females who have completed the 1st stage of tertiary education 14.87%

who have completed the 2nd stage of tertiary educ. (ISCED level 7) 8.13%

males who have completed the 2nd stage of tertiary education 4.69%females who have completed the 2nd stage of tertiary education 3.44%

3.5 Populations of foreign origin

of the resident pop. who are nationals of a non-Schengen country 1.03%

15.46%

1.72%

x

10.32%

28.37%

he demographic decline which affects all cities, except the smallest towns (population 2000 to 5000); the consequences of d

industrialization; the appearance of industrial wasteland and other unused urban areas. Cities that have been most seriousl

affected by economic re-structuring are in the region of Ostrava and in north-western Bohemia. Traffic

ongestion, noise, unauthorised dumps, environmental pollution, wastelands, polluted waters, endangered green areas and t

pressure of new buildings in city center areas classified as historical by UNESCO - these are the major problems of the cityPrague. Pressure on land in the

areas surrounding major cities and along major highways. Despite the satisfactory situation of housing (quantity, technical

facilities), distribution does not correspond to the large demands in more active areas. The financial obstacles that

revent young families from accessing housing; the aging stock of housing, especially as regards large public housing estate

inadequate funds. Debts incurred by cities have reached dangerous levels, especially in smaller cities.

st of the main problems (economic, social, demographic, physical, etc.) that are specific to urban areas in the

ountry concerned.

13.54%

10.96%

6.41%4.55%

9.61%

2.58%

Urban population

13.02%

23.86%

15.30%

4 Problems of cities

23.12%

18.76%.

x

52.63%

53.32%

46.68%

3 Characteristics of the urban population compared to the national population



1.1 Legislation and regulations defining the purpose and procedures for implementing these policies

ources of information used to complete the table

1.2 Criteria on which the areas and target groups affected by these policies were selected

1.3 Aims of these policies

1.4 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these policies at central level and their powers

not, go directly to table 2.2

1 Integrated and cross-cutting urban development policies in cities with serious

he URBACT Programme forms part of the URBAN CIP. It aims to improve the relevance and effectiveness of

ctions led against the concentration of economic and social problems that arise in small, medium-sized and large

uropean towns and cities.

he work done under the programme focuses chiefly on cities and districts characterized by high rates of

nemployment, crime and poverty, and inadequate levels of public services.

RBACT also takes an integrated approach to the problems identified in these areas in crisis, which aims both to lin

p a wide range of partners and gain a cross-cutting understanding of urban problems.

able 2.1 aims to identify those policies in the country concerned that best fit in with this approach either because of

eir scope (areas with serious problems) or the methodology used (integrated and cross-cutting). Tables 2.2 to 2.9,

ontrast, set out to delimit the sectoral policies pursued in the country concerned around eight broad policy issues:

ousing and urban regeneration, transport and mobility, economic development, sustainable development,

afety/security, education and citizenship, culture, inclusion of populations of foreign origin.

roblems and areas in crisis (URBAN-type policies, see above)

he Ministry for Regional Development appointed an interministerial task force, bringing together several deputy ministers. Thi

an innovative approach that has never been tried before in the Republic. Three Ministries will direct individual sub-

ogrammes. The Ministry for Regional Development will be responsible for sub-programmes 1, 2 and 3 (see above); the

he aim of the Redevelopment Programme is to reduce the impact of cutbacks in army personnel on the urban, economic,

ocial and environmental development of the towns and cities (and a few micro-regions) concerned. The negative effects includ

decrease in the number of jobs which depended for their existence on the presence of the army; under-utilization of collective

cilities (schools, hospitals, technical infrastructures and buildings the size of which was originally designed to meet the needs

the army or to deal with environmental problems). The Programme is intended to assist the towns and cities which wouldherwise be unable to find the necessary means to cope with management, regeneration, reconversion and maintenance of th

cquired properties. The Programme has defined three priority areas: finding new uses for the abandoned properties; creating

ew job opportunities; finding ways in which the local authorities can make use of the goods and properties that have been

anded over to them. The Programme was designed as a

Section 2: detailed analysis of integrated urban development policiesrelative to the URBAN Programme strands [ in country X ]

ross-cutting policies were not used traditionally in the Czech Republic to manage the problems of cities and their territories,

nd they are not common today. There are two explanations for this: the first is that this approach is too heavily sectorial in its

pplication to the management of cities and their territories; the second reflects the fact that town planning is not considered an

ppropriate discipline for dealing with the complex problems of cities which involve not only spatial difficulties, but also social,

conomic and environmental issues. Only three

zech public policies were found to mention a cross-cutting inter-sectorial approach: the Programme for the regeneration of rur

eas; the Programme for support to disadvantaged areas; and the Programme for the redevelopment of areas severely affect

y the departure or reduced presence of the army (Redevelopment Programme) approved by State decree no. 1033/2003 of 2

ctober 2003. The information below will deal only with the last of these programmes, since the other two focus either on rural

eas or on regional issues.

he Redevelopment Programme is intended for towns and groups of towns within whose territorial boundaries a massive

duction (or a complete withdrawal) of military personnel is programmed, and for towns that have taken over army properties i

ccordance with existing legislation (Law no. 174/2003). Territories which

eet these criteria are easy to identify from the standpoint of legal status and with respect to the functional allocation of land in

wn planning projects. Over one hundred cities and towns will be affected by the planned re-structuring of the army.The initialport for the Redevelopment Programme divided real estate properties into several categories: barracks often situated in the

entral part of a city; ammunition depots; shooting ranges; facilities and roads; parking lots and warehouses.

such policies exist in the country concerned, please answer the following questions.



