COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2021 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia Accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2021 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2021-07-20
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Czechia, administrative transparency, coronavirus disease, corruption, democracy, epidemic, independence of the judiciary, infringement of EU law, political rights, rule of law

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.7.2021  SWD(2021) 705 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2021 Rule of Law Report    Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia Accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2021 Rule of Law Report    The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2021) 700 final} - {SWD(2021) 701 final} - {SWD(2021) 702 final} - {SWD(2021) 703 final} - {SWD(2021) 704 final} - {SWD(2021) 706 final} - {SWD(2021) 707 final} - {SWD(2021) 708 final} - {SWD(2021) 709 final} - {SWD(2021) 710 final} - {SWD(2021) 711 final} - {SWD(2021) 712 final} - {SWD(2021) 713 final} - {SWD(2021) 714 final} - {SWD(2021) 715 final} - {SWD(2021) 716 final} - {SWD(2021) 717 final} - {SWD(2021) 718 final} - {SWD(2021) 719 final} - {SWD(2021) 720 final} - {SWD(2021) 721 final} - {SWD(2021) 722 final} - {SWD(2021) 723 final} - {SWD(2021) 724 final} - {SWD(2021) 725 final} - {SWD(2021) 726 final} - {SWD(2021) 727 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

Two  important  reforms  of  the  Czech  judiciary,  the  selection  procedure  for  judges  and  the 
disciplinary regime for judges, have advanced, with the former having been adopted in May 
2021. As already noted in the 2020 Rule of Law Report, these reforms could strengthen the 
independence of the judiciary by increasing transparency of the process of selection of judges 
and  offering  additional  safeguards  in  disciplinary  proceedings  against  judges.  Efforts  to 
improve the digitalisation of justice, including publication of judgements and preparation of a 
digital file management system, continue. Efficiency of the proceedings in civil, commercial 
and administrative justice improved. The courts have managed to continue their work during 
the COVID-19 pandemic without major disruptions.  

While the legal and institutional framework to address corruption is broadly in place, there is 
a lack of progress in the implementation of the Government Anti-Corruption Strategy 2018-
2022  and  accompanying  Action  Plans.  More  specifically,  at  the  end  of  the  current 
Government’s  term  a  number  of  important  reform  initiatives  in  the  area  of  corruption 
prevention  are  still  pending  in  the  Czech  Parliament,  including  bills  on  lobbying,  on 
whistleblower  protection  and  on  the  extension  of  the  Supreme  Audit  Office’s  mandate.  As 
regards high-level corruption, investigations and audits at national and European level of the 
use  of  EU  funds  have  recently  found  evidence  of  conflicts  of  interest  at  the  top  executive 
level,  on  the  basis  of  which  a  case  has  been  accepted  by  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s 
Office. Furthermore, in a related EU subsidy fraud case, national investigators have recently 
recommended  indictment.  Due  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  most  of  the  anti-corruption 
measures in the healthcare sector that were planned to be introduced in 2020 were postponed.  

Constitutional  rules  guarantee  freedom  of  expression  and  the  right  to  information,  and 
expressly  ban  censorship.  Rules  to  enhance  information  about  transparency  of  beneficial 
ownership of media outlets were enacted in 2021. The Czech Broadcasting Council appears 
to  carry  out  its  tasks  effectively,  but  political  controversies  have  continued  to  affect  the 
separate  Czech  TV  supervisory  board.  The  print  media  sector  has  been  severely  affected 
during  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  No  media  support  scheme  was  adopted  to  counter  the 
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost half of the legal acts adopted were 
subject to shortened legislative procedure with limited possibility of stakeholder consultation. 
Stakeholders note that the use of the shortened legislative procedure was not limited to laws 
directly  related  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  The  state  of  emergency  was  in  place  for  a 
significant part of the year 2020. Its renewal in early 2021, despite the refusal of extension by 
the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  has  been  criticised,  including  on  grounds  of  constitutionality. 
Courts were frequently asked to review emergency measures and annulled several of them. A 
bill  establishing  a  new  office  of  Children’s  Ombudsman  is  discussed  in  Parliament.  The 
impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  on  civil  society  organisations  has  been  substantial, 
forcing them to limit their activities.  

1 

 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM  

The Czech justice system  is  composed of 86 district  courts, eight  regional  courts, two high 
courts, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court1. The Constitutional Court 
stands outside the general courts’ structure, but it is part of the judicial system, tasked with 
guaranteeing constitutionality of legislation and protection of fundamental human rights and 
freedoms.  The  central  body  of  state  responsible  for  the  administration  of  the  courts  is  the 
Ministry  of  Justice.  The  Ministry  of  Justice  performs  state  administration  of  high,  regional 
and district courts to the extent stipulated by law2, either directly or through the presidents of 
these courts. Some acts of the central state administration are performed by the Presidents of 
the  two  Supreme  Courts.  These  various  authorities  take  into  account  the  opinions  of  the 
relevant  judicial  councils,  which  are  established  at  the  Supreme  Court,  the  Supreme 
Administrative  Court,  high  courts,  regional  courts  and  larger  district  courts.  Judges  are 
appointed  by  the  President  of  the  Republic,  from  candidates  selected  by  the  presidents  of 
regional courts and presented by the Minister of Justice. The Prosecution Service is  part of 
the executive branch3. Public prosecutors are appointed into their office for an indefinite time 
by the Minister of Justice on a proposal from the Prosecutor General. The Prosecutor General 
is  appointed  and  recalled  by  the  Government  on  a  proposal  from  the  Minister  of  Justice4. 
Czechia  participates  in  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office.  The  Bar  Association  is 
established  by  law  and  is  independent.  It  performs  public  administration  in  the  area  of  the 
legal  profession  and  provides  self-regulation  for  the  entire  profession.  The  self-governing 
power of the Bar is limited by the power of the Minister of Justice in the areas listed by law.  

Independence  

The perception  of judicial  independence among the general  public and companies has 
remained average. Overall, 51% of both the general public and companies consider that the 
independence  of  the  courts  and  judges  in  Czechia  is  either  ‘very  good’  or  ‘fairly  good’  in 
20215. This represents a continued positive trend of incremental  yearly increases in positive 
perception  among  the  companies,  while  among  the  general  public  the  level  of  perceived 
judicial independence slightly decreased compared to last year.  

An amendment of the selection procedure for judges has been adopted6. The amendment, 
which came into effect on 9 June 20217, seeks to establish a transparent and uniform system 
of recruitment  and selection of new judges and court presidents based on precise, objective 
and uniform criteria. Previously, there was no statutory regulation of the process of selection 
of  candidates  for  judicial  posts.  The  key  features  of  the  amendment  are  consistent  with 

1   In addition, specialised administrative chambers  within regional courts act as administrative courts of  first 

instance.  

2   Act No. 6/2002 Coll., On Courts and Judges. 
3   Art. 80 of the Constitution, which is included in Part Three, the Executive Branch. 
4   The  method of appointment and dismissal of high-ranking prosecutors is part of a reform proposed by the 

Ministry of Justice in June 2019 and currently stalled.  

5   Figures 48 and 50, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard. The level of perceived judicial independence is categorised 
as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents  perceive  judicial  independence  as  fairly  good  and  very 
good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%).  
6   For more information see 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, 

p. 2. 

7   Amendment to the Act No. 6/2002 Coll., on Courts and Judges.  

2 

 
                                                 
European standards, in particular as the majority of members in the committees tasked with 
selection of candidates for appointment will be judges8.  

The draft amendment of the disciplinary regime for judges has passed the first reading 
in the Chamber of Deputies9. The reform seeks to introduce judicial review10 of decisions 
taken  as  regards  judges  by  the  disciplinary  court11  by  establishing  a  two-tier  disciplinary 
system,  with  high  courts  acting  as  courts  of  first  instance  and  the  Supreme  Court  and  the 
Supreme Administrative court as appellate courts. In December 2020, the reform passed the 
first  reading  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies.  By  establishing  such  double  level  of  judicial 
review,  this  reform  could  contribute  to  strengthening  judicial  independence,  which  is 
consistent with EU law and European standards12.  

The envisaged reform of the Prosecution Service is not expected to be further pursued 
in  this  legislative  period13.  A  reform  of  the  Prosecution  Service  has  long  been  a  topic  of 
political  debates  and  subject  to  GRECO  recommendations14.  As  noted  in  the  2020  Rule  of 
Law  Report,  the  latest  draft  reform15,  published  in  June  2019,  sought  to  amend  the 
appointment and dismissal regime for the Prosecution Service and the term of office of senior 
public prosecutors. The draft reform encountered opposition from stakeholders and the public 
and  it  is  not  foreseen  to  be  approved  by  the  Government  before  the  October  parliamentary 
elections16.  

A  code  of  ethics  for  judges  has  been  approved  by  a  majority  of  courts.  The  code  of 
ethics17 was  prepared by  a working  group established at  the Supreme Court, headed by the 

8   Bill No. 630, amending Secs. 105a and 116 of Act No. 6/2002 Coll., On Courts and Judges; Bill No. 630, 
proposed  amendment  of  Sec.  105e  and  Sec.  116  of  Act  No.  6/2002  Coll.,  on  Courts  and  Judges; 
Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe,  para.  47. 
Judgment of the Court of Justice of 20 April 2021, Repubblika, C-896/19, paras 66-69. 

