Eionet
European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production
Topic Centre of European Environment Agency
HOME
- About ETC/SCP
- Themes
- Facts & figures
- Reports & publications
- eNews Archive
- Contact us
- Links
- FAQ
- Eionet Forum on SCP
Factsheet for Czech Republic
1. General facts
| Country | Czech Republic (CZ) |
|---|---|
| Surface area | 78,866 Km² |
| Population (thousands) | 10323 |
| Population density | 131 |
| Persons per household | 2.5 |
| GDP per capita PPS | 80.2 |
| GDP per capita | |
| Household characteristics | 24% in densely populated areas (at least 500 inhab./km2) 48% in intermediate urbanized areas (100 - 499 inhab./km2) 28% in sparsely populated areas (less than 100 inhab/km2) |
| Gross value added | 31.5% Industry, including Energy 6.8% Construction 24.7% Trade, transport and communication services 17% Business activities and other financial services 17% Other services 2.9% Agriculture, hunting and fishing |
2. Legislation overview
The urgent need to adopt legal regulations concerning waste management along with the transformation towards a market economy following the Velvet Revolution in 1989 was dealt with in Act No. 238/1991 Coll., on waste, laying down essential rules for waste management. Furthermore, the law placed waste producers, District Offices and the Czech Republic under the obligation to produce waste management programmes. There was insufficient data concerning waste production and management to plan and process such programs. For this reason the Ministry of the Environment established a Waste Information System (in operation since 1994) which is currently operated under the title of Waste Management Information System (WMIS).
Act No. 188/2004 Coll. - amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amendments to other pertinent laws, as amended - fully transposes the EC regulations into the Czech laws covering the entire scope of waste management. Along with the amendments to the waste act, changes were made to the implementing regulations, including the Catalogue of Waste, according to which individual waste types are classified and the waste production and management is registered.
Decree No. 381/2001 Coll. of Ministry of the Environment, which promulgates the Catalogue of Waste and the List of Hazardous Waste, and establishes further lists of wastes and countries for the purpose of export, import and transit of waste, and the procedure for granting permission for waste exports, imports and transits (Catalogue of Waste), is now in full compliance with the EU Catalogue. The existing Catalogue of Waste distinguishes only two categories of wastes, i.e. hazardous and other wastes. With respect to the legislative changes during the last decade, it is difficult to compare the actual development in waste production and management during individual years and in time series.
Decree No. 381/2001 Coll. of Ministry of the Environment, which promulgates the Catalogue of Waste and the List of Hazardous Waste, and establishes further lists of wastes and countries for the purpose of export, import and transit of waste, and the procedure for granting permission for waste exports, imports and transits (Catalogue of Waste), is now in full compliance with the EU Catalogue. The existing Catalogue of Waste distinguishes only two categories of wastes, i.e. hazardous and other wastes. With respect to the legislative changes during the last decade, it is difficult to compare the actual development in waste production and management during individual years and in time series.
The Ministry of the Environment has appointed working teams to produce Implementation Programmes of the Czech Republic, including 282 top experts from throughout the country. Representatives taking part in individual working teams were appointed by other ministries, regions, unions, associations and societies, as well as non-profit organisations and other entities. Outputs from the individual Implementation Programmes of the Czech Republic were discussed by the Government and subsequently issued in the form of Government Resolutions until the end of 2004.
Regional Waste Management Plans must be in accordance with the binding part of the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic and its amendments. Regional Waste Management Plans serve as a basis for conceptual activities conducted within regions and for the processing of follow-up waste management plans for waste producers. The binding part of Regional Waste Management Plans shall become a background for decision-making and other waste management activities by the competent administrative bodies, regions and municipalities. The binding parts of Regional Waste Management Plans were issued during the year 2004 in the form of generally binding decrees by the region in question.