1.5 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these policies at regional level and their powers

1.6 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these policies at local level and their powers

1.7 Other actors involved in implementing these policies (private sector, voluntary organizations, residents, etc.)

1.8 Distribution of the sources of funding of these policies (State, local government, other«)

1.9 Duration and dates of programmes in progress

1.11 Are there programmes that complement URBAN in the country concerned? If so, which?

here are no evaluation criteria for the Programme. In order to avoid wasting public funds and to keep towns from incurring

ebts, the selection procedure for projects will be rigorous, focusing primarily on economic feasibility checks.

o.

owns and groups of towns are the final beneficiaries of funds allocated through the Redevelopment Programme. To be eligibl

town must be situated in an area where there are plans for a massive reduction (or complete withdrawal) of military personnel

nd must have taken possession of army property. Even if the army's properties are handed over to the towns in exchange for

ymbolic payment of one crown, the expenses involved in redeveloping, renovating and maintaining these properties are beyon

e means of the municipalities concerned. One of the aims of the Programme is to prevent towns from going heavily into debt,

s this is becoming a matter for serious concern.

he Programme is approved on a yearly basis. In the first semester of 2004, a call for proposals was launched inviting towns toubmit project proposals.

he regions play a minor role in this Programme. Regions will administer projects developed by municipal councils and will sen

ese, together with their comments, to the Ministry for Regional Development.

o other partners are involved in the implementation of this Programme.

s mentioned above, the framework Programme only covers expenses that are not paid by the associated programmes. The

rogramme's budget includes national funds and European funds. A document attached to the Redevelopment Programme

xplains the details of the financial arrangements drawn up by the Ministries concerned. The

tal budget of the framework Programme is only 11.6 million euros (10 million euros to be provided by the Ministry for Regiona

evelopment, and 1.6 million by the Ministry for Industry). The

ub-programme for conversion of buildings into housing units will receive 4.6 million euros (18 000 per unit). The sub-

1.10 Procedures for evaluating these policies: indicators, organizations responsible for evaluation, validation by the

cal community, etc.





2.2 Aims of these policies, quantified forecasts




2.6 Role of the private sector in implementing these policies

n particular: concerted actions with land corporations or property companies, public-private partnerships)

the Czech Republic there is no policy or programme for urban regeneration. However, the existence of urban wasteland is

ecoming a priority issue for the sustainable development of cities, most of which are former industrial towns. The

ost significant changes in the housing sector came after 1989, with a radical move from an administative system of allocation

housing to a market system founded on neo-liberal principles. In this approach, housing is viewed as a purely private matter

nd a purely private good. Public interventions were designed to ensure access to housing for all social classes.

the first stage of economic change, ownership of State owned housing (i.e. all collective housing built between 1948 and

989) was transferred to municipal authorities. In response to the lack of legal means and instruments providing for

anagement, maintenance and renovation of the properties they had acquired, local authorities launched privatizations to legal

ntitites created on an ad hoc basis by the occupants.

1997, the first planning document was approved by the Government: "Government project and measures with regard to

egions have no responsibility with regard to housing policies. They may draw up their own housing strategy documents as pa

an overall strategy for regional development. Regional authorities may monitor the housing situation in their areas. However,

ey are not mentioned among the beneficiaries of State grants. The national Housing Policy is considering changing this

tuation in order to involve regional authorities more closely in these issues.

he private sector can play a role in the implementation of housing policies either through the participation of residen

milies, or through developers and private investors (the concept of developers is foreign to Czech language and

rminology) The creation of semi-public companies associating public players (municipal authorities) and private

t i bl i t f i ti d i ti d ft l d t f il P i t i t

he main objective of the Housing Policy is to create a situation in which every family will be able to obtain housing consistent

th its expectations and financial capabilities.In other words, the goal of the policy is to improve access to housing for the

opulation. The new

ersion of the Policy expands this central objective. Between 2201 and 2005, in addition to the support provided for constructio

new homes, a new emphasis has been placed on renovation and optimum use of existing housing. Broadening the objectiv

the Housing Policy has led to new challenges. The first of these concerns assistance for the purchase of housing in old

uildings; the second concerns assistance to population groups with special needs in regard to housing because of income, ag

health. A further category of people who receive assistance under the Policy are young couples.

he Policy does not merely focus on providing support to specific social classes, or to a particular housing sector; it intervenes i

he Ministry for Regional Development, and in particular its Housing Policy Division, is the central agency responsible for the

evelopment of policy documents, the implementation of the housing policy and the management of related programmes.

mong the 15 housing programmes listed in the report on the Policy, four programmes, managed by the Ministry, are

articularly important: no.1: the programme for construction of rental units and infrastructure; n. 2: the programme for

onstruction of social housing; no. 7: the programme for allocation of State funds for the renovation, modernization and increas

the total number of existing units; no. 8: the programme for renovation and rehabilitation of housing built using the pannel

chnology; and programme no. 10 which concerns grants to towns for the renewal of large housing estates. The objective of th

ogramme is to transform housing estates changing their function for town planning documentation purposes, to provide

ecessary facilities and infrastructures. In addition to the grants provided under

is Programme, the Ministry organizes credit schemes, bank interest and mortgage schemes. The resources made availablerough the Ministry's programmes are allocated to individual applicants or distributed globally.

own councils are involved in the housing situation on their territories; their responsibilities in this area are linked with the

omplexities of local development. Towns and cities may develop their own strategies in the area of housing; cities that have

awn up such documents, municipal housing policies or strategies, include Prague, Brno, Plzen, Ostrava. Other cities have no

evelop such strategies, and have no plans to do so. As

entioned above, between 1990 and 1992 the State handed over its housing effectives to local authorities, without however

oviding them with financial means or other resources to manage the properties. To deal with the lack of means, municipalitie

rned to privatization. According to studies conducted by the Ministry, in the year 2000 municipalities privatized 40% of the

operties handed over to them by the State. Privatization is supposed to end by 2004-2005. The proportion of privatizedousing units, counting newly built units, will be approximately 60%. Towns are the main

eneficiaries of several grant programmes managed by the Ministry for Regional Development. For example, programme no. 1

onstruction of rental units and infrastructures; no. 2 - Construction of public housing; no. 7 - Programme for renovation,

2 Housing and urban regeneration



2.7 Role of civil society in implementing these policies

n particular: residents' associations, local referendums, close cooperation, etc.)

2.8 Distribution of the sources of funding of these policies

2.9 Duration and dates of programmes in progress

2.11 Do these policies receive European funding at local or national level? Which?

2.12 List of areas receiving ERDF funding for urban regeneration measures

f which URBAN 1, URBAN 2 and UPP areas)

s a rule, no duration is set for the Ministry's programmes. A programme may be launched to respond to a particular need, or a

lorg-term programme. The Ministry launches frequent calls for proposals, but applicants may also submit projects any timeuring the year. The contents of programmes changes depending on needs and on political preferences.

ssociations and NGOs have no role in the implementation of the Housing Policy (with the exception of legal entities in cases o

nt ownership). However, associations for the protection of the environment and of the physical heritage are key players who

ave to be involved in decision-making and town planning procedurers. To assist in the

onstruction of rented housing for low income population groups, the Housing Policy provides for the creation of non-profit-

aking companies specialising in the construction of this type of accommodation.