9   For more information see 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, 

p. 3. 

10   It is currently possible to request reopening of the proceedings if previously unknown information comes to 
light, and it is also possible to file a constitutional complaint; these procedures are however not considered to 
constitute standard judicial review. 

11   The disciplinary senate is a special senate at the Supreme Administrative Court. 
12   Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe,  para  69; 
Venice  Commission  opinion,  CDL-AD(2010)004,  para  43;  Venice  Commission,  Rule  of  Law  Checklist, 
CDL-AD(2016)007, , para 78; according to the case law of the European Court of Justice (C‑ 216/18 PPU, 
LM,  25  July  2018,  para  67):  “the  requirement  of  independence  also  means  that  the  disciplinary  regime 
governing  those  who  have  the  task  of  adjudicating  in  a  dispute  must  display  the  necessary  guarantees  in 
order to prevent any risk of its being used as a system of political control of the content of judicial decisions. 
Rules which define, in particular, both conduct amounting to disciplinary offences and the penalties actually 
applicable, which provide for the involvement of an independent body in accordance with a procedure which 
fully  safeguards  the  rights  enshrined  in  Articles  47  and  48  of  the  Charter,  in  particular  the  rights  of  the 
defence,  and  which  lay  down  the  possibility  of  bringing  legal  proceedings  challenging  the  disciplinary 
bodies’ decisions  constitute a set of  guarantees  that are  essential  for safeguarding the independence of the 
judiciary”. 

13   2020 Rule of law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, pp. 3-4. 
14   GRECO Fourth Evaluation Round – Evaluation Report, recommendation x. 
15   Materials 

of 
https://apps.odok.cz/veklep-detail?pid=KORNBD9J6ZWU.  

legislative 

electronic 

published 

library 

the 

the 

in 

process, 

available 

at 

16   Information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia, from the Ministry of Justice. 
17   The 
the 

version 

Ethics 

Czech 

Code 

of 

of 

is 

available 

at 

https://www.nsoud.cz/judikatura/ns_web.nsf/0/480C6A02F818B1DCC12586B00029183B/$file/ETICK%C
3%9D%20KODEX%20(2).pdf; 
https://www.nsoud.cz/Judikatura/ns_web.nsf/web/CodeofEthics~Code_of_Ethic~?Open&lng=EN. 

English 

version 

the 

at 

3 

 
                                                 
President  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  comprised  of  judges  from  courts  of  different  levels18. 
After its finalisation, the Code was presented for approval to councils of judges established at 
each court19. A vast majority of the councils adopted the Code. The development of a code of 
professional conduct for judges has been recommended by GRECO20. 

Judges  and  prosecutors  have  been  subject  to  critical  statements  by  representatives  of 
the Government.  Representatives of  the  executive have on several  occasions made critical 
remarks with respect to high-ranking judges and the Prosecution Service, calling in question 
their  independence21.  As  a  reaction,  representatives  of  the  judiciary  have  issued  statements 
expressing  their  concern  and  recalling  the  importance  of  judicial  independence  and  public 
trust  in  the  judiciary22.  On  14  May  the  Prosecutor  General  announced  his  resignation, 
indicating perceived pressure23 as one of the reasons24. 

Quality  

The Parliament did not agree on the governmental proposal to raise certain court fees. 
A proposed amendment to the Act on Court fees25 was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies 
in the first reading on 29 January 2021 over considerations of accessibility of justice in light 
of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Government does not plan any further amendments 
nor  a  renewed  presentation  of  the  proposal  during  the  present  legislative  period26.  The 
continued  system  of  broadened  legal  aid  implemented  by  the  Czech  Bar  Association27  has 
also contributed to easing the access to justice, in particular to vulnerable persons that cannot 
afford a lawyer.  

18   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 4-5. 
19   Czechia does not have a Judicial Council, but councils of judges are established at each court. The councils 
are composed of judges from the respective court, who are elected by their peers. At district courts with less 
than 11 judges the role of the council is performed by an assembly of all of the court’s judges; Sections 46 
and following of the Act on Courts and Judges. 

20   GRECO Fourth Evaluation Round – Evaluation Report, recommendation vii(i). 
21   Interview with the Minister of Justice in Deník N (3 February 2021), Who promised what to whom? They 
make a mayhem before elections, Benesova criticises the decision of the Constitutional Court; Deník N (3 
February  2021), Babiš  accused  judges  from  influencing  elections.  We  are  just  protecting  the  Constitution, 
Rychetský  reacted;  interview  with  Minister  of  Justice  in  Info.cz  (25  February  2021),  Proceedings  against 
Babiš will drag until the election, the prosecutors use it as a shield against their dismissal. The Minister of 
Justice publicly questioned the legality of the actions on the Prosecutor General and announced she would 
initiate  disciplinary  proceedings.  However,  the  Prosecutor  General  was  supported  by  Prime  Minister,  as 
reported in Seznam zprávy (9 May 2020) Benešová steps up the fight against the boss of the prosecutors.  
22   Statement of the Union of Judges, Soudcovská unie k vystoupení ministryně spravedlnosti,; Statement of the 
Union of Prosecutors (4 February 2021); statement of the President of the Union of Prosecutors (26 February 
2021). 

23   Press  release  of  the  Public  Prosecution  (14  May  2021),  Prosecutor  General  Pavel  Zeman  announced  his 
resignation, record of the press conference available at https://www.dvtv.cz/video/sef-zalobcu-zeman-konci-
citil-jsem-silny-tlak-ze-strany-benesove-nechci-dal-jen-odrazet-jeji-utoky;  see  also 
the 
Prosecutor General in Deník N (25 May 2020), Zeman: Po schůzce s Benešovou jsem vycítil svůj konec, byli 
jsme pro ni vděčný terč. Politika zhrubla. 

interview  with 

24   The new Prosecutor General was appointed on 13 July 2021. 
25   For more information see 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, 

pp. 4-5. 

26   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 6; Information received in the context of the country 

visit to Czechia. 

27   Contribution  from  the  Czech  Bar  Association  for  the  2021  Rule  of  Law  Report,  p.  15; 2020  Rule  of  Law 

Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 5. 

4 

 
                                                 
Several  projects  are  underway  to  improve  the  digitalisation  of  justice.  The  Ministry  of 
Justice has launched a pilot version of a publicly available central database of judgments28, 
starting  with  civil  cases.  The  database  will  be  extended  incrementally.  An  obligation  for 
courts to publish all judgments as of 1 July 2022 has been inserted in the Act on Courts and 
Judges,  following  an  amendment  which  came  into  effect  on  9  June  202129.  An  ongoing 
project  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice  to  support  anonymisation  will  contribute  to  this  effort. 
Procedural  rules  allowing  for  the  use  of  digital  tools  in  courts  as  well  as  the  appropriate 
digital instruments and infrastructure are largely in place30, which contributed strongly to the 
continued  operation  of  the  courts  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  However,  solutions  for 
accessing  the  electronic  file  of  most  ongoing  cases  are  still  missing31.  Work  on  the 
introduction of a full e-file system32 continued but still remains at the tender stage33. 

New  draft  legislation  to  reform  enforcement  and  insolvency  proceedings  is  being 
discussed in the Parliament. Enforcement and insolvency proceedings have been a topic of 
political  discussions  for  many  years,  as  a  so-called  “debt  trap”  affects  a  high  number  of 
people34  and,  as  pronounced  by  the  Constitutional  Court,  may  impact  negatively  their 
fundamental rights, such as the right to an adequate standard of living35. Following a reform 
of insolvency proceedings adopted in 201936, several other legislative proposals were made37 
to regulate the impact of enforcement and insolvency proceedings, in particular for protecting 
the debtors, including child debtors.  

Efficiency 

Efficiency  of  proceedings  in  civil,  commercial  and  administrative  cases  has  improved. 
While  not  facing  any  particular  challenges  in  civil  and  commercial  cases38,  the  estimated 
length  of  court  proceedings  continued  to  incrementally  decrease39.  The  time  needed  to 
resolve administrative cases has dropped considerably compared to preceding years, with an 
estimated time for a decision in first instance taking 356 days in 201940. Simultaneously, the 
rate  of  resolving  administrative  cases  increased  to  over  107%41,  suggesting  that  courts  are 
also  able  to  address  backlogs.  This  positive  development  can  be  a  result  of  a  transfer  of 
judges  from  other  branches  to  administrative  chambers.  In  2020,  9  new  judges  were 
appointed  for  dealing  with  administrative  cases42,  which  may  further  increase  efficiency. 

28   The database is available at https://rozhodnuti.justice.cz/soudnirozhodnuti/.  
29   Art. I, point 23 of Act No. 218/2021. 
30   Figures 40-43, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
31   Figure 44, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
32   2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 5. 
33   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 8. 
34   According  to  information  from  November  2020,  over  700  000  people  face  enforcement  proceedings; 
according to information from Regulatory Impact Assessment report to Act No. 31/2019 from 2019, 90% of 
the debtors were not able to ever repay their debts.  

