The Czech Republic will have a new energy and climate plan to meet its emission reduction commitments within the European Union. The relevant update was approved by the government of Petro Fiala on Wednesday 18 December 2024 at its last regular meeting of the year. It also approved a programme to support strategic investments until 2034, decided to increase the salaries of public service employees and civil servants and to increase the allowance to support the employment of people with disabilities in the sheltered labour market, and discussed a new draft law on research, development, innovation and knowledge transfer.
The government approved update of the National Energy and Climate Plan of the Czech Republic for the period 2021-2030. The strategy document does not introduce any new obligations, but summarises the measures that need to be implemented in order for the Czech Republic to meet the commitments already made in the area of greenhouse gas emission reduction and the resulting necessary modernisation of the energy sector. The steps taken are intended to ensure that the Czech Republic meets its commitments in line with the EU's climate targets. They also represent an opportunity for the Czech economy as a whole. The most important measures of the plan include, for example, further development of electricity production from renewable sources, especially wind power, decarbonisation of central heating plants and development of nuclear power, including the use of medium-sized modular reactors. More on the new climate and energy plan in press release of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The Cabinet also agreed documentation of the Strategic Investments for a Climate Neutral Economy programme and decided that a total of CZK 24 billion will be allocated to this programme from the state budget between 2025 and 2034. The programme is intended to contribute to the economic development of the Czech Republic and accelerate investment in sectors that are strategic for the transition to a climate-neutral economy. The Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates that the programme will make it possible to attract strategic investments worth at least CZK 100 billion over its duration. It will allow to support investments by private entrepreneurs, which can be implemented, for example, on infrastructure equipped areas prepared by the State Investment and Development Company, thus helping to fulfil the purpose of such prepared infrastructure. Details include press release of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The government also approved strategy for the recovery of the area after the floods in September 2024prepared by the Ministry for Regional Development. The strategy defines, among other things, the affected areas, sets out the priority objectives of reconstruction and summarises the forms of provision of state aid through subsidy and loan programmes administered by individual ministries, as well as the budgetary requirements of the individual ministries involved in reconstruction. The affected regions estimated the total damage at CZK 57.1 billion, while state institutions also estimated the damage at another CZK 11 billion. The adopted strategy will be followed by an action plan for its implementation, which the Ministry of Regional Development is to submit to the Government for approval by 30 September 2025.
The Cabinet also agreed Changes in the Zivel - Emergency Aid Programmethrough which a significant part of the flood damage is being repaired. The Ministry of Regional Development will rename the programme as Support for the Development and Restoration of Regions and will include in the form of sub-programmes both the other three ŽIVEL programmes, which focus on individual segments of assistance with the financing of disaster relief, and its other subsidy activities implemented within the framework of national subsidy support for regional development and tourism, such as Support for Rural Renewal and Development, Support for Smart Cities, Municipalities and Regions or support for the organisation of the Village of the Year competition. For details on both items, please refer to press release of the Ministry for Regional Development.
The government also approved distribution of the money the Czech Republic will receive on 23 December from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility. CZK 28,006,247,238.48 will be transferred to the individual organisational units of the State according to the actual expenditures related to the National Recovery Plan for the period from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024.
The government has issued New regulations on the salary ratios of employees in the public service and administration and on the salary ratios of civil servants. Both envisage a CZK 1 400 increase in the tariff salaries of employees, while teaching staff will see their salary tariffs rise by the promised seven percent. The regulations also contain several other changes compared to those in force this year. For example, the salary tariff tables for social service workers and social workers and marriage and family counsellors and for so-called non-medical health care workers providing health services are merged, the profession of pharmacist is added to the list of medical health care professions, and the existing six-year limit for crediting substitute childcare time when assessing creditable experience is abolished.
The government also amended Regulation on the maximum amount of the allowance to promote the employment of disabled people in the sheltered labour market. The new regulation increases the maximum amount of the contribution for 2025 from the current CZK 15,700 by CZK 1,600 to CZK 17,300 and also sets the maximum amount for 2026.
The cabinet also approved Regulation on the list of scheduled psychoactive substances. This list included the semi-synthetic cannabinoids HHC, HHC-O and THCP and their other derivatives, as well as 123 other psychoactive substances. The inclusion of these substances on the list under the new law on addictive substances will allow for a risk assessment of these substances, or an assessment of their impact on the health of the population, but will also put an end to the criminalisation of their possessors. In all cases, these are substances for which serious health and social risks cannot be ruled out on the basis of existing scientific knowledge and therefore need to be investigated before a decision can be taken on their possible release on the regulated market. Details in press release of the Ministry of Health.
Government minute's silence paid tribute to the victims of the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in December last year and then discussed the steps taken or planned to be taken by the Ministry of the Interior, the Police of the Czech Republic and the Fire Brigade of the Czech Republic in response to this extraordinary event. For example, the Ministry of the Interior, based on new experiences, has organized several special training courses for both universities and police specialists, revised methodologies that summarize practical solutions for the protection of soft targets, or accelerated the amendment of the Weapons Act, which tightens the rules for the purchase and possession of weapons. Among other things, the police have launched a specialised advice line, organised training seminars on soft target protection and improved their equipment and overall preparedness for such cases. The Fire Brigade also focused on improving the professional preparedness of members of the integrated rescue system.
The government also discussed draft new law on research, development, innovation and knowledge transfer. The law is intended to set up better coordination of the management of the system of research, development, innovation and knowledge transfer, to link the strategic framework across the whole system, to support the career development of researchers, to simplify the administration and to strengthen respect for ethical principles and scientific integrity. The rules on the provision of support are also to be changed to bring them into line with the decision-making practice of the administrative courts and the recommendations of the Ombudsman.
Government of the Czech Republic/ gnews - RoZ
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