rogrammes developed under the Housing Policy are funded through two main sources. The first of these is the State budget,

nder the heading of the Ministry for Regional Development. The second source is the Housing Development Fund.

he part of public funds in the implementation of the Housing Policy is far from insignificant. In 2001 it represented 1.07 % of th

ational IP and 3.3% of the national budget. Moreover, there has been an upwad trend in expenditure. In 2001, public

xpenditure on housing totalled 756 million euros, of which 116 million came from the Ministry and 428 milion from the State

udget. To this was added 210 million from the National Housing Fund. Grants to town councils add up to approximately 290

ith one exception (a special programme for the renovation of housing damaged by floods), the national Housing Policy and it

ogrammes have received no support from structural funds so far. These may become available, for example in the framewor

urban renewal projects, beginning in 2005.

o areas in the Czech Republic receive ERDF funding at present, and none are part of URBAN or PPU programmes. In the

bsence of either public funds or European funds, non-profit-making activities such as urban regeneration are put on hold. No

ajor urban regeneration operation has been initiated or managed by the public sector or by a municipality. However, as can b

een from the early results of a census of urban wasteland, the issue and problems of urban regeneration will require particula

tention from public players, as well as considerable resources.


cal community, etc.

valuation measures are not defined by the fulfilment of the objectives of the Housing Policy. The impact of the Policy will be

valuated based on an analysis of the effectiveness of the programmes managed by the Ministry and based on general and

pecialised studies. The Policy stresses the need to develop a research center specialising in housing issues which will conduc

udies and draw comparisons and communicate the results of its research to professionals and to the public at large. As

gards public inadequacies, the document suggests that we learn from the experience of existing institutions responsible for th

conomic and social aspects of housing issues.










n particular: transport authorities, public-private partnerships, etc.)

here are specialised departments responsible for public transport within the regional administration; they act on their own

uthority or on delegated authority. Regions are responsible for management of first class roads, and they receive investment

ants and operation grants from the State for this purpose. Regions have authority to chose the approach to transport services

at is best suited to their territory. The possibility of input from the regions concerning schedules for trains and busses crossing

eir territory is currently under consideration.

number of documents have been drafted by the Ministry, in pursuance of the national Transport Policy; in particualr: forecast

r transport; methodology of funding of transport systems; the overall structure of the public transport network; innovative

chnologies; strategy for the development of multi-modal transport; a safety strategy.

he central objectives of the national Transport Policy include the following: coordination of transport of goods and merchandis

activation of railway transport; improved conditions for road transport; development of national waterways and transport by

oat; efforts to maintain a balance between the development of transport and its impact on the envioronment; development of

ter-European transport networks, including implementation of some of the priority projects of the European Union; improving

ad safety; introducing tolls on roads according to traffic flow; development of multi-modal transport systems; development of gh quality public transport in suburban areas; the search for clean and efficient means of transport; study of aspects of

owns are responsible for construction and maintenance of local roads (classes 2 and 3). Municipal transport services provide

chnical maintenance for motor vehicles; they also have the delegated authority to grant licences to taxi drivers. Cities are

anagers and principal share holders of public transport agencies (subway, tram, bus, trolleybus). Funding of the public

ansport system is composed of State grants, own revenus for services provided (in Prague this only covers 20% of expenditu

nd allocations from the municipal budget. Development of road infrastructure is funded by State investment grants (requested

nnually), municipal investment funds, and loans. Transport and road infrastructure are the main items of cities' investment

xpenses.

he agency responsible for the implementation of approved policies and strategies is the Ministry for public transport (created i

996). The Ministry has legislative functions with regard to design, coordination and control. It is the highest authority for all

atters concerning decentralised road transport. The Ministry is the principal agency responsible for management of the

ransport Infrastructure Fund (created in 2000). This Fund was created a) to finance development, maintenance and upgrading

transport networks (roads, railways, waterways); and b) to undertake specialised studies and to implement road safety

ogrammes and other special programmes such as the programme on access to public transport by handicapped people. The

inistry manages and supports other public services, including the Divison for roads and highways; the Centre for research on

ublic transport; the Center for road services; the Center for railway transport; the railway networks inspection unit; the Division

r waterways; the Civil Aviation Service; the National Administration for transport on rivers and waterways; the BESIP, and

hers. Most of the objectives defined by the Policy will be implemented by these central agencies.

he introduction of PPP principles in the organization and implementation of public transport projects is among the objectives o

e national Transport Policy. To date, participation by the private sector in this field has taken the form of public contracts for

e implementation of infrasturcture projects or the development of public transport services.

ransport plays an important role in the development of cities. As in most countries, management of this sector is highly

pecialised and concentrated. However, in the Czech Republic, the issues that must be taken into account in town planning are

ot building roads or improving access to and from enclaves of poverty. There is one exception and that is the construction of t

otorway linking the city of Ostrava to the national and international network of motorways. The Ministry for Public Transport h

awn up and approved several documents which define strategies and policies for the development of transport:

The Transport Policy of the Czech Republic, 2004-2013 (currently in draft form); 2- The development programme of transpor

etworks in the Czech Republic for 2010 (approved in 1999); 3- The development project for public transport and

lecommunications in the Czech Republic (approved in 2000); 4- The Green Book of personal automobile transport in thezech Republic; 5- A medium and long term strategy for the development of post office and telecommunications services

000); 6- The national development programme, which contains a chapter on transport (2003); 7- The European sectorial

3 Transport, mobility and improved access to and within areas




n particular: residents' associations, local referendums, close cooperation, etc.)


3.9 Dates and duration of programmes in progress


3.12 List of areas receiving ERDF funding for access improvement measures

f which areas URBAN 1, URBAN 2, PPU)

he indicators used to evaluate the achievement of objectives defined in the Transport Policy include: the density of transport

etworks on the national territory; the proportion of individual transport compared to collective transport; the part of transport of

erchandise in relation to global transport; flow of vehicles on roads, etc. The achievement of objectives will be monitored by t

ervices of the Ministry for Transport and by the National Council for sustainable development which will evaluate the extent to

hich the objectives of sustainable development are taken into account. There is no participation by the local population.

he figures concerning traffic flow and transport activities are published in the transport directory.

unding of policies and projects in the area of transport comes from public budgets. Funds provided by the State budget are

distributed between the Ministry for public transport which funds its agencies and special services, and the regions which

distribute part of the money they receive to towns. The

und for transport infrastructure (created in 2000) is an extra-budgetary fund which is maintained, in particular, with revenue

om road taxes, taxation on fuel and revenues of the National Goods Fund. Use of bank loans for funding of infrastructure

ojects and public transport projects has become a common practice for cities and for the State. Loans are used to develop