35   Decision of the Czech Constitutional Court No. I. ÚS 3271/13, para. 31. 
36   2020 Rule of law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 5. 
37   Act No. 38/2021, adopted in January 2021, establishing a so called protected account; Bill No. 545 approved 
by the Chamber of Deputies in April 2021 introducing changes into the Procedure Code and Act on Bailiffs; 
Bill No. 1073 tabled in November 2020 introducing further changes into the Act on Insolvency Proceedings; 
Draft Bill No. 986, adopted by the Senate in April 2021; addressing the issue of child debtors. 
38   See also 2020 Rule of law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 6. 
39   Figures 6 and 7, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
40   Figure 9, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
41   Figure 13, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
42  Information provided in the context of the country visit to Czechia by the Ministry of Justice.  

5 

 
                                                 
However, stakeholders express concern regarding an overall lack of judges and point out that 
the Ministry of Justice is not determining the number of newly appointed judges in function 
of the real workload of the courts43.  

The  courts  and  the  Prosecution  Service  have  faced  challenges  to  different  degrees 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court, 
whose  proceedings  are  mostly  written,  reported  that  the  COVID-19  pandemic  did  not  have 
any effect on their efficiency44. Courts at lower instances were forced to postpone hearings, 
which  may  delay  proceedings45,  but  overall,  courts  did  not  report  any  major  disruptions46. 
Teleworking proved to be more challenging for the Prosecution Service due to the low level 
of digitalisation and the nature of its work47. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

Czechia has the legislative and institutional framework to prevent and fight corruption largely 
in place. The Conflict of Interests and Anti-Corruption Department of the Ministry of Justice 
is  in  charge  of  the  coordination  and  monitoring  of  the  national  Anti-Corruption  Strategy 
2018-2022,  which  is  Czechia’s  strategic  framework  for  anti-corruption  at  the  governmental 
level.  The  Anti-Corruption  Council  acts  as  an  advisory  body  to  the  Government.  In 
cooperation with the Prosecution Service, the National Organised Crime Agency is the police 
unit  with  country-wide  competence  to  investigate  high-level  corruption  offences48.  The 
Financial Analytical Office acts as Czechia’s Financial Intelligence Unit. The Supreme Audit 
Office  reviews  the  state’s  management  of  public  revenue  and  expenditure  and  its  findings 
may contribute to the identification of corruption risks. 

The perception among experts and business executives is that the level of corruption in 
the  public  sector  remains  relatively  high.  In  the  2020  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  by 
Transparency International, the Czech Republic scores 54/100 and ranks 14th in the European 
Union  and  49th  globally49.  This  perception  has  been  relatively  stable50  over  the  past  five 
years51. 

In December 2020, the Czech Government adopted ia new Anti-Corruption Plan 2021-
2022,  reiterating  previous  priorities.  This  action  plan52  is  the  last  one  of  four  under  the 

43   Information received in the context of the country visit in Czechia. 
44   Information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 
45   Contribution from the Czech Bar Association for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 17. 
46   Information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 
47   Information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 
48   Other cases of corruption are dealt with by regional directorates of the police, with the National Organised 

Crime Agency being able to take over the cases at any time.  

49   Transparency  International,  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  2020  (2021),  pp.  2-3.  The  level  of  perceived 
corruption is categorised as  follows: low (the perception among experts and business executives of public 
sector  corruption scores  above  79);  relatively  low  (scores  between  79-60),  relatively  high  (scores  between 
59-50), high (scores below 50).  

50   In 2015, the score was 56, while, in 2020, the score is 54. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

51   The Eurobarometer data on corruption perception and experience of citizens and businesses as reported last 
year is updated every second year. The latest data set is the Special Eurobarometer 502 (2020) and the Flash 
Eurobarometer 482 (2019). 

52   Resolution no. 1273. The Plan is available on the Government Anti-Corruption Portal, and monitored by the 

Government Anti-Corruption Council. 

6 

 
                                                 
current  Government  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  2018-202253.  In  comparison  to  the  previous 
plan54,  the  four  priority  areas  remain  unchanged55.  The  Government  will  focus  on  the 
outstanding targets, including the adoption of legislative acts on whistleblower protection and 
on  lobbying,  as  well  as  on  transparency,  access  to  information,  and  COVID-19  related 
corruption risks56. An ex-post evaluation of the previous 2020 Action Plan will be published 
in January 2022. Preparatory analytical work has already started for the new Anti-Corruption 
Strategy beyond 202257, and will be accelerated in Spring 2022 to cover the new priorities of 
the incoming government and measures addressing Czechia’s international committments.  

Efforts  to  repress  corruption  are  undertaken  with  stable  numbers  of  investigations, 
prosecutions and convictions.  In 2020, the Czech law enforcement authorities opened 180 
corruption-related  investigations  (compared  to  152  in  2019)58,  while  180  individuals  were 
prosecuted  for  corruption  offences  or  suspected59  thereof  (compared  to  190  individuals  in 
2019)60. In total, 169 persons were brought before a court (compared to 125 in 2019)61, while 
111 got convicted for corruption in the course of 2020 (compared to 96 individuals in 2019). 
Last  year  has  seen  23  acquittals  for  corruption  (compared  to  30  in  the  previous  year).  In 
recent  years,  high-profile  cases  mostly  prosecuted  by  the  High  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office 
focused  primarily  on  crimes  related  to  public  procurement  and  competition  (including 
corruption and criminal activity of officals) and large-scale tax fraud62. Czechia does not have 
a  separate  offence  in  the  Criminal  Code  criminalising  foreign  bribery,  although  this  is 
covered  by  the  general  corruption  offence63.  The  OECD  has  noted  concerns  as  to  the  low 
level of enforcement against foreign bribery despite the export-oriented nature of the Czech 
economy and exports in high-risk sectors that are prone to bribery64. Measures implemented 
so  far,  including  an  increase  in  specialised  staff  and  the  enhancement  of  data  analytics 
capabilities,  did  not  serve  the  detection  and  investigation  of  foreign  bribery.  In  this  regard, 
there  is  a  need  to  find  ways  to  prioritise  the  detection,  investigation  and  prosecution  of 
foreign  bribery.  Introducing  a  separate  criminal  offence  of  foreign  bribery,  a  decree,  or 
internal  directive  mentioning  the  level  of  priority  of  foreign  bribery  could  be  one  of  the 
potential options to help enhance enforcement65. 

53   Czechia’s  Anti-Corruption  Strategy,  which  is  based  on  the  2018  Government  Programme  Statement,  is 

available on the Government Anti-Corruption Portal.  

54   2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 7. 
55   Priority  areas  include:  (i)  an  effective  and  independent  Government;  (ii)  transparency  and  open  access  to 

information; (iii) efficient management of state property; and (iv) development of civil society. 
56   Information received from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Czechia.  
57   Information received from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Czechia.  
58   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, pp. 19-20. 
59   Sections 160 and 179b (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. 
60   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, Appendix I.  
61   This includes: indictments, motions for punishments, and agreements on guilt and punishment. 
62   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 18, with reference to Tax Cobra operation.  
63   The offence of foreign bribery can be punished as part of the general corruption offence, according to input 

from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 17. 

64   The  high-risk  sectors  include  machinery  and  defence  materials,  including  arms  exported  to  high-risk 
destinations, see OECD, Implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, Phase 4 Two-Year Follow-Up 
Report:  Czechia  (2019),  p.  4.  In  the  period  2016-2019,  Czechia  opened  one  investigation,  initiated 
proceedings  in  one  case  and  concluded  no  case,  as  reported  by  Transparency  International,  Exporting 
corruption (2020), p. 52. 

65   Cf.  OECD,  Implementing  the  OECD  Anti-Bribery  Convention  -  Phase  4  Two-Year  Follow-Up  Report: 
Czech Republic (2019), stating that “[n]othing indicates that foreign bribery has become a priority. […T]he 

7 

 
                                                 
 
Investigations  and  audits  have  raised  concerns  regarding  some  instances  of  high-level 
corruption  in  the  use  of  EU  funds  and  conflicts  of  interest.  A  European  Commission 
report  of  23  April  2021  auditing  the  disbursement  of  17  EU  grants  awarded  to  a  Czech 
company  found  irregularities  and  a  conflict  of  interest,  recommending  recovery  of 
approximately EUR 11 million for non-compliance with the EU Financial Regulation 2012, 
and  breach  of  the  Czech  Act  on  Conflicts  of  Interest66.  The  case  was  recently  sent  to  and 
accepted  by  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office.  In  general,  subsidies  for  commercial 
enterprises, in which a public official holds a stake of 25% or more, are prohibited under the 
Czech Conflict of Interest Act. A Strategy for the Fight against Fraud and Corruption within 
EU  Funds  2014-202067  is  in  place  setting  out  the  basic  framework  of  rules  that  are 
accompanied  by  procedural  guidelines  for  managing  authorities.  However,  concerns  have 
been  raised  in  some  instances  regarding  the  management  and  distribution  of  EU  funds, 
including  in  fraud-related  investigations  of  the  EU  Anti-Fraud  Office  (OLAF)  and  related 
national investigations that recently concluded in a recommendation for indictment in a high-
level case68. 

