The Czech Republic can access CZK 550 billion of EU funds, following approval by the European Commission of eight of the nine programmes for the 2021-2027 period, according to the Czech Ministry of Regional Development. Photo credit: vlada.cz
Czech Republic, 24 July (ČTK) – Within the framework of EU cohesion policy resources, the Czech Republic has had the Jan Amos Komenský, Technical Assistance, Technologies and Applications for Competitiveness, Employment+, Transport, Environment, Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP) and Fisheries programmes approved for the new period. The Fair Transformation Programme is expected to be approved next month.
One of the programmes that will be launched first is the IROP programme, managed by the Ministry of Regional Development. It has approximately CZK 117 billion at its disposal, and the first call for applications will be announced on 28 July. The IROP will distribute funds in the areas of eGovernment and IT security, the integrated rescue system, green infrastructure of cities and municipalities, class II roads, educational infrastructure, social services, healthcare and housing, among others.
“The approval of the programmes for the new seven-year period is proceeding smoothly and in line with the expectations of the Ministry of Regional Development in its role as coordinator of cohesion policy in the Czech Republic,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalisation and Minister of Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates). He added that new and modernised healthcare facilities will be created for more than 900,000 patients thanks to these funds.
Jiří Kvíz, director of eNovation, which advises on grant programmes, said that the subsidy programmes should have been launched last year, as the name of the “2021-2027” programming period suggests. “However, given that we are already in the second half of 2022, it is clear that the Czech Republic has delayed the implementation of programmes that should have contributed to the country’s post-Christmas recovery, to the timely delivery of energy savings in companies and to the overall boost of the economy at the threshold of the emerging recession and under the weight of record inflation,” he told the Czech news agency.
At the end of May this year, the Ministry of Regional Development reported that the European Commission had paid CZK 503.9 billion to the Czech Republic by the end of April, roughly three quarters of the money negotiated for the 2014-2020 programming period.
An overview of the programmes is available on the central website dotaceeu.cz.