U funds will strengthen public transport budgets, at the national level and at the regional and local levels. At present, 10 ISPA

ogrammes are funded on the Czech territory for 2004 - 2006. ISPA programmes participate in the funding of TEN projects

ransport European Network). ERDF structural

nds will be used to co-finance projects included in the operational programme titled "Infrastructure". ERDF participation is

mited to 15-75% of expected expenditure, depending on the type of project submitted. The main beneficiary of European

ssistance is the public sector, but the private sector is not excluded from the procedures for allocation of funds.

articipation by the local population in the achievement of Transport Policy goals is marginal. On the other hand, through

embership in associations, local residents are entitled to participate directly in decisions concerning the implementation of

ajor infrastructure projects, roads, highways. etc.. Only associations for environmental protection and for protection of the

eritage can be involved in town planning authorization procedures, as specified in the relevant laws, and in particular in Law n

00/2001 Sb. on assessing environmental impact. Use of referendums in relation to major infrastructure projects is not a

ommon practice. However, lobbying though petitions, organization of seminars and demostrations are activities in which

nvironmental protection associations are involved. NGOs funded by public administrations organise training seminars on topi

uch as the contents of legal documents and laws that have been approved or submitted for approval. The Transport Policy

ovides for greater involvement of associations in the implementation of projects focusing on promotion of road safety.

hree programmes have been identified; they are managed by the Ministry for public transport: 1) "Marco Polo" is a

rogramme designed to finance projects intended to reduce the environmental impact of transport of merchandise; 2)he second programme was developed by the Ministry in 2002 for 2002-2004, and is designed to save energy and

he Czech Republic is not an EU member, and does not receive assistance from the ERDF.


cal community, etc.









4.6 What business start-up assistance schemes are available to cities?

hree Ministries are responsible for the implementation of policies in the two areas studied: 1- The Ministry for Regional

evelopment is responsible for the regional development policy which defines the objectives of economic development and

mployment. 2- The Ministry for Work and Social Affiars is responsible for managing the national Employment Policy and

dministering grants for creation of new jobs. 3- The Ministry for Industry and Commerce coordinates the programme of

ssistance to foreign investment. Another agency at the central level is the Research Institute on labour and social affairs, whic

responsible for research at tha national, regional and international levels.

4 Economic development and employment

2004, a new law on employment was passed by the Czech Parliament. Czech legislation on work is considered very liberal,

nd this has attracted foreign investors seeking cheap labour, especially highly qualified labour. In 2002, the Ministry for Indust

nd Commerce drew up a development programme for SMEs. Sources of information on employment are published by the

inistry for Work and Social Affairs. Information concerning employment and economic development can be found on the

ebsites of the Ministry for regional development, the Ministry for Work and Social Affairs, and the Ministry for Industry and

ommerce. The right to work is among the rights guaranteed by the Czech Constitution. Other legislation concerning

mployment and economic development: the labour code, law no 1/1991 on employment; law no 9/1991 on employment and

dministrative agencies concerned.

he economic development objectives listed in the National Development Plan include the following: to facilitate economic

owth using internal measures; to increase the level of qualification and of salaries; to support competitiveness and mobility of

e labour force; to reduce the impact of economic change on disadvantaged population groups; to respect the environment an

promote balanced regional development. Measures designed to achieve the above objectives include the following:

evelopment of services to businesses; development of infrastructure networks for transport; development and promotion of

urism and improvement of the environment. The National Employment Policy, developed by the Ministry for Work and Social

ffairs, defined the folloiwng objectives: to support the creation of new jobs; to increase the capacity for employment, the

centive of salaries, consistency between the National Policy for employment and the situation of the European labour market;

form of the organization, funding and institutions offering services on the labour market.

owns and cities also draw up their own development plans (often strategic plans) addressing economic development and

mployment issues. They organize the introduction of foreign or local companies directly, and develop activity zones on their

rritories. Towns may support projects designed to create companies, to develop agricultural activities or activities linked with

urism. Town councils

an also offer short term employment in public works to anyone seeking employment. The unemployment level is monitored by

mployment Services; under a system of delegated authority, these Services manage a list of available jobs; they organize

ofessional requalification programmes and provide other forms of assistance to people seeking employment.

accordance with existing regulations, regions are in charge of drawing up regional development programmes in which they

an include objectives related to economic development, concerning for example the creation of private companies useful for th

evelopment of the region. Regions are authorised to designate areas on their territory for special support and to allocate

ecessary means in order to limit regional imbalance.

he most common form of business start-up assistance schemes involve activities related to land use planning, land

evelopment and development of buildings. These are more common in small and medium sized towns. In larger

ties, no instances of direct assistance were found.



4.7 What employment incentive schemes are available to cities?

4.8 What job search assistance schemes are available to cities?

4.9 Procedures for evaluating the economic policies and assistance to employment: indicators, organizations

sponsible for evaluation, etc.

uman resources agencies exist in most cities. Cities can use the services provided by these private agencies or they can refe

quiries to public Employment Services. These Services are free of charge and people who seek employment and register wit

ese Services become eligible for unemployment allowances.

4.10 Do economic policies receive European grant-funding at local or national level? Which?

mployment Services collect information on various aspects of unemployment and on the level of unemployment. This data is

ublished in statistical bulletins. In general, information is collected by the regions (known in the past as 'departments'), and at

e national level. Specific unemployment indicators are monitored for particular categories: unemployment of university

aduates; unemployment among women, unemployment in the productive sector, and so forth. Other indicators studied includ

e gross national product, the level of inflation, the level of foreign investment, etc.

uring the pre-membership period, projects related to economic development and employment have been funded under the

hare programmes. In future, ERDF and social cohesion funds will be available to these policies

s mentioned above, Employment Services in cities may offer temporary jobs to individuals seeking work.

axation measures designed to increase employment are applicable in priority regions (two regions in the Republic) and in are

esignated by the administrative authorities. Incentives are granted to foreign investors who meet specific conditions set by

levant regulations. The Ministry for Industry and Commerce is the managing authority of the Programme for the development

industrial zones which is often used to accompany incentives to foreign investors.









any reference made to the Local Agenda 21 principles?

5 6 D i l d l l t ffi i l i ifi t i i

ach question will focus primarily on the 4 key areas for sustainable urban development laid down by the

ommission (see DG Environment site): transport, urban management, building construction, design.