Cooperation in practice between the relevant institutions to fight corruption in Czechia 
is  functioning  well  and  further  specialisation  and  IT  development  in  the  police  is 
planned.  Cooperation  between  the  Prosecution  Service,  the  police  and  the  Financial 
Intelligence  Unit  proved  to  be  close  and  effective  in  large-scale  operations69.  According  to 
the  police  and  the  Prosecution  Service,  the  resources70  and  the  level  of  specialisation  of 
investigators and prosecutors, as well as their access to  relevant information is sufficient to 
carry  out  their  tasks  in  the  repression  of  corruption.  The  Police  Presidium,  which  is 
hierarchically above the  National  Organised Crime Agency  hosts a  central  analytics  unit to 
provide guidelines and help with case analytics for the entire police. To provide effectively 
for the needs  of the police and build more strategic levels  of intelligence, a higher level  of 
specialisation of staff in analytics as well as additional IT tools and functions would still be 

Czech Republic plans to expand the Department of Analytics with 15 positions in 2021-2025, but whether 
some of them will be allocated to the investigation of foreign bribery remains to be seen.”  

66   European  Commission,  Final  Audit  Report,  Audit  No.  REGC414CZ0133,  REGIO/C4/AUD(2019), 
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/information/publications/reports/2021/final-report-on-the-audit-of-
the-functioning-of-the-management-and-control-systems-in-place-to-avoid-conflict-of-interest-in-czechia, 
See  also  European  Parliament,  Report  on  the  fact-finding  mission  of  the  Budgetary  Control  Committee  to 
the Czech Republic, 26-28 February 2020. See also Supreme Audit Office, EU Report 2020 – Report on the 
EU Financial Management in Czechia (2020), pp. 20-21; 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the 
rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 8. 

67   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 15.  
68   In May, the police has concluded a six-year criminal investigation into the illegal acquisition of EU subsidies 
and recommended indictment, see: Česká justice, 14 May 2021, Investigator in the Stork Nest case quits. He 
closed the file and proposed to take the case to court. .  

69   Information  received  from  the  police  and  the  Prosecution  Service  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to 
Czechia, including also the Financial Intelligence Unit, as well as tax and customs authorities, particularly 
with a reference to the Tax Cobra operation. The cooperation of the National Organised Crime Agency of 
the  police  with  the  financial  and  customs  administration  and  the  cooperation  with  the  Public  Prosecutor’s 
Office is determined by the Criminal Procedure Code No. 141/1961 Coll., the Act on the Police of the Czech 
Republic No. 273/2008 Coll., and the Public Prosecutor’s Office Act No. 283/1993 Coll. 

70   Human resources allocated to the Prosecution Service responsible for the prosecution of corruption consist 
of  303  public  prosecutors  specialised  in  corruption,  including  21  prosecutors  at  the  Prosecutor-General 
Office, 47 at the High Public Prosecution Offices, 65 at the Regional Public Prosecutors Offices, 170 at the 
District Public Prosecutors Offices. 

8 

 
                                                                                                                                                        
needed71. The 2019 concept paper for investigation services calling for these improvements is 
expected to be implemented and then reviewed in 202272. 

A  lobbying  regulation  to  increase  transparency  in  the  Czech  legislative  process  is 
pending adoption since the last reporting period. Contentious areas still discussed concern 
the  exceptions  to  the  definition  of  lobbyists73.  The  regulation74  would  foresee  the 
establishment  of  a  publicly  accessible  register  of  lobbyists  and  lobbied  public  officials,  the 
obligation  for  lobbyists  and  lobbied  public  officials  to  disclose  lobby  contacts,  and  the 
introduction of a ‘legislative footprint’ to disclose who sought to influence which legislative 
proposal75.  The  register  should  be  maintained  by  the  Office  for  the  Supervision  of  the 
Finances  of  Political  Parties  and  Movements.  Failure  to  disclose  could  result  in  fines  of 
approximately EUR 3,860 (CZK 100,000). The regulation of lobbying76 would also contain 
stricter  rules  on  declarations  on  gifts.  The  threshold  for  gifts  to  be  reported  in  the  already 
existing central Register of Conflicts of Interest would be lowered from approximately EUR 
400 (CZK 10,000) to approximately EUR 200 (CZK 5,000).  

Preliminary efforts have been undertaken to strengthen integrity rules for members of 
the  Chamber  of  Deputies.  A  specific  Code  of  Ethics  for  Members  of  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies, as it exists for civil service officials in the central public administration, is not yet 
in place77. A proposed amendment to the Act on the Rules of Procedures of the Chamber of 
Deputies  allowing  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  to  adopt  a  code  of  conduct  has  not  received 
sufficient political support78. Some political parties laid down Codes of Ethics for their own 
party members79. Specifically with regard to gifts to members of Parliament, concerns remain 
as regards the lack of an appropriate framework including also other benefits, such as in-kind 
advantages and services, and of practical guidance for members of Parliament80.  

71   Information  received  from  Ministry  of  Interior/Ministry  of  Finance  (Financial  Analytical  Office)/National 

Organised Crime Agency of the Czech Police in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 

72   Information  received  from  Ministry  of  Interior/Ministry  of  Finance  (Financial  Analytical  Office)/National 

Organised Crime Agency of the Czech Police in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 

73   Following  the  first  reading  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  in  December  2020,  a  hearing  took  place  in  the 
Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs in February 2021, and further debates were scheduled in the 
programme  of  the  lower  chamber  for  May  and  June  2021.  Input  from  Czechia  for  the  2021  Rule  of  Law 
Report,  p.  12.  According  to  a  public  survey  in  2021,  two-thirds  of  Czech  respondents  stated  that  stricter 
lobbying  rules  would  contribute  to  their  more  positive  perception  of  politics,  see  Rekonstrukce  státu  (3 
March 2021), Lobbying has a strong impact on the wording of laws, Czechs think, but see it mainly as a tool 
for ‘godfathers’. 

74   The regulation on lobbying consists of two separate but related drafts: a draft law on lobbying (Chamber of 
Deputies document no. 565) and a draft law which changes some acts in relation to the approval of the act on 
lobbying (Chamber of Deputies document no. 566).  

75   2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 9. 
76   Draft bill, which changes some acts in relation to the approval of the act on lobbying (Chamber of Deputies 

document no. 566). 

77   A  draft  Code  of  Ethics  was  submitted  by  the  Speaker  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  (Chamber  of  Deputies 
document no. 7067). The discussion was suspended due to the limited number of members of the Chamber 
of  Deputies  present  due  to  the  restrictions  imposed  in  connection  with  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  The 
discussion in the plenum should continue when the restriction are lifted. 

78   Information received from the Ministry of Justice  in the  context of the country  visit to  Czechia. The draft 
would be adopted by a resolution of the Chamber of Deputies, with no indicative timeline foreseen so far. 

79   GRECO, Fourth Evaluation Round – Interim Compliance Report (March 2020), p. 4. 
80   Cf. the Act on Conflicts of Interest. GRECO, Fourth Evaluation Round – Interim Compliance Report (March 

2020), p. 4. 

9 

 
                                                 
Following a Constitutional Court ruling, the Government decided in 2020 not to include 
spouses’ income in the reporting obligation on asset declarations. Members of Parliament 
have to disclose to some extent the assets of spouses in their asset declarations81, for example 
on  property  jointly  owned  by  the  respective  parliamentarian  and  his  or  her  spouse.  The 
spouse’s  income  remains  excluded  from  the  disclosure  obligation,  as  are  any  assets  of 
dependent family members82. Following a ruling rendered by the Constitutional Court83, the 
Government decided not to further amend the asset declaration rules in this regard84. 

The  rules  on  donations  for  political  party  financing  are  generally  appropriate  but 
challenges  remain  in  practice85.  The  Political  Parties  and  Movements  Act86  contains  a 
maximum  ceiling  of  approximately  EUR  120,000  (CZK  3,000,000)  for  each  individual 
donor.  All  donations  above  approximately  EUR  40  (1,000  CZK)  must  be  documented. 
Donations  from  foreign  individuals  or  public  bodies  are  not  permitted.  Donations  obtained 
during election periods must be published online at least 3 days before the elections87. Failure 
to  comply  may  be  sanctioned  by  fines  of  between  approximately  EUR  4,000-80,000  (CZK 
100,000-2,000,000).  The Office for the Supervision of the  Finances  of Political  Parties and 
Movements  is  the  responsible  oversight  body88.  Structural  weaknesses  remain,  as  the  same 
rules on maximum ceilings for donations from individual donors do not apply to presidential 
elections89  or  to  donations  from  non-profit  organisations90.  There  are  also  obstacles  in  the 
monitoring of donations from business networks with many legal entities91. The government 
aims  at  undertaking  a  more  detailed  analysis  to  further  identify  legislative  loopholes  and 
challenges in practice92. 