2.2 National acts
| Reference | Main content |
|---|---|
| Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amendments to other pertinent laws, as amended. | The act lays down essential rules for waste management. |
| Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending some other laws, as follows from amendments introduced by Act No. 477/2001 Coll., Act No. 76/2002 Coll., Act No. 275/2002 Coll., Act No. 320/2002 Coll., Act No. 356/2003 Coll., Act No. 167/2004 Coll., Act No. 188/2004 Coll., Act No. 317/2004 Coll., Act No. 7/2005 Coll., Act No. 444/2005 Coll., Act No. 186/2006 Coll., Act No. 222/2006 Coll., Act No. 230/2006 Coll., Act No. 314/2006 Coll., Act No. 296/2007 Coll., Act No. 25/2008 Coll., Act No. 34/2008 Coll. and Act No. 383/2008 Coll. | Fully transposes the EC regulations into the Czech laws within the entire scope of waste management. |
2.2.2 National legislation
| Name | Reference | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Landfill Directive 99/31 | Act 188/2004 Coll. | 2001 |
| Landfill Decision 33/03 | Act 188/2004 Coll. | 2001 |
| Incineration Directive 76/00 | Act 188/2004 Coll. | 2001 |
2.2.3 Selected legislation
| Name | Reference |
|---|---|
| Landfill | Act No. 106/2005 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending some other laws. Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 294/2005 Coll., on the conditions of landfilling of waste and use of waste on surface and below the surface and amendment of Decree No. 383/2001 Coll., on details of waste management |
| Incineration | Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending some other laws, as amended. Section 22 Special Provisions on Waste Incineration Act No. 86/2002 Coll., on Clean Air Protection and Amendment of Some Other Acts (the Clean Air Act) |
| BMW (Biodegradable municipal waste) | Act No. 185/2001 Coll., on waste and amending some other laws, as amended. Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 294/2005 Coll., on the conditions of landfilling of waste and use of waste on surface and below the surface and amendment of Decree No. 383/2001 Coll., on details of waste management. Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 341/2008 Coll. on details biodegradable waste management and amendment of Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 294/2005 Coll., on the conditions of landfilling of waste and use of waste on surface and below the surface and amendment of Decree No. 383/2001 Coll., on details of waste management |
| Packaging | Act 477/2001 Coll., on packaging and the amendment to certain Acts (Packaging Act), together with three implementing regulations (Government order No. 111/2002 Coll. specifying the amount of the deposit on selected types of returnable packaging, Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 116/2002 Coll. on marking returnable packaging and Decree of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic No. 641/2004 Coll. on the scope and manner of keeping records of packaging and reporting the data from these records). |
2.3 Regional waste acts
The basic rules for waste treatment are set out by the Waste Act and its executive regulations. The goals and targets for the various waste treatment methods and the optimum ways of achieving them are set out by the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic for 2003-2013, which was published in the form of a Government Regulation in compliance with the Waste Act.
3. Waste management plans
no information
3.1 National plan
Waste management plans are drawn up in order to create preconditions for prevention of waste
production and for waste management under Act No. 185/2001 Coll.
production and for waste management under Act No. 185/2001 Coll.
Period of implementation | Main features |
Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic 2003 – 2013 |
|
The English version of the National Waste Management Plan 2003-2013 can be found on the internet: http://www.env.cz/C125750E003B698B/en/waste/$FILE/waste_management_plan.pdf
3.2 Regional plans
The regional waste management plan must be in compliance with the binding part of the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic and changes thereto.
The basic rules for waste treatment are set out by the Waste Act and its executive regulations.
The current waste management plans of the Czech region are listed below (only Czech language). The contents of the plans differ and cannot be summarised here.
Capital city Prague Jihomoravský region Jihočeský region Karlovarský region Královéhradecký region Liberecký region Moravskoslezský region Olomoucký region Pardubický region Plzeňský region Region Vysočina Středočeský region Ústecký region Zlínský region |
4. Waste prevention for Czech Republic
4.1. Objectives
Act No. 185/2001 Coll., regulates for waste prevention and waste management in compliance with environmental protection, human health protection and sustainable development aspects, rights and obligations of persons in the waste management sector, and competence of public administration authorities.
The basic principles of waste management contain this act in Section 10 (Art. 10).
4.2. Targets
no information
4.3. Strategy
General rules for waste prevention (waste hierarchy, objectives) are set in the Waste Act (Act No. 185/2001 Coll., and Amendment of Some Other Acts) .