5 Sustainable development and environment

he Czech Republic is currently preparing a Strategy for sustainable development. The process is monitored by the

overnment Council for sustainable development, and the document is now in its third draft. It deals with the three main pillars

sustainable development - economic development, social development and the environment - and includes chapters on

cience, research and education, public administration and the international context. The Strategy will be the foundational

ocument and the final authority based on which other strategic documents and sectorial policies will be developed; its

bjectives will have to be taken into account when new documents are drawn up or existing ones amended. In order to avoid

petition, we will focus on Strategy objectives for transport in table 2.3. Management of cities, construction and design, which

ave not been addressed elsewhere and which are not presented as priorities in the Strategy, will be described in greater detail

he Strategy must be approved by Government decree and will then become mandatory for its members. Approval of the

rategy by Parliament, a solution which would guarantee the possibility of legal opposition to the document, is not provided for

he national Council for sustainable development is the coordinating agency for the development of the Strategy, and will be

sponsible for biennial evaluations. The Council will report on progress made towards the achievement of Strategy goals; this

port will be approved by the Government. In the

hapter on public administration, the Strategy stresses the importance of decentralization, leading to "regionalization"; this is to

o hand-in-hand with decentralization of revenues from taxation to regions and towns The document proposes to replace

dministrative procedures accompanying policies and programmes with supply of services, and to redefine the higher authoritycentral agencies through contracts, and finally to introduce evaluation procedures for public actions by citizens and to go

eyond sectorial approaches by means of inter-sectorial coordination.

he Ministry for regional development, through its Division for urban planning, has been instructed to draw up new legislation o

onstruction. The new law must provide tools for sustainable management of sustainable development. One of the instruments

oposed to this end is a land development policy, ie. a top level town planning document which would be inter-sectorial and

bjectives related to transport are included under priorities defined for each of the three pillars of the Strategy. Objectives relat

the urban management, construction and design are only included under the priorities of the environmental pillar.

he objectives related to the development of transport and linked with economic development are: to develop high quality

frastructure; rehabilitate and update existing transport lines; develop high qiuality links between cities and towns; increase

ustainable mobility of people and goods; promote use of renewable energy; develop multimodal systems; encure that transpor

gencies have equal opportunities on the market; distribue tasks among various sustainable transport sectors; develop integrat

ublic transport systems at the State level, at the regional level and in large cities. The objectives related t

e development of transport and linked to the environmental pillar address the folloiwng issues: minimizing encroachment on

e land by transport infrastructure and reducing its impact on various environmental components. Objectives set for urban

he Strategy objectives, included in a non-opposable document, will not be implemented directly by regional authorities.

owever, they will have to be taken into account and respected in strategic documents (regional development programmes,

ectorial programmes) and in town planning documents drawn up by the regions, as well as in related administrative decisions.

nother application of the objectives of the Strategy is Agenda 21 which can also be implemented at the regional level. Th

ew law on construction provides for the production of town planning documents for all regional territories. Directives for localnd development must include zoning in order to strengthen the application of measures intended to further the objectives of

ustainable development.

preparing their own strategic and town planning documents, towns, like regions, must also respect Strategy

bjectives with regard to the principles of sustainable development. Moreover, town planning documents must be

oherent with documents prepared at the regional level. Towns can also use and adopt Agenda 21. Neither thetrategy nor Agenda 21 are legally opposable documents, hence their adoption and implementation cannot be

nforced. For this reason, it will be necessary to provide information, incentives and other optional measures in

mplementing the Strategy and its objectives. The position of Agenda 21 at the level of towns is not negative.

formation concerning Agenda 21 at the regional and local levels in the Czech Republic may be found on the

llowing website: www.ceu.cz/edu/MA21/ma21.html

rban planning documents prepared by the cities have to take into account sustainable development objectives. In

e past, documents were eveluated only on the basis of environmental impact. Since the law on construction was

mended, respect of sustainable development objectives is among the criteria used to evaluate some town planning







vil society, and in particular environmental associations and NGOs, participate in the application and dissemination of

nowledge concerning sustainable development, its objectives and its tools. The activities and initiatives of the associations mu

ceive support from local authorities, in accordance with the requirements of the national Progamme for environmental training

addition, environmental safety associations and associatons for the protection of the national heritage are key players who a

quired to be involved in town planning and construction procedures. The Strategy stresses the need to involve young people iese activities. Citizens must be invited to participate in the evaluation of programmes and activities undertaken by public

uthorities. To this end, it is important to improve the quality and availability of relevant information.

n particular: official education and communication campaigns towards local communities, environmental safety

centive schemes, legal obligations as regards sorting of waste, water or energy conservation, consultation and clos

ooperation with citizens, etc.)

n particular: official education and communication campaigns towards local businesses and shops, environmental

afety incentive schemes, polluter pays schemes, etc.)

he Strategy mentions the importance of participation by the private sector in the objectives of sustainable development. In the

eld of transport, the "polluter pays" principle will be applied to reduce the negative impact of transport on the environment. The

le of the private sector in this field is growing, not only as the cause of the decrease of available means of public transport, bu

so as the result of increased awareness of the objectives of sustainable development and citizens' responsibility. The Strateg

uggests a number of optional measures for its implementation. These are designed to interest the private sector in the aims of

ustainable development (ecologically sound products, ISQ certification, optional contracts, own production, etc.)

he Strategy does not provide the means for its implementation. The document does predict, however, that the implementation

its objectives will result in global savings for public budgets.

he indicators designed to evaluate the achievement of Strategy obejctives are published in an annex to the document (the list

ot complete). The Government Council for sustainable development will be responsible for organizing biennial evaluations of t

rategy. The Council's reports will be approved by the Government. The Strategy will be reviewed and updated after four year

everal pilot projects were undertaken in the framework of the Phare projects. As of 2004, it will be possible to make use of

ructural funds and cohesion funds for projects respecting the objectives of sustainable development. We can assume,

owever, that any projects submitted will not be evaluated according to how closely they conform to Strategy objectives.


cal community, etc.