Amendments  to  the  Constitution  to  strengthen  the  Supreme  Audit  Office  are  still 
pending.  The  draft  bill  amending  the  Act  on  the  Supreme  Audit  Office93  would  be 
implementing  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution94.  It  would  extend  the  mandate  of  the 
Supreme  Audit  Office  allowing  it  to  also  audit  the  public  spending  of  local  governments, 
health  insurance  companies,  and  state-owned  companies  (i.e.  majority-owned  or  controlled 

81   Cf. also GRECO, Fourth Evaluation Round – Interim Compliance Report, p. 5. 
82   Article 11 (2) (a) of the Act on Conflicts of Interest. 
83   The Constitutional  Court ruled that the  Act No. 159/2006 Coll.,  Act on  Conflict of Interest, is compatible 

with the Constitution (File no. Pl. US 4/17 of 11 February 2020). 

84   Information received from the Anti-Corruption Council of the Government in the context of the country visit 

to Czechia. 

85   Information from different stakeholders received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 
86   Act of Law No. 424/1991 Coll. on Association in Political Parties and Political Movements. 
87   Including  the  amount,  the  donor’s  name,  date  of  birth  and  residence.  All  donations  must  be  listed  in  the 
report  on  electoral  campaign  funding,  which  candidates  have  to  publish  at  the  latest  90  days  after  the 
elections. 

88   The Office is mandated to review the political parties’ annual financial reports, to carry out controls of the 

management of political parties and to supervise the financing of election campaigns. 

89   This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  candidates  are  not  political  parties  or  political  movements.  See  Act  No. 

275/2012 Coll. on Election of the President of the Republic. 

90   On  the  rules  applicable  to  such  entities,  see  the  Act  No.  247/1995  Coll.  on  Elections  to  Parliament  of  the 
Czech Republic and on Amending and Supplementing Certain Other Acts, and the Act No. 275/2012 Coll. 
on Elections of the President of the Republic.  

91   Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report on political party finance, p. 1. 
92   Ibid. 
93   Act No. 166/1993 Coll. 
94   2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 9. 

10 

 
                                                 
by the state or a local government). The adoption of the bill is delayed95, despite the fact that 
this was a government priority as set out in the Government Programme Statement. 

Preparatory  work  on  whistleblower  protection  has  been  presented  to  the  Parliament. 
On 25 January 2021, the Government approved the bill on the protection of whistleblowers 
and an accompanying amending law96. Both are currently awaiting the second reading in the 
Chamber  of  Deputies97  and  are  currently  being  discussed  in  the  relevant  committees  of  the 
Chamber  of  Deputies98.  The  draft  law  envisages  the  establishment  of  internal  reporting 
systems  and  reporting  to  the  Ministry  of  Justice  for  whistleblowers  to  report  potential 
wrongdoing. 

The  governance  of  state-owned  companies  is  regulated  but  challenges  remain  in 
practice. The prevention of political nominations in state-owned companies has not yet been 
systematically ensured in practice99. In 2020, the Government approved the State Ownership 
Policy Strategy100 based on the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned 
Enterprises  from  2015.  The  strategy  seeks  to  ensure  that  the  State  exercises  its  ownership 
rights in state-owned enterprises in a transparent and effective manner. 

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down anti-corruption reforms in specific areas. Most 
of the anti-corruption measures that were planned to be introduced in 2020, particularly in the 
healthcare sector, were postponed101. The new Anti-Corruption Plan 2021-2022 provides for 
targeted measures with respect to public procurement, including specific tags in the register 
of contracts102 of COVID-19 related public contracts, and the development of a methodology 
for  public  procurement  in  states  of  emergency  or  similary  crisis  situations103.  Overall,  the 
register  is  considered  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  preventing  corruption,  as  it  increases 
transparency and the possibility for public oversight. 

95   In  2020,  the  draft  bill  was  still  in  the  third  reading  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  awaiting  adoption  of  a 

related Constitutional amendment by the Senate. 

96   The act on the protection of whistleblowers was initially suspended pending adoption of the EU Directive on 
the same subject matter, see also 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 
Czechia, p. 9. 

97   The bill would protect whistleblower disclosures with respect to breaches of EU law and of domestic crimes 
and administrative offences. The legislative process can be tracked on the Parliament’s website. Input from 
Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 14.  

98   The Committee on Public Administration and Regional Development and the Committee on Constitutional 

and Legal Affairs. 

99   Information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. The Act on the Selection of Persons to 
the Management and Supervisory Bodies of Legal Entities with State Ownership Participation (Nomination 
Act), Act No. 353/2019 Coll., entered into force in January 2020 to prevent political nominations. See also 
European Semester, Convergence Programme of Czechia (April 2020), p. 35, for more details. 

100  Government Resolution No. 115/2020. 
101  Input from  Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law  Report,  p. 15.  A 2019 corruption risk analysis in the health 
sector  conducted  by  the  Government  highlighted  corruption  risks  on  all  sides  of  the  health  care  sector 
ranging  from  corruption  committed  by  patients  and  health  care  providers  to  corruption  at  the  central 
government 
level,  available  at  https://www.mzcr.cz/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sektorov%C3%A1-
anal%C3%BDza-korupce-ve-zdravotnictv%C3%AD.pdf  .  Following  the  analysis,  the  Ministry  of  Health 
had  aimed  at  introducing  specific  mitigation  measures  and  at  presenting  a  legal  proposal  to  optimise  the 
functioning of public insurance companies. 

102  2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 9. 
103  Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 16. 

11 

 
                                                 
III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  and  Basic  Freedoms,  incorporated  in  the  Czech 
Constitutional  Order,  guarantees  freedom  of  expression  and  the  right  to  information,  and 
expressly bans censorship. The Act on Radio and Television Broadcasting clearly defines the 
competences  of  the  Czech  media  regulator.  The  Act  on  Free  Access  to  Information 
guarantees access to information held by public authorities104.  

The reform geared at further strengthening the independence of the Council for Radio 
and Television Broadcasting is pending105. The Act on Radio and Television Broadcasting 
establishes the Council as an “independent  administrative body” consisting of 13 members, 
lays  down  the  Council’s  duties  and  obligations  and  sets  out  the  eligibility  criteria, 
exclusionary criteria and appointment procedures for the Council’s members and head106. If 
the Council repeatedly and seriously infringes the obligations laid down in the Act, or if its 
mandatory annual report repeatedly fails to be approved due to serious faults, the Chamber of 
Deputies may propose to the Prime Minister to remove the entire Council. A reform107, tabled 
in August 2020108, would eliminate the role of the Prime Minister in the nomination process 
while simultaneously limiting the power of the Chamber of Deputies in the sense that, in the 
cases mentioned above, it will only be able to propose the dismissal of individual members, 
thereby strengthening the independence of the Council as a body. The amendment would also 
require the Parliament to provide reasons for any such dismissals. Such an amendment would 
seek  to  meet  the  objectives  relating  to  independence  of  the  revised  Audiovisual  Media 
Services Directive. 

The competences of the Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting are well-defined 
in  law  and  effectively  applied  in  practice.  The  regulator  does  not  expect  the  proposed 
amendments to the Broadcasting Act (see above) to have a significant impact on the work of 
the Council while its resources are expected to witness only minor personnel consolidation. 
The  Czech  Act  on  Radio  and  Television  Broadcasting  provides  for  the  operation  of  self-
regulatory  bodies  recognized  by  the  Council.  Such  bodies  may  make  submissions  in  legal 
actions relating to the areas they cover. The draft law mentioned above would provide further 
scope  for  self-regulation.  Concerns  have  been  raised  about  the  selection  process  and  the 
independence of the members of the separate Czech TV supervisory board109. 

Czechia  adopted legislation  regulating the transparency of beneficial ownership which 
also applies to media ownership. Act 37/2021 Coll. of 5 January 2021, which transposes the 
5th  EU  Anti-money  laundering  Directive,  establishes  a  two-tier  system  of  access  to  such 

104  Czechia  maintained  its  40th  place  ranking  in  the  Reporters  Without  Borders  2021  World  Press  Freedom 

Index placing it at 19th position within the EU. 

105  Part of the Czech Republic’s transposition of Directive 2018/1808 on Audiovisual Media Services. 
106  For more information see 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, 

p. 10. 
107  Ibid. 
108  The Draft Law which would amend the Act on Radio and Television Broadcasting and transposing Directive 
2018/1808  was  published  by  the  Government  in  August  2020  and  sent  to  the  Parliament  for  further 
deliberations. At the time of publication of this report, there were no further developments in this respect.  
109 This concerns recent activities of the Czech TV supervisory board and the election of four new members (out 
of fifteen) by the Chamber of Deputies. European Broadcasting Union, (9 April 2021), Public service media 
in  the  Czech  Republic  under  threat;  International  Press  Institute  (1  April  2021),  Concerns  over  increasing 
meddling in independence of Czech public broadcaster; Public Media Alliance, (9 April 2021), The threat 
facing Czech TV; 2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 12.  

