Permitting processes in Czech Republic after implementation of changes in practice

The Building Act, which came into effect in July 2024, introduced a few innovations for the public and applicants for building permits. The primary objective of the Act was to streamline and accelerate the permitting process, whilst ensuring that public interests are protected during construction. Notable features include the capacity for digital communication with relevant sub-authorities and the option for a comprehensive digital construction procedure, encompassing project documentation and final approval by the construction authority. The Builder's Portal has been designed to facilitate the application process for a wide range of construction-related permits, including building permits, modifications to unfinished or finished construction, division and subdivision of land, and building approval.

The new building law will be implemented in the preparation of simple and other constructions from July 2024, and for reserved constructions from 1.1.2024. During the initial period, authorities and the system encountered difficulties, which was to be expected, and many problems were predicted before the new digitalisation and building law system was introduced. We have proceeded with this in mind, working more closely with both planners and building authority staff, who were objectively the worst affected by the transition to the new system and digitisation.

Regarding the main key investments and so-called reserved constructions, which are motorways, railways, aeronautical and energy constructions https://desu.gov.cz/Vyhrazen%C3%A9-stavby.html. These key constructions have been authorised by the Transport and Energy Construction Authority (DESU) since 1 January 2024, which is further ahead than other building authorities in this respect and is already working very well in practice.

It could be said that after an unofficial trial period of the new permit procedure, the Government of the Czech Republic decided at its meeting in October 2024 to opt for the so-called partial bypass of the digitalisation of the construction procedure, the draft of which was included in the form of a new section 334b in the amendment to the Construction Act. This bypass allows "the use of information systems of the building administration in the transitional period". This is justified by the need to respond to the current problems associated with the digitalisation of construction procedures and to provide for a transitional period for work in the information systems of the construction administration. Ministerstvo pro místní rozvoj ČR - Zákon č. 437/2024 Sb., tzv. bypass.