6.6 How is the overlap of responsibilities for safety/security in cities organized?

urban areas, the National Police Force and municipal police forces exercise their powes together with private security

ompanies. As in most other countries, the powers of municipal police forces are limited. As regards the arrest of individuals

ho have committed criminal acts (Note: in the Czech language, every action that does not respect the law is a "crime"), the

unicipal Police Force focuses primarily on road traffic control and parking violations, surveillance of public buildings and

i t d i bli t d th i i i ill d bli d f t M i i liti

6 Tackling insecurity in cities

own councils have similar powers to those of the regions. They are responsible for local safety and public order. To

is end, towns issue municipal edicts on their own authority. Cities develop their own local crime prevention

rategies.

security in cities is not considered a priority; the urban social context has evolved towards a certain equilibrium in Czech citie

ompared to other western cities. There are no signs of ghettos in the cities, or of large derelict areas. A few disadvantaged

eighbourhoods, often inhabited by Gypsy groups, can be found in cities in the north-west of Bohemia and in the east of Moravi

owever, these are reasonably small neighbourhoods. Safety problems in the

ties (particularly in Prague) include the following: presence and criminal activity of foreign 'mafia' type criminal organizations;

affic in drugs, and prostitution. Several strategic documents outlining the policy to combat insecurity and streamlining the

ontent of existing laws were approved in recent years: 1) Crime-prevention strategy for 2004-2006 (draft); 2) National Plan to

ombat sex abuse of minors (approved by Government decree no.1351/1999); 3) National strategy on relations between the

ational police force and national and ethnic minority groups (approved by government decree no. 83/2003); 4) Local crime-

evention programme and "partnership" programme (approved by decree no. 362/2003).

he Ministry of Interior is the agency responsible for safety related programmes and policies. The Ministry does not have a unit

pecializing in the problems of urban crime. The Ministry cooperates closely with the Ministry of Justice and directs the work of

e Institute for criminology and prevention. The activities of the Institute include: analysing aspects of crime and criminal

ctivities, including socially pathological phenomena and forecasts for future trends in crime. It directs research activities in the

ea of justice and on issues related to judicial repression, the effects of sanctions and penalties, and alternative forms of

tribution, social prevention, and protection of the victims of criminal acts, etc.

rime prevention is part of social policy, and regional authorities have their share of responsibility in this area. Regions create

nits for the Coordinator of crime prevention; these units prepare studies and socio-demographic analyses, evaluate the risks o

egative social effects and of crime, and define prevention measures and solutions to problems identified jointly with the servic

the National Police Force. The Coordinator makes a list of the agencies and institutions in charge of security and safety issu

ctive in the region's territory. Then, they evaluate the crime prevention programmes that have been developed and implement

the local level and initiate the implementation of progammes for cooperation with local services, in which they participate

nancially.

he crime-prevention Strategy defines objectivevs in this area and their implementation. The general objectives include the

llowing: to reduce the incidence of crime; to reduce the risks and the impact of crime and to promote feelings of security

mong the civil population. The Strategy also provides for greater delegation of powers in this area to local authorities. Th

m of the crime-prevention programme at the local level is to create a complex and efficient system for the prevention of crime

nd of other factors of social pathology. The "Partnership" programme is designed to develop close partnerships between

gencies of the national police force and local authorities. The programme also intends to organize rapid response actions in

ban areas and in regions where the level of reported delinquency and crime is high. A pilot project was conducted in Ostrava

une 2004.




re private companies employed to ensure safety/security in public spaces?



nly public funds - the State budget and other public budgets - are available for the implementation of safety policies and

ogrammes. In future years it will be possible to use cohesion funds for projects included in the "Development of human

sources" operational programme.

he basic indicator of the effectiveness of these progammes is whether or not citizens feel safe. This can be measured by mea

sociological surveys repeated over time.


cal community, etc.

fficial documents usually support every kind of initiative by NGOs and associations in the areas of training, education and soci

ssistance to population groups experiencing difficulties. The objectives of such actions are prevention of anti-social and sociall

athological behaviour. Documents prepared by

cal authorities on these issues make attempts to raise awareness and motivate inhabitants around issues of local safety.

owever, no residents' associations have been formed for the purpose of watching neighbourhoods.

articipation of the private sector in implementation of safety policies is not direct. Usually, this takes the form of delegating

ecurity services to private security companies which assist the municipalities in tasks such as surveillance of public buildings

nd organization of public events.

n particular: mediators, density of the community-based crime prevention network, local community-police mediatio

chemes, etc.)



7 Education and training, civic involvement of young people7.1 Legislation and regulations defining the purpose and procedures for implementing these policies

ources of information used to complete this table





7.6 Role of local community-based organizations in education, training and civic involvement of young people

istory and density of the voluntary community network, significant initiatives, relations with policymakers, etc.)

he National education programme - known as the "White Book" - was approved in 2000. It contains the Government's strateg

r education and is based on legislation on the management of educational institutions (Law no. 76/1978 Sb) and on research

aw no. 130/202 Sb.). There is no long-term education policy; partial and non-systematic reforms have been approved, only to

e rescinded by a new government. The education policy attributes no specific role to instruction or vocational training in cities.

ource: Ministry for Education, Youth and Sports

he main objectives of the national education policy as they are outlined in the Green Book, concern: development of

pportunities and of equal opportunity in access to education; innovations in the content of education and in the educational

ystem as a whole; changes in attitude among the teaching staff towards the economics of the educational system. Other

bjectives target the development of ongoing vocational training; the adaptation of education programmes and vocational traini

the needs of society; the development of evaluation procedures for education; greater openness in educational institutions;

hanges in professional attitudes among teachers; transition from a centralised to a decentralised system. No quantifie

ojections are available.

he Ministry for Education, Youth and Sports is the highest authority, with responsibilities in the area of regulation, policy-

aking, and distribution of public means earmarked for education. The Ministry organizes the work of several institutes which

ontribute to the output of the Ministry: the National Institute for Professional Training, the Institute for educational information,

nd the Educational Research Institute. The Educational Research Institute develops evaluation criteria and undertakes

valuations of the results of primary school education; the Institute has also produced the new high school leaving examination

the local level, towns have Education Services; in the framework of delegated powers, these services manage the education

stitutions and are responsible for financial control. School buildings are managed by towns under their own authority. Towns

ganise after-school leisure activities and cultural activities for young people. They allocate grants to public agencies and to

GOs active in the field of education.

esponsibility for educational matters is gradually being transferred to the regions. Education and health are the most importan

ems on regional budgets. Regional authorities set up their own Councils for education and employment. Regions are consulte

nd give their opinion on the structure of educational institutions and on the curriculum; they submit proposals for improvement

the system and to educational facilities. Regions also express their views on the amounts allocated by the State to this secto

accordance with Law no. 564/1990 Sb. on the distribution of powers in the field of education, regions are authorised to

oduce and to approve long-term policies for education and vocational training.