12 

 
                                                 
information.  It  guarantees public access, via  a registry held  by the Ministry  of Justice, to  a 
limited  amount  of  ownership  information  and  establishes  mechanisms  enabling  certain 
authorities to  sanction absence of required data. However, Media Pluralism  Monitor(MPM) 
2021  scores  this  as  a  high  risk  area  given  that  the  system  does  not,  in  fact,  oblige  media 
companies  to  disclose  their  full  ownership  structures  to  the  general  public110.  News  media 
concentration  is  reported  to  be  high  in  Czechia,  due,  in  particular,  to  high  concentration  in 
different media sub-sectors111. 

Czechia  has  not  adopted  any  laws  regulating  the  allocation  of  state  advertising.  Apart 
from the general requirements for advertising set out in the Public Procurement Act, i.e. that 
any state advertising contract with a value over EUR 2,000 (50,000 CZK) shall be published 
in  the  public  registry,  Czechia  does  not  have  specific  rules  regarding  allocation  of  state 
advertising112.  MPM  2021  refers  to  monitoring  of  the  advertising  expenditures  of  Czech 
ministries  between  2010-2018,  carried  out  by  the  Czech  Centre  for  Investigative 
Journalism113,  which  has  revealed  significant  differences  in  the  way  individual  ministries 
distribute advertising expenditures to different media. MPM 2021 indicates that this points to 
favouritism and general lack of transparency114. 

Access  to  information  is  guaranteed  by  the  law  but  obstacles  arise  in  practice.  There 
have been no amendments to the Act on Free Access to Information which guarantees access 
to information held by public authorities115. MPM 2021 refers to several attempts by certain 
public  authorities  to  interfere  in  the  circulation  of  information  during  the  COVID-19 
pandemic. The report flags the refusal of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics to 
publish detailed data on the spread of COVID-19 infections116.  

While  journalists  are  considered  to  be  safe  from  physical  harm,  verbal  insults, 
harassment  and  online  threats  are  not  uncommon117.  MPM  2021  and  RSF’s  Press 
Freedom Index both refer to the fact that the profession is under constant verbal attacks from 
certain political parties and high-ranked public officials118. The Council of Europe Platform 
to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  the  safety  of  journalists  registered  no  alerts  in 
Czechia in 2020. It registered one alert in 2021 relating to the above-mentioned issue related 
to  the  Czech  Television  Council.  No  media  support  scheme  was  adopted  to  counter  the 
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to MPM 2021 the print media sector has been 
badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic119.  

110  2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 10. 
111  The Czech media market is dominated by a handful of media houses involved in print, broadcasting as well 
as  online  sectors.  The  level  of  concentration  is  particularly  striking  in  the  (economically  most  vulnerable) 
regional media market, with the segment of the regional daily press being effectively monopolized. See 2021 
Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 10. 

112  2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 10. 
113 Investigace.cz (13 December 2019) State advertising: Who also pays Parlamentní listy , referred to in 2021 

Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic.  

114 2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 13. 
115  2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 10. 
116 2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 8. 
117 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 12.  
118 2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 9. 
119 2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, Czech Republic, p. 6.  

13 

 
                                                 
IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES  

Czechia  has  a  bicameral  parliamentary  system  of  government120  with  a  directly  elected 
President. Legislative proposals can be submitted by a member of the Chamber of Deputies, a 
group of members of the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, the Government, or representative 
bodies  of  higher  self-governing  regions121.  The  Constitutional  Court  can  carry  out  ex-post 
constitutional  review.  In addition  to  the justice system, the Ombudsperson’s Office and the 
civil society play a role in the system of checks and balances. 

Almost  half  of  legislation  has  been  adopted  in  a  shortened  emergency  legislative 
procedure  in  2020  and  early  2021.  Between  January  2020  and  mid-February  2021,  sixty 
acts  out  of  a  total  of  128  acts,  that  were  adopted  by  Parliament  and  promulgated  in  the 
Collection  of  Laws,  were  adopted  in  the  legislative  emergency  procedure  via  a  summary 
consideration122, and an additional 12 in a fast-track procedure when an act is adopted in first 
reading123.  Stakeholders  have  expressed  concerns  that  these  procedures  were  used  also  for 
acts that were not related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and criticised the high rate 
of derogations to the rules on stakeholder consultation124. Furthermore, emergency measures 
adopted  by  the  government  to  tackle  the  COVID-19  pandemic  have  been  criticised  for  not 
containing a specific, comprehensible and substantiated justification125. Both Chambers of the 
Parliament adopted measures126 to prevent the spread of the virus on their premises, including 
a possibility to proportionately limit the number of present members of Parliament127. 

The  state  of  emergency  lasted  for  most  of  the  year  in  2020  and  concerns  were  raised 
about its constitutionality in early 2021.  According to the Constitutional law on Security, 
the state of emergency128 can be declared by the Government for up to 30 days and can be 
further extended only with the prior approval of the Chamber of Deputies129. Following the 
state  of  emergency  which  lasted  from  12  March  2020  to  17  May  2020130,  the  Government 
declared  a  state  of  emergency  again  with  effect  as  of  5  October  2020,  and  extended  it 
periodically  with  the  approval  of  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  until  14  February  2021.  On  11 
February  2021,  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  refused  to  provide  prior  consent  to  a  further 

120  Composed of the lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna) and the higher chamber, 

the Senate (Senát Parlamentu České republiky).  

121  Constitution of Czechia, Art. 41. 
122  Within  the  summary  consideration  of  a  bill,  the  first  reading  does  not  take  place  and  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies may decide to cancel the general debate that is to take place during the second reading of a bill as 
well  as  to  reduce  the  speech  limit  of  individual  Deputies.  Input  from  Czechia  for  the  2020  Rule  of  Law 
Report, p. 25.  

123  Input from Czechia for the 2020 Rule of Law Report, p. 25-26.  
124  See Contribution from the Czech Bar Association for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 27; Contribution from 

Transparency International for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 6.  

125  E.g.  Judgment  of  the  Municipal  Court  in  Prague  of  13  November  2020,  No.  18  A  59/2020;  Contribution 
from  the  Czech  Bar  Association  for  the  2021  Rule  of  Law  Report;  Contribution  from  Transparency 
International Czech Republic for the 2021 Rule of Law Report; Contribution from Civil Liberties Union for 
Europe for the 2021 Rule of Law Report; Contribution from Glopolis for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

126  Input from Czechia for the 2020 Rule of Law Report, p. 30. 
127  According to the Constitution, the quorum is one third of Members of the respective chamber. The measure 

at hand limits the presence of members to half, which respects the Constitutional provision.  

128  Declaring the state of emergency enables the Government to adopt certain extraordinary measures limiting 
fundamental rights, as stipulated in Sec. 5 of the Crisis Act, for a period of time that is strictly necessary and 
in the extend that is strictly necessary. 

129  Constitutional Act No. 110/1998, Arts. 5 and 6. 
130  2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 13. 

14 

 
                                                 
 
extension of the state of emergency. The Government then declared a new state of emergency 
for 14 days based on a request from Governors of Regions131, a decision that was criticised, 
also  as  a  circumvention  of  constitutional  rules132.  The  Chamber  of  Deputies  subsequently 
decided that this state of emergency would end when a new pandemic law comes into effect, 
but  not  later  than  27  February  2021133.  A  group  of  Senators  also  filed  a  complaint  to  the 
Constitutional Court, which, although considering the complaint inadmissible134, noted that a 
state of emergency may only be extended with the approval of the Chamber of Deputies and 
that the constitutionally prescribed manner of extension cannot be substituted by a declaration 
of a new state of emergency135. Due to worsening situation, the Government declared a new 
state of emergency from 27 February 2021 for 30 days, which was extended to 11 April 2021 
with prior consent of the Chamber of Deputies. 

The use of emergency measures continued to be subject to judicial review136. Emergency 
measures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have frequently been reviewed by 
courts,  including  the  Constitutional  Court137.  Stakeholders  however  point  out  that  the 
measures that are in effect have been too quickly changed for courts to react in time138.  

Projects to further enhance the transparency of the legislative process are delayed due 
to  the  pandemic.  The  project  to  establish  an  ‘eCollection’  and  ‘eLegislation’139  portals, 
which  would  enable  easier  control  and  participation  in  the  legislative  process,  has  been 
delayed due to the state of emergency and to the impact of restrictions related to the COVID-
19  pandemic.  The  pilot  testing  of  the  system  and  training  of  users  is  now  planned  from 
November 2021 and the launch of operations on 1 January 2023140. 

A  draft  law  on  the  Defender  of  Children’s  Rights  (Children’s  Ombudsperson)  is 
discussed in Parliament. The draft law presented in June 2020 by a group of Members of 
the Chamber of Deputies proposes to establish a separate institution from the Public Defender 
of Rights who at present acts also as a supervisory body for the Convention on the Rights of 
the  Child.  A  legislative  proposal  on  the  establishment  of  the  National  Human  Rights 

131  Sec. 3(5) of Crisis Act stipulates that a Governor of Region may request that the Government declares the 

state of emergency, under certain conditions. 