4.4. Policy instruments
4.4.1. Regulatory instruments
Overview
Instruments for enforcement and control of compliance with the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic and evaluation thereof
a) normative instruments:
Implementation plans were drawn up for the area of waste management, containing, in particular the schedule of further steps in enforcing legal regulations of the Czech Republic and the EC legislation, and laying down benchmarks and responsibilities. The Ministry of the Environment annually updates the implementation plans;
b) Economic instruments:
· Fees for depositing wastes in landfills:
Pursuant to the Act on Wastes, fees consist of two components – the basic component for the actual deposition of waste and the risk component for deposition of hazardous waste. Both components grow progressively, in particular for hazardous waste, so that generators are stimulated to limit generation of waste and introduce different technologies, and use input raw materials that are not a source of hazardous wastes;
· financial reserve of landfill operators:
Landfill operators are obliged to create a financial reserve for recovery and maintenance of the landfill and for its decontamination after termination. The financial reserve is kept in a special escrow account and the landfill operator may draw funds from this account only with the consent of the competent Municipal Authority of a municipality with extended competence. The amount of financial reserve equals CZK 100 per ton of hazardous waste and CZK 35 per ton of other waste.
· Payments for municipal waste:
The costs connected with fulfilment of duties of municipalities as generators of municipal waste are dependant on the local conditions and are paid for by inhabitants. There are thee ways to pay for municipal waste.
- The local fee for operation of a system of collection, transport, separation, recovery and disposal of municipal waste is limited by a maximum of CZK 500 per natural person with the place of permanent residence within the jurisdiction of the municipality or per structure intended or serving for individual recreation in relation to which no natural person is registered for permanent residence.
- Second, an amendment to the Act on Wastes, No. 275/2002 Coll.§ 17, introduced an optional fee for municipal waste; the amount of this fee is not specified.
- Third, pursuant to § 17 (5) of the Act on Wastes, payment can be made on a contractual basis between the municipality and the inhabitant; again, there is no upper limit for this payment.
· Fines for administrative torts:
In the range of CZK 0 to CZK 10 million;
· Tax exemptions:
Tax exemptions are related to the value added tax and real estate tax:
- The lower rate of value added tax (5%, in contrast to the basic 22% rate), applies to products made from recycled paper (with a minimum of 70 % of waste paper) and to production of biogas.
- Properties and structures serving exclusively for operation of recycling activities are exempted from the real estate tax.
Bans
| Title | mercury and cadmium |
|---|---|
| Waste stream | Batteries, Accumulators |
| Year | 2001 |
| Legal document | Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
| Title | lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium |
|---|---|
| Waste stream | ELV |
| Year | 2004 |
| Legal document | Act No. 188/2004 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll |
| Title | lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE |
|---|---|
| Waste stream | WEEE |
| Year | 2005 |
| Legal document | Act. No. 7/2005 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
| Title | lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium |
|---|---|
| Waste stream | Packaging waste |
| Year | 2001 |
| Legal document | Act No. 477/2001 Coll. |
Other instruments
| Title | Eco Design |
|---|---|
| Scope | Packaging waste |
| Year | 2001 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | -Volume and weight of packaging has to be reduced to the minimum -Packaging has to be designed, produced and distributed in a way that reuse and recovery are possible. |
| Implementation | Act No. 477/2001 Coll. |
| Result | no information |
| Title | Eco Design |
|---|---|
| Scope | WEEE |
| Year | 2005 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | -EEE have to be designed in a way that disassembling and recovery, especially reuse and recycling of end of life products, its components and materials are considered and facilitated. - Construction and production must not interfere with reusability |
| Implementation | Act. No. 7/2005 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
| Result | no information |
| Title | Eco Design |
|---|---|
| Scope | ELV |
| Year | 2004 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | -Limit use of hazardous substances in cars, -consider recovery of materials when designing and producing cars, -increased use of secondary raw materials |
| Implementation | Act No. 188/2004 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
| Result | no information |
Additional info
no information4.4.2. Market-based instruments
Overview
no informationAdditional info
no information4.4.3. Information-based instruments
Overview
Information | Target group | Waste stream | Year of introduction (amendm.) | Legal document |
- Capacity (life span of products) - higher content of heavy metals - the potential effects on the environment and human health of the substances used in batteries and accumulators | Final consumer | Batteries, Accumulators | ||
Waste prevention and waste management aspects (e.g. ecodesign) | Final consumer | ELV | 2004 | Act No. 188/2004 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
Use of component and material coding standards, in particular to facilitate the identification of those components and materials, suitable for reuse and recovery | Disassembling companies | ELV | 2004 | Act No. 188/2004 Coll., amending Act No. 185/2001 Coll. |
Additional info
no information4.4.4. Voluntary instruments
Overview
no informationOther instruments
| Title | no information |
|---|---|
| Scope | Batteries, Accumulators |
| Year | 2000 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | Czech manufacturers' association and importers mobile battery (further CSVDPB) to have been based in the year 2000 with the aim of create in co-operation administration Czech Republic (CR) conditions for performance environment needs legislation CR and European states. |
| Targets | Aim to have been making easy situation with surrender and recycling these produce especially consumers and citizens, transferred also municipality, which according to law CR (Act No. 185/2001 Coll.) Act in the Wastes, which answer behind management with municipal waste. |
| Description | Voluntary agreements |
| Implementation | No |
| Result | Annually report to the Ministry of the Environment the Czech Republic. |
Additional info
no information4.5 Waste prevention examples
no information
5. Construction and Demolition Waste for Czech Republic
5.1. Objectives
The management of C&D waste is legally regulated by Act No. 185/2001 Coll. and the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic for 2003-2013.