ssociations and NGOs play a very important part in the field of education and in the organization of leisure activities for young

eople. They obtain grants for this work from municipal authorities. There is a rich history and tradition pf voluntary association

nd NGOs in the Czech Republic, where they were particularly active during the period between the two World Wars.They hav

d th i ti it i th l t fift d t th 58 000 i t d NGO Th t l t



7.7 Distribution of sources of funding for education (primary, secondary and higher)

7.8 How are these policies evaluated: are there indicators, are they published?

cademic performance and failure, equal opportunities, turnout of young voters in elections, etc.)


he Ministry allocates funds from the State budget to contributing organizations and regional authorities. Regional authorities

ocate these funds to local authorities. No information is available on how these funds are distributed among various levels of

ducation.

he Ministry's contributing organizations analyze and evaluate policies - or more precisely, current educational programmes.

ata collected by the Center for educational information is published by the National Statistical Service; this is general data

oncerning the number of students at various levels of the educational system; the number of graduating students and the

umber of failing students. SCIO, a non-profit organization, focuses on more specialised studies in the field of education; it

epares tests to check students' levels of knowledge in secondary schools and high schools, and conducts comparative studie

etween different types of institutions and between boys' and girls' levels of achievement. Source: www.scio.cz

uring the period preceding accession, some Phare projects have focused on education and vocational training; many focuse

imarily on teacher training courses. After accession to the EU, the Cohesion Fund will be the main source of European fundin

r this sector.



8 Culture and cities



8.2 Artistic fields proposed and aims assigned to current national cultural policy

8.3 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for culture at central level and their powers

8.4 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for culture at regional level and their powers

8.5 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for culture at local level and their powers

ulture is a sector that is heavily dependent on public funding and its management is therefore quite centralised. The Ministry f

ulture is the central managing authority for cultural policies and is the highest authority over other central agencies; its powers

clude management, education, protection of the national heritage, copyright protection. It is also the agency in charge of

anting authorizations and certificates when necessary. The Ministry includes several departments which correspond to the

ctivities mentioned above. The Ministry manages the Information and consultation Center which provides informatiaon, studie

atistics, consultations, publications. Other agencies at the central level include the National Fund for cinematography and theouncil for audio-visual broadcasting.

ervices responsible for cultural affairs at the regional level are modelled on the ministerial departmenrs. Each region has a

ervice for culture and heritage. Under their own authority, regions may define their cultural policies and set up their own grant

ystems. Regions also have responsibilities with regard to supervision, monitoring and evaluation of cultural activities.

ecentralization of powers to the regions is underway. At present two-thirds of public expenditure in the area of culture comes

om regional budgets.

ties and larger municipalities also have cultural services and can be the managing authorities of other external public bodies.

hey may draw up their own cultural development strategies, and decide on grants to private organizations and cultural project

s well as projects to develop and promote the cultural heritage. The city of Prague has several services because it is a major

ultural center with an exceptional cultural heritage. The decision-making body for cultural matters in big cities is the municipal

ouncil. Cities are frequently the managing authoriies of cultural institutions such as museums, libraries, publishing houses,

eatres, galeries and planetariums. Article 16 of the national policy for cultural development specifically stresses the need to

upport cultural activities that express the national identity and traditions of minority groups." Specific grant programmes have

een implemented in response to this provision to assist representatives of minority groups living on Czech territory. In 2002, th

inistry for culture launched a grant programme designed to promote integration of the Gypsy community, and a programme

alled "Gypsy Songs 2003". These grants are also available to other groups and foreign nationals, and to handicapped people.

003, the year of the handicapped, the Ministry launched a programme to produce books for the partially sighted, sub-titles for

he national policy for cultural development defines the following as its general objectives: to guarantee freedom of artistic

xpression, and to create conditions that foster such freedom; to create conditions that promote and facilitate cultural initiatives

y citizens, especially projects organised by grass-roots associations; to develop decentralised decision-making mechanisms o

ultural issues, and to reinforce the independence of such structures in all areas including finance (artists making decisions on

atters that concern them); to guarantee equal access for all citizens to the national cultural heritage, and then to provide easiccess to socially disadvantaged population groups (national minorities and handicapped people). Citizens' access to

formation on culture, promotion of culture and education, as well as protection against the effects of extensive

ommercialization are also included among the basic objectives set by the cultural policy. The policy does not prioritize any

spects of cultural development and does not define specific challenges in this sector.

ere, "culture" means the following 8 areas of activity (Commission typology, see DG Culture website):

rchitecture, visual arts, cinema and audio-visual, dance, books, music, heritage, drama. The more

articular focus here is on culture as an aid to local development.

ultural development is inseparable from the development of cities, be they large, medium or small. Cities have traditionally

ovided the necessary conditions for the development of traditional sectors of culture, and in particular music, plastic arts,

eatre, publishing. Culture plays an important role in the social and economic life of cities; festivals, shows, and a city's cultural

eritage can attract numerous visitors and provide jobs for the local population. There are a

umber of documents regulating the national cultural policy and the development of particular sectors of cultural production. In

001, the Government approved a Strategy for increased support of cultural activity. The implementation programme of the

ultural policy was approved by the Government in 2003. The existing system, defined by Law no. 20/1987 Sb., has been

rengthened and completed by several Govenment decisions, such as the one on protection of the heritage. Other decisions

ave concerned the development of public libraries, cinema and media management. Source: Ministry for culture,

nd daily newspapers.



8.7 Role of local community-based organizations and NGOs in the development of cultural activities in cities

istory and density of the voluntary community network, significant initiatives, relations with policymakers, etc.)

8.8 Distribution of sources of funding for culture


8.10 List of areas receiving ERDF funding for cultural activities

f which URBAN 1, URBAN 2 and UPP areas)

ultural activities are funded with budget resources (chapter 334 of the national budget, allocated to the Ministry for Culture) as

ell as extra-budgetary sources The amount to be drawn from the national budget and allocated to the regions is determined

ach year by law. Regions and towns contribute from their own budgets to local cultural activities, in particular through grants t

gencies that apply or are created specifically for the purpose. They can create their own cultural grants funds. Grants for the

habilitation of national heritage buildings are funded and attributed by town councils on their own authority. The city of Pragu

ocates about 1 million euros per year to such grants. Grants are given to applicants, owners of listed buildings. The Ministry