132  Statement  of  the  Czech  Bar  Association  (15  February  2021),  Czech  Bar  Association  to  the  declaration  of 
state  of  emergency  by  governmental  decree  of  14  February  2021;  Statements  of  experts  on  Constitutional 
Law to the media, České noviny (15 February 2021), According to most lawyers, the state of emergency is 
unconstitutional.  

133  Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies No. 84 of 18. 2. 2021. 
134  Judgment  of  the  Constitutional  Court  of  25  March  2021,  Pl.  ÚS  12/21;  the  Constitutional  Court  does  not 

have a competence to review the declaration of a state of emergency as such.  

135  In such cases, declaration of a new state of emergency would only be possible when warranted by a change 

of circumstances. 

136 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 13. 
137  See 

lists  of  court  decisions  published  by 

the 

the  Czech  Bar  Association  available  at  

https://advokatnidenik.cz/2021/04/23/za-uplynulych-deset-mesicu-soudy-zrusily-nekolik-
protiepidemickych-opatreni/, 
zruseni-protiepidemickych-narizeni/. 

https://advokatnidenik.cz/2021/04/09/soudy-jiz-odmitly-desitky-navrhu-na-

138  Contribution from the League of Human Rights for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, pp. 12, 13; information 

received in the context of the country visit to Czechia.  

139  The  eLegislation  project  brings  new  drafting  tools  and  procedures  into  the  process  of  drafting,  discussing 
and promulgating primary and secondary legislation. At the end of the drafting process, these tools update 
the  database  of  the  eCollection,  which  provides  verified  texts  of  Czech  legislation  and  its  consolidated 
versions.. The project is co-funded by EU funds.  

140 Information received in the context of the country visit in Czechia. 

15 

 
                                                 
Institution has not yet been presented. In his first year in Office, the new Ombudsperson was 
subjected to criticism by stakeholders, in particular for arbitrariness and statements allegedly 
questioning  the  application  of  the  principle  of  proportionality  when  limiting  individual 
rights141. His statements questioning the existence of discrimination against certain minority 
groups  also  received  criticism142.  During  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  the  Public  Defender  of 
Rights has been investigating a range of COVID-19 related issues143. Several of the measures 
in question were later changed by the authorities144. 

Civil  society  organisations  have  been  substantially  impacted  by  restrictions  applied 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The space for civil society is considered open145 and civil 
society  continues  to  participate  actively  in  public  affairs146.  According  to  stakeholders,  the 
COVID-19  pandemic  has  had  a  significant  impact  on  civil  society  organisations  with  a 
majority  being  forced  to  limit  their  activities  due  to  pandemic  related  restrictions147. 
However,  positive  developments  have  been  observed  as  well,  with  some  civil  society 
organisations noting an increase of public support, expanding their activities and increasing 
their effectivenes148.  

141  Open letter signed by more than 320 signatories, including prominent lawyers. Contribution from the League 

of Human Rights for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 9. 

142  Report from Síť k ochraně demokracie (2020); Romea.cz (18 January 2021), Citizen members of the ‘Roma 
coucil’:  Křeček  does  not  know  his  competences,  his  statements  to  the  Roma  strategy  are  untrue,  he 
systematically intentionally undermines the dignity of Roma, Contribution from Glopolis for the 2021 Rule 
of Law Report, p. 13.  

143  Such  as  judicial  decision-making  in  cases  of  involuntary  hospitalization  under  the  circumstances  of  the 
COVID-19 pandemic, prohibition or limitation of prison visits, isolation of people in the facilities of social 
services or access to education for pupils with disability.  

144  Information received in the context of the country visit in Czechia from the Ombudsperson’s Office. 
145  Rating  given  by  CIVICUS;  ratings  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed,  obstructed, 

repressed and closed. 

146  2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Czechia, p. 14. 
147  Study of Nadace OSF, part of the Open Society Foundations network, (17 March 2021), Dopady pandemie 
COVID-19 na neziskové organizace, p. 2; information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia.  
148  Study of Nadace OSF, part of the Open Society Foundations network, (17 March 2021), Dopady pandemie 
COVID-19 na neziskové organizace, p. 3; information received in the context of the country visit to Czechia. 

16 

 
 
                                                 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2021 Rule of Law report 
can  be  found  at  https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-
law/rule-law/rule-law-mechanism/2021-rule-law-report-targeted-stakeholder-consultation. 

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2021), Media pluralism monitor 2021. 

České  noviny  (2021),  According  to  most  lawyers,  the  state  of  emergency  is  unconstitutional (Podle 
většiny právníků je nový stav nouze protiústavní) (https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/podle-vetsiny-
pravniku-je-novy-stav-nouze-protiustavni/1996439). 

Civicus, Monitor tracking civic space – Czechia (https://monitor.civicus.org/country/czech-republic/). 

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2021), Contribution from Civil Liberties Union for Europe for the 
2021 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers (2010), Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)12 of the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on judges: independence, efficiency and responsibilities. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2010),  Report on the Independence of the Judicial System 
Part I: The Independence of Judges, CDL-AD(2010)004. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2016), Rule of Law Checklist, CDL-AD(2016)007. 

Court of Justice of the European Union, Judgment of 25 July 2018, LM, C‑ 216/18 PPU.  

Court of Justice of the European Union, Judgment of 20 April 2021, Repubblika, C-896/19. 

Czech Bar Association (2021), Contribution from the Czech Bar Association for the 2021 Rule of Law 
Report. 

Czech Bar Association, List of court decisions (https://advokatnidenik.cz/2021/04/23/za-uplynulych-
deset-mesicu-soudy-zrusily-nekolik-protiepidemickych-opatreni/) 
(https://advokatnidenik.cz/2021/04/09/soudy-jiz-odmitly-desitky-navrhu-na-zruseni-
protiepidemickych-narizeni/).  

Czech  Bar  Association,  (2021),  statement  Czech  Bar  Association  to  the  declaration  of  state  of 
emergency  by  governmental  decree  of  14  February  2021  (ČAK  k  vyhlášení  nouzového  stavu 
usnesením  vlády  ze  dne  14.  2.  2021)  (https://advokatnidenik.cz/2021/02/15/cak-k-vyhlaseni-
nouzoveho-stavu-usnesenim-vlady-ze-dne-14-2-2021/). 

Czech Code of Ethics for judges (English version) 
(https://www.nsoud.cz/Judikatura/ns_web.nsf/web/CodeofEthics~Code_of_Ethic~?Open&lng=EN).  

Czech Constitutional Court, Decision No. I. ÚS 3271/13. 

Czech Constitutional Court, Judgment of 25 March 2021, Pl. ÚS 12/21. 

Czech  Government  (2019),  Corruption  risk  analysis  in  the  health  sector  (https://www.mzcr.cz/wp-
content/uploads/2020/08/Sektorov%C3%A1-anal%C3%BDza-korupce-ve-
zdravotnictv%C3%AD.pdf). 

Czech Government (2021), Input from Czechia for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

Czech Government, Anti-Corruption Strategy (https://korupce.cz/protikorupcni-dokumenty-vlady/na-
leta-2018-az-2022/). 

Czech  Government,  Project 
(https://www.mvcr.cz/clanek/esbirka-a-elegislativa.aspx). 

to  establish  an 

‘eCollection’  and 

‘eLegislation’  portals 

Czech Government, Strategy for the Fight against Fraud and Corruption within EU Funds 2014-2020 
(https://www.dotaceeu.cz/Dotace/media/SF/FONDY%20EU/2014-
2020/Dokumenty/Ostatn%c3%ad/MMR_Strategie-proti-podvodum-SSR_FINAL3.pdf). 

Czech Ministry of Finance (2020), Convergence Programme of the Czech Republic.  

17 

 
Czech Parliament website (https://www.psp.cz/sqw/historie.sqw?o=8&t=1150).  

Czech  Union 
(https://www.soudci.cz/zpravy-a-stanoviska/pohledy-a-nazory/3173-soudcovska-unie-k-vystoupeni-
ministryne-spravedlnosti.html).  

vystoupení  ministryně 

Soudcovská 

Judges, 

unie 

spravedlnosti 

of 

k 

Czech  Union  of  Prosecutors,  Statement  of  4  February  2021  (https://www.uniesz.cz/reakce-unie-
statnich-zastupcu-ceske-republiky-na-utoky-politiku-proti-ustavnimu-soudu/). 

Česká justice (2021), Investigator in the Stork Nest case quits. He closed the file and proposed to take 
the case to court (Vyšetřovatel Čapího hnízda končí u policie. Spis uzavřel a navrhl podat obžalobu) 
(https://www.ceska-justice.cz/2021/05/vysetrovatel-capiho-hnizda-konci-u-policie-spis-uzavrel-a-
navrhl-podat-obzalobu/https://www.ceska-justice.cz/2021/05/vysetrovatel-capiho-hnizda-konci-u-
policie-spis-uzavrel-a-navrhl-podat-obzalobu/). 

Deník N (2020), Zeman: After the meeting with Benešová I sensed my end was coming, I was a ready 
target  for  her.  Politics  has  become  more  coarse  (Zeman:  Po  schůzce  s  Benešovou  jsem  vycítil  svůj 
konec, byli jsme pro ni vděčný terč. Politika zhrubla) (https://denikn.cz/633179/zeman-po-schuzce-s-
benesovou-jsem-vycitil-svuj-konec-byli-jsme-pro-ni-vdecny-terc-politika-zhrubla/?ref=list).  

