Czech MPs advance major building law reform

The Czech Chamber of Deputies has advanced a government-backed amendment to the Building Act to its final reading after completing the second reading stage. The bill is intended to simplify and speed up the permitting process for new construction projects, including by creating a centralised state building authority and declaring large housing developments to be in the public interest. Lawmakers submitted around 130 amendment proposals, which will now be reviewed by the parliamentary Economic Committee before the final vote. Opposition parties continue to criticise both the substance of the reform and the decision to introduce it as a parliamentary rather than government bill.