Legal protection of surface waters in Czechia
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
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| Description | This comprehensive study delves into the legal framework for safeguarding surface water protection in Czechia. It describes and analyses the legal instruments, as well as administrative and criminal liability regarding surface water protection. The Act No. 254/2001 Coll. on Waters (CzWL), supplemented by a number of government regulations and ministerial decrees, implements the Water Framework Directive (WFD), setting ambitious environmental goals, water protection regulations, and management practices. It establishes a robust legal system, including water management registers, planning instruments, quality and quantity monitoring, and permitting procedures. The CzWL also offers remedies for water contamination, allowing for adjustments to water usage permits when emission standards for pollutants are updated. Water authorities oversee surface water management in collaboration with the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, under the supervision of four ministries (Agriculture, Environment, Transport, and Defence) and with the support of river basin managers and various expert bodies. Despite the formal, proper implementation of the WFD, the objectives of surface water protection are not being met, as the Czech water law remains fragmented and incoherent, allowing for gaps and unnecessary overlaps. |
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