Deník  N  (2021),  Babiš  accused  judges  from  influencing  elections.  We  are  just  protecting  the 
Constitution,  Rychtský  reacted  (Babiš  obvinil  soudce  z  ovlivňování  voleb.  Jen  chráníme  ústavu, 
(https://denikn.cz/553944/snazi-se-ovlivnit-vysledek-voleb-babis-zautocil-na-
reagoval  Rychetský) 
ustavni-soud-i-predsedu-rychetskeho/). 

Deník  N  (2021),  Who  promised  what  to  whom?  They  make  a  mayhem  before  elections,  Benesova 
criticises  the  decision  of  the  Constitutional  Court  (Kdo  co  komu  slíbil?  Před  volbami  udělají  tóčo, 
kritizuje  Benešová  verdikt  Ústavního  soudu)  (https://denikn.cz/553991/kdo-co-komu-slibil-pred-
volbami-udelaji-toco-kritizuje-benesova-verdikt-ustavniho-soudu/). 

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2019),  Flash  Eurobarometer  482:  businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

Directorate-General for Communication (2020), Special Eurobarometer 502: corruption. 

European  Broadcasting  Union  (2021),  “Public  service  media  in  the  Czech  Republic  under  threat” 
(https://www.ebu.ch/news/2021/04/public-service-media-in-the-czech-republic-under-threat). 

European  Commission  (2019),  Final  Audit  Report,  No.  REGC414CZ0133,  REGIO/C4/AUD 
(https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/cz_functioning_report/cz_functi
oning_report_en.pdf). 

European Commission (2020), Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 
Czechia.  

European Commission (2021), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Parliament (2020), Report on the fact-finding mission of the Budgetary Control Committee 
to 
Republic 
(https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/209082/CONT_CZ_Mission_Report_Final.pdf). 

Czech 

the 

Glopolis (2021), Contribution from Glopolis for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

GRECO (2016), Fourth Evaluation Round – Evaluation Report on Czechia on Corruption prevention 
in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. 

GRECO (2020),  Fourth Evaluation Round  – Interim Compliance Report on Czechia on Corruption 
prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. 

Info.cz (2021), Proceedings against Babiš will drag until the election, the prosecutors use it as a shield 
against their dismissal. It is s the most brutal time, if the Government ended tomorrow, I would have 
been the happiest, says Benešová (Stíhání Babiše se povleče do voleb, státní zástupci z něj mají štít 
proti  svému  odvolání. Je  to  nejbrutálnější doba,  kdyby  vláda  zítra skončila,  budu  nejšťastnější,  říká 
Benešová)  (https://www.info.cz/pravo/justice/marie-benesova).International  Press  Institute  (2021), 

18 

 
independence  of  Czech  public  broadcaster” 
“Concerns  over 
(https://ipi.media/concerns-over-increasing-meddling-in-independence-of-czech-public-broadcaster/). 

increasing  meddling 

in 

Investigace.cz (2019), State advertising: Who also pays Parlamentní listy (Státní reklama: Kdo také 
platí Parlamentní listy) (https://www.investigace.cz/statni-reklama-kdo-take-plati-parlamentni-listy). 

League of Human Rights (2021), Contribution from the League of Human Rights for the 2021 Rule of 
Law Report. 

Municipal Court in Prague, Judgment of 13 November 2020, No. 18 A 59/2020. 

Nadace  OSF  (2021),  Dopady  pandemie  COVID-19  na  neziskové  organizace  (https://osf.cz/wp-
content/uploads/2021/03/Nadace-OSF_Dopady_pandemie_NNO_2021.pdf). 

OECD  (2019),  Implementing  the  OECD  Anti-Bribery  Convention,  Phase  4  Two-Year  Follow-Up 
Report: Czechia. 

Open  letter  to  the  Ombudsman,  signed  by  more  than  320  signatories,  including  prominent  lawyers 
(https://www.petice.com/otevreny_dopis_verejnemu_ochranci_prav). 

President  of 
(https://www.uniesz.cz/prezident-unie-statnich-zastupcu-jan-lata-ministryne-benesova-sdeluje-
nepravdy/).  

the  Czech  Union  of  Prosecutors,  Statement  of  26  February  2021 

Public Media Alliance (2021), The threat facing Czech TV (https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/the-
threat-facing-czech-tv-ceska-televize/).  

Public Prosecution (2021), press release Prosecutor General Pavel Zeman announced his resignation 
(Nejvyšší  státní  zástupce  Pavel  Zeman  oznámil  rezignaci)  (https://verejnazaloba.cz/nsz/nejvyssi-
statni-zastupce-pavel-zeman-oznamil-rezignaci/) 

Rekonstrukce státu (2021), Lobbying has a strong impact on the wording of laws, Czechs think, but 
see it  mainly  as  a tool  for  ‘godfathers’  (Lobbing  má  podle poloviny  Čechů  výrazný  vliv  na  podobu 
zákonů,  vnímají  ho  ale  hlavně  jako  nástroj  pro  kmotry)  (https://www.rekonstrukcestatu.cz/archivse-
novinek/lobbing-ma-podle-poloviny-cechu-vyrazny-vliv-na-podobu-zakonu-vnimaji-ho-ale-hlavne-
jako-nastroj-pro-kmotry).  

Reporters  Without  Borders 
(https://rsf.org/en/czech-republic). 

(2021),  2021  World  Press  Freedom 

Index  –  Czechia 

Romea.cz (2021), Citizen members of the ‘Roma coucil’: Křeček does not know his competences, his 
statements to the Roma strategy are untrue, he systematically intentionally undermines the dignity of 
Roma  (Občanští  členové  "romské  rady":  Křeček  nezná  své  kompetence,  k  romské  strategii  se 
vyjadřuje 
Romů) 
(http://www.romea.cz/cz/zpravodajstvi/domaci/obcansti-clenove-romske-rady-krecek-nezna-sve-
kompetence-k-romske-strategii-se-vyjadruje-nepravdive-soustavne-cilene). 

nepravdivě, 

podkopává 

důstojnost 

soustavně 

cíleně 

up 

Seznam zprávy (2020), Benešová steps up the fight against the boss of the prosecutors. Babiš backed 
him 
zastal, 
https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/benesova-zesiluje-boj-proti-sefovi-zalobcu-poda-karnou-zalobu-
kvuli-vrbeticim-153409). 

žalobců.  Babiš 

(Benešová 

zesiluje 

šéfovi 

proti 

boj 

ho 

se 

k ochraně 

Síť 
(2020), 
(https://ochranademokracie.s3.amazonaws.com/ochranademokracie/production/files/2020/11/18/13/2
6/42/6db6f97d-7c3e-452d-b27f-44740bbdaa74/zprava-pracovni-skupiny-pro-lidska-socialni-prava-
2019_2.pdf). 

demokracie 

Monitoring 

report 

Report, 

Supreme Audit Office (2020), EU Report 2020 – Report on the EU Financial Management in Czechia 
(https://www.nku.cz/assets/publications-documents/eu-report/eu-report-2020-en.pdf). 

Transparency International (2020), Exporting corruption.  

Transparency International (2021),  Contribution from Transparency International for the 2021 Rule 
of Law Report.  

19 

 
Transparency International (2021), Corruption Perceptions Index 2020.  

Transparency  International  Czech  Republic  (2021),  Contribution  from  Transparency  International 
Czech Republic for the 2021 Rule of Law Report. 

20 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Czechia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in March 2021 with: 

  Association of Journalists  

  Czech Bar Association 

  Czech National Committee of International Press Institute 

  Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting  

  Endowment for Independent Journalism  

  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom 

  Financial Analytical Office 

  Frank Bold/Reconstruction of State 

 

International Press Institute  

  League of Human Rights 

  Ministry of Culture 

  Ministry of Interior 

  Ministry of Justice 

  National Organized Crime Agency 

  Ombudsman 

  Open Government Partnership 

  Prosecutor General's Office  

  Supreme Administrative Court 

  Supreme Audit Office 

  Supreme Court 

  Transparency International Czech Republic 

  Union of Judges  

  Union of Public Prosecutors  

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings: 

  Amnesty International 

  Center for Reproductive Rights 

  CIVICUS 

  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 

  Civil Society Europe 

  Conference of European Churches 

  EuroCommerce 

  European Center for Not-for-Profit Law 

  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom 

21 

 
 
  European Civic Forum 

  European Federation of Journalists 

  European Partnership for Democracy  

  European Youth Forum 

  Front Line Defenders 

  Human Rights House Foundation  

  Human Rights Watch  

 

 

 

 

 

ILGA-Europe 

International Commission of Jurists 

International Federation for Human Rights 

International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) 

International Press Institute 

  Netherlands Helsinki Committee  

  Open Society European Policy Institute 

  Philanthropy Advocacy 

  Protection International  

  Reporters without Borders 

  Transparency International EU 

22