2003, the European Social Cohesion Fund offered assistance to public cultural organizations in the Czech Republic, includin

e National Museum, the National Gallery and other institutions managed by the Ministry and by the Church, to repair historica

uildings which had been damaged by flooding during the summer of 2002. The Czech Republic now has access to the

uropean Culture 2000-2006 Programme designed to finance selected cultural projects. At present, structural funds are not

sed to finance cultural activities. In the framework

the single regional programme (SROP) which uses structural funds, it will be possible to co-finance cultural projects related t

gional development, in particular development of tourism. Projects for urban renewal and regeneration can also be co-financ

nder SROP. .

o areas receive funding from the ERDF or under the URBAN or UPP programmes at present.

side from education, culture is the main area of activity and participation of NGOs and associations. Associations, funded

rough public grants from the Ministry, the regions or the cities, organize cultural events and provide cultural information to the

ublic at large. For example, in 2003, NGOs and associations organized 19 festivals and cultural events, all of them prestigious

nd of high quality. A new programme was launched in 2003 by the Ministry to provide support for non-professional artistic

ctivities that contribute in a significant way to the development of social life in the regions. Most of the money allocated to this

ogramme was distributed to associations. A number of foundations and funds are active throughout the country allocating

ivate financial means to specific cultural sectors. Associations are also eligible for a range of tax allowances and exemptions.

GOs are numerous and their work is interesting; but information and communication to the public at large is consideredadequate, as mentioned in the Report on non-profit-making organizations published in 2003.

8.6 Are there cultural programmes specifically designed to promote development in areas in crisis and/or inclusion

f groups far out of touch with society? If so, which actors are responsible for implementing them?



9 Inclusion of populations of foreign origin9.1 Legislation and regulations defining the purpose and procedures for implementing these policies


9.2 Current national immigration and asylum-seeker policy guidelines

9.3 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these issues at central level and their powers

9.4 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these issues at regional level and their powers

9.5 Actors and administrative agencies with responsibility for these issues at local level and their powers

9.6 Role of local community-based organizations and NGOs in integrating populations of foreign origin

to community life (history and density of the voluntary community network, significant initiatives,

lations with policymakers, etc.)

he action Plan mentioned anove for the integration policy for the period 2004-2006 provides for more direct participation by

gional authorities (and by local authorities) in these issues, including the possibility that regions may draw up their own

ogrammes for the integration of foreigners. At present, regions are required to help asylum seekers find housing by providing

em with financial assistance. Regions redistribute a portion of their resources to municipalities. Management of integration

ocedures generally belongs to the Social welfare services or the health services of the regional authorities. Regions may

stablish special Commissions to address local immigration issues (or Commissions authorised to manage the integration of th

ypsy population).

sues related to the integration of foreign population groups only concern larger cities, and in particular the capital. The

unicipal Council may establish a special commission to deal with integration and immigration issues. Municipal services,

rough delegated authority, provide certain services to foreigners in line with national policies: i.e., assistance with housing,

ork, vocational training, organization of social life. Municipal services refer foreigners to associations responsible for integratio

ervices. To respond to local needs in the area of integration, towns and cities may request annual grants from the Ministry of

terior.

he document prepared by the Ministry of Interior, and already mentioned above, supports projects and activities initiated by

GO d i ti i th f ti i ti d i th i l t ti f f th bj ti f th i t ti li

present, the problem of immigration is not a priority for city management, even in Prague. Since 2000, the Czech

overnment has been studying various approaches to an immigration management policy which would fill the gap resulting fro

e negative demographic growth of the Czech population (Project for the integration of foreigners in Czech territories, approve

y decree no.1266/2000). The immigration strategy respects modern principles and international regulations and takes

ofessional qualifications into account, as well as the geographic conditions of the country. Law no. 40/1993 sets out the basic

gal terms and conditions under which Czech citizenship is granted or withdrawn. Source: Ministry

r Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic, Department of asylum and migration

s a follow-up to the work begun by the Ministry for Internal Affairs in 2000 on the development of an integration policy for

reigners, the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs has now undertaken to develop an action Plan for the period 2004-2006. In

004, the Government approved a Project for the integration of asylum seekers in 2004. This project is part of a global

mmigration policy. The project's priorities are: to teach the Czech language; to help people with housing, work and/or re-

ualification. The

tegration policy is founded on a socially acceptable and economically optimized system which facilitates the integration of

eople who have the right to asylum. The development of a system of integration of asylum seekers is an obligation set by the

951 Convention on refugees which the Czech Republic has signed. Moreover, the integration of foreign population groups

sponds to demands for action to combat social exclusion of disadvantaged population groups, including asylum seekers.

everal Ministries are responsible for issues related with immigration and integration of population groups of foreign origin: the

inistries of Work and Social Affairs, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Health, Education, Cutlure, etc. In the past, the Ministry of Interi

as responsible for coordinating programmes and procedures in this area, in particular through its Department for immigration

nd asylum policies. At present, these powers are gradually being transferred to the Ministry for Work and Social Affairs which

as a Division for integration of foreign population groups. The powers of

entral bodies concern primarily the definition of the rights and obligations of foreigners, the determination of their status in the

ountry, their protection against illegal behaviour by the local population or by other foreigners. Central agencies coordinate the

tegration of immigrants into the health and social welfare system, help them find housing, work, training, access to informatio

ey refer immigrants to associations responsible for integration services. They make sure that minority groups have theossibility to keep alive their language, their traditions, their religion and their culture while ensuring their participation in the civi

nd political life of the country. The central bodies coordinate



1 Timeline of main legislation and regulations relating to citiesate References

2 Documentar sources on urban issues in the countr concerned:ibliographic description, contact details of information centres, website URLs, etc.

2000 Law n° 131/2000 Sb. on the capital city of Prague

2002 Law n° 314/2002 Sb. on the institution of town councils with enlarged powers

enter for research in town planning: the Institute for land development (UUR) is an organization associated with the Ministry.

he UUR manages the documentation center; its data base is available on the internet. Address: UUR,

akubské nam 3, POBox 601 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Tel.: +420 542 423 111

bliographic data base: www.uur.cz

2002 Law n° 290/2002 Sb. on transfer of certain State powers to regions and towns

2001 Law n° 100/2001 Sb. on environmental impact studies

1992 Law n° 244/1992 Sb. includes a list of construction projects submitted to the EIA procedure

000, 2002 Law n° 128/2000 Sb. on town councils, amended by Law n° 313/2002

Section 3: Annexes

976 Law n° 50/1976 Sb. on urban planning and construction, as later amended - this is the main town

planning Act.

2001 Regulation n° 135/2001Sb. on supporting documents and town planning documents

1994 Decree n° 174/1994 Sb.on technical specifications for building and construction

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