The Czech Republic wants to tighten the fight against illegal trade in endangered species of animals and plants by 2028. The new action plan, which was adopted by the government of Petro Fiala at a meeting on Wednesday 19 February 2025, sets eight goals to help combat this type of crime and educate the public. Among other things, the cabinet also approved the extension of the list of countries whose citizens have free access to the labour market in the Czech Republic to include citizens of the separate jurisdiction of Taiwan and approved the candidacy of a Czech representative for the position of vice-president of the European Investment Bank.
Action Plan against Illegal Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora by 2028 contains specific measures to combat illegal trade in endangered species (wildlife crime) more effectively. Among the eight objectives set out are, for example, to raise the profile of wildlife crime at government and central government level, to improve international cooperation in investigating this crime, to increase enforcement activities or to improve public awareness of the issue. The Czech Republic is a breeding power and is also one of the most active EU countries in the field of CITES. By adopting the new action plan, it gives a clear signal that illegal trade in endangered species will not be tolerated in the Czech Republic and that the fight against it will be a priority in the years to come. More in press release of the Ministry of the Environment.
The government also decided on extension of the existing list of countries whose citizens have free access to the labour market in the Czech Republic, by the separate jurisdiction of Taiwan. The addition of Taiwan, which is not an internationally recognized independent state, to this list was made possible by a government-promoted amendment to the Employment Act. Taiwan's addition to the list was discussed by the Economic and Social Agreement Council on 16 December 2024, and easy access for Taiwanese citizens to work or do business in the country will take effect from 1 March.
The Government also finally approved the nomination of the Deputy Minister of Finance Mark Mory to represent the "Czech" constitution in the position of Vice-President of the European Investment Bank. The Czech Republic will rotate in this position with Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia.The four-year term of the Czech representative will start on 1 October. In addition to his relevant education, Marek Mora has extensive experience, having worked for the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, and has also served as Deputy Governor of the Czech National Bank and as a member of the CNB Bank Board. His nomination was approved by the European Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in accordance with the law.
The Cabinet also considered a proposal Regulation of the Government on the list of psychomodulatory substancesto add kratom and THC to the list, which would allow their regulated sale. At the request of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Health, the discussion was suspended pending the completion of the technical notification process with the European Commission. The deadline for the European Commission's opinion expires on 20 May.
The Tripartite discussed the impact of the introduction of the EU ETS2 or the financing of non-teaching staff in regional education
On Tuesday, 18 February 2025, the Straka Academy hosted 178th Plenary Meeting Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic. Representatives of the tripartite discussed issues such as education and schooling, the impact of the new emissions trading system and steps to support research, development and innovation.
Members of the government discussed with social partners the steps prepared to changes to the funding of non-teaching staff in regional education, which should enter into force on 1 September 2025. Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Mikuláš Bek assured employers and trade unions that the relevant legislative changes will ensure greater autonomy for the founders of regional and municipal school establishments and sufficient money in the form of redistribution of shared taxes so that these changes can be implemented without problems in practice.
The Tripartite also discussed the possible impacts of introducing a new emissions trading schemeMembers of the Government assured the social partners that they were doing their utmost to ensure that the EU ETS2 proposal was still modified and its launch postponed so that the impact on Czech companies and households would be as small as possible. It is essential to ensure a fixed maximum allowance price so that it is predictable for individual market players and does not mean a substantial increase in the price of energy or fuel. It is also necessary to set up effective price control instruments and to ensure the effective use of revenues from auctioning allowances and the Social Climate Fund to support vulnerable groups. The social partners have asked the government for a broader analysis of the potential impacts on the Czech economy and citizens and will return to the issue at the next Tripartite plenary meeting on 5 May.
Another topic of the meeting was the state of implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. In December, the Government decided to entrust Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Marian Jurecka with the responsibility for the implementation of the AI Act. Partial legal adaptations have been prepared - an amendment to the Police Act is already in the Chamber of Deputies, and an amendment to the Act on the Digitalisation of the Financial Market is in the final stage of processing by the Ministry of Finance. Several points remain to be resolved, for example, who should become the central supervisory authority in the Czech Republic.
The tripartite members also discussed support for applied research, development and innovation. The government-approved law on research, development, innovation and knowledge transfer is awaiting approval by Parliament. It aims, inter alia, to promote the role of knowledge transfer in the activities of research organisations or to improve working conditions for scientists and to strengthen the security of research institutions by increasing their institutional resilience. A pilot project has also been launched to ensure the predictability of R&D tax credits and a revision of the M17+ methodology is in the pipeline to put more emphasis on applied research and transfer in its various forms.
The Tripartite took note, inter alia, of the progress of work on a joint plan to promote further vocational training and a lifelong learning system.
Government of the Czech Republic/ gnews.cz - RoZ
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