A new Czech legislative bill on sport is ready, and the proposal envisages the establishment of a ministry of sport, MP Karel Haas (ODS) said yesterday at a national conference on support for sport and movement.
The bill will be debated by parliament only after the October elections. “I believe that regardless of how the elections turn out, the Chamber of Deputies will deal with this right at the beginning of the new term of office. During this project, I have not seen any hitch from any political subject in our country,” Haas said.
Representatives of both the current government and opposition parties participated in the drafting of the bill, Haas said.
The current law on the promotion of sport primarily addresses the functioning of the National Sports Agency, not the status of sport as such, or the legal and tax status of professional athletes, coaches and referees.
“There is no comprehensive law on sport,” said Haas, noting that neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Poland and Slovakia already have such a law.
The National Sports Agency led the preparation of the bill and there were several working teams. The ministries currently responsible for sport-related functions were involved, along with representatives of the sporting environment, academia, and municipalities and regions.
The basis of the new law is the definition of sport as a publicly beneficial and health-promoting activity. It describes the rules of cooperation between the state, regions and municipalities.
Direct state subsidies for sports clubs should be changed to contributory funding, which would mean significantly simpler administration and faster subsidies.
The new law envisages the creation of a ministry of sport, which was supported by the vast majority of participants at yesterday’s conference.
“It’s the most politically controversial issue, I’ll be honest, but it’s in the proposal,” Haas said.
In addition to the transformation of the current National Sports Agency into a ministry, there is also the possibility of creating a ministry of sport and tourism, as Poland has.
