From the sessions of the Senate

At its session starting on 15 November, the Senate will debate draft amendment of the Act on Trade Marks (bill no. 168 passed by the Chamber of Deputies at the beginning of October). A comprehensive bill will bring about a number of key changes and increased requirements on individual trademark owners. It opens the possibility of registering non-traditional aspects (related to taste, smell or movement), among others.

On 14 February, the government approved the accession of the Czech Republic to the European fiscal pact. The Fiscal Pact is an international treaty that was signed on March 2, 2012 by twenty-five EU Member States, i.e. all but the UK, the Czech Republic and Croatia (which were not yet a member country). It is applicable from 1 January 2013 and is expected to be incorporated into the EU's contractual framework. EU Member States can access the pact at any time without restrictions. The content of the Pact is the framework for budgetary discipline and coordination of the economic policies of the EU Member States that the States Parties undertake to observe. The eurozone countries and non-euro area signatories who have voluntarily announced their intention to be bound by the provisions must implement the rule of balanced government budgets into national law. This means annual government-adjusted balance net of economic cycle and one-off and transitional measures (the so-called structural balance) not worse than minus 0.5 percent of GDP. On 1 November, one of the two chambers of the Czech Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, gave its consent with the ratification.

From the sessions of the Chamber of Deputies

At the end of October, the Lower House of Parliament approved the 2019 draft budget in its first reading. The basic parameters of the budget, such as the deficit goal, are thus definitively set with only minor shifts in funds possible. Government spending next year should prioritize the social sphere, investments, an increase in public sector salaries and pensions, Radio Praha writes.

The Chamber of Deputies looks into legislation related to the mandatory electronic prescription system - the patient's medical record. Physicians and pharmacists should be able to consult healthcare services (upon the patient's consent) on prescribed medicinal products. The bill also establishes the eRecept information systém. The bill no. 302 is being reviewed by the Chamber Committees.

Proposal of the Act on Personal Data Protection (bill no. 138) in connection with the adopted EU regulation, had its 1st reading on 18 April. The third reading started at the end of October.

The Government passed on 6 June draft amendment to the Act on Residence of Foreigners in the Territory of the Czech Republic, a transposition of EU legislation related to residence of third countries nationals for the purpose of research and development, studying, internships, volunteering, exchange and au-pair programs. The bill (no. 203)‚ deals with the issues of, among others, quotas for economic migration, employee cards, and employee visas for specific situations in the Czech labour market. Besides EU measures, the bill includes measures proposed by the Ministry of the Interior. Change proposals were submitted.

On 26 September, the Government passed draft amendment to the Act on Investment Incentives (bill no. 298) to be debated in the Chamber of Deputies). State support should be provided primarily to projects with high value added and selected regions.

Draft amendment to the Construction Act (bill no. 279) is in a queue to be debated by the Chamber of Deputies. The aim of the bill is to abolish the institute of the binding opinion of the land planning authority. Furthermore, the aim is to establish jurisdiction of a municipal building authority to assess whether the intention is in line with the urban development policy objectives, plans and tasks, the land use planning documentation and other aspects.

On 18 July, the Geovernment passed draft amendment to the Act on Collection of Acts, including measures to complete the projects of e-Collection of Acts and International Treaties and e-Legislation. The Chamber of Deputies will debate the bill as parliamentary press no. 256.

The Chamber of Deputies has postponed the debate on draft amendment to the Act on Free Access to Information (bill no. 50) suggesting that state-controlled institutions, including state-owned companies should dislose information (according to Act no. 106/1999) and contracts within the registry of contracts.
 

See also (in Czech):

Government program for digitisation of the Czech Republic 2018+

Annual report of the UOOU Office for the Protection of Personal Data (available also in English)

Annual report of the UOHS Office for the Protection of Competition (available also in English)

Annual report of CTU Telecommunication Office

Annual report on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in 2017 

Report on the long-term sustainability of public finance

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