5.2. Targets
no information
5.3. Strategy
no information
5.4. Policy instruments
5.4.1. Regulatory instruments
Additional info
no information5.4.2. Market-based instruments
Additional info
no information5.4.3. Information-based instruments
Additional info
no information5.4.4. Voluntary instruments
Additional info
no information6. Biodegradable Municipal Waste - Czech Republic
6.1. Objectives
no information
6.2. Targets
The Biologically decomposable portion of municipal waste (BMW) deposited to landfill must gradually be reduced toward the targets given in the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic for 2003-2013. This means to reduce the amount of biologically decomposable municipal waste going to landfill;
- to 75 % of the total amount generated in 1995 by 2010
- to 50% by the year 2013
- to 35% by the year 2020.
6.3. Strategy
The most important waste management policy principles are the following:
- Reduction of the specific production of waste, independently of the level of economic growth;
- Maximum use of waste as a replacement for primary natural resources;
- Minimisation of negative impacts on human health and the environment in association with waste management.
6.4. Policy instruments
6.4.1. Regulatory instruments
| Title | Ban on landfilling |
|---|---|
| Scope | Ban on landfilling: paper and BMW |
| Year | 1997 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | Eliminate paper and BMW waste in landfills. |
| Targets | BMW waste has been reduced to share by the year 2010 on 75 %, by the year 2013 on 50 % and by the year 2020 on 35 % of the total amount BMW waste originated produced in the year 1995. |
| Description | no information |
| Implementation | no information |
| Result | no information |
Additional info
no information6.4.2. Market-based instruments
| Title | Fees on landfilling |
|---|---|
| Scope | Fees on landfilling |
| Year | 1991 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | The waste producer pays a fee when depositing waste in a landfill. This fee consists of two components, the basic part and the risk part. The tariff for the basic component of the fee applies to all categories of waste (and is differentiated into two levels, one for municipal and other waste and the other for hazardous waste). The risk component of the fee is paid only for hazardous waste. The operator of the landfill transfers collected fees to their recipients, i.e. the municipality in whose cadastre the landfill is located (basic component) and SEF CR (risk component). |
| Implementation | no information |
| Result | no information |
| Title | Charge on municipal waste |
|---|---|
| Scope | Charge on municipal waste |
| Year | 1990 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | The fee for municipal waste is a local fee collected (according to Act of the Czech National Council 565/1990 Coll., on local fees, as amended). The introduction of this fee comprising two components has turned out to be a positive step in the stimulation of the population towards waste sorting. The fee for the operation of a system of accumulation, collection, transport, separation, recovery and disposal of municipal wastes has the form of a local fee and is thus the subject of Act No. 565/1990 Coll., on local fees, as amended. The fee is paid to the municipality by every individual with permanent residence and every owner of a recreational object in the municipality. The tariff comprises two components and may attain a maximum of CZK 500 per year. As the fee is subject to the Act on Local Fees, the municipality may adjust its requisites in a generally binding edict according to local conditions, including possible relieves and exemptions |
| Implementation | no information |
| Result | no information |
| Title | Deposit refund scheme for glass bottles |
|---|---|
| Scope | Deposit refund scheme for glass bottles |
| Year | 2001 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | no information |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | The Act on Packaging lays down a detailed system of returnable packaging for which deposits are made. The deposit is a set on returnable package to ensure that it is returned. When purchasing a product in a returnable package, the buyer pays this amount in addition to the price of the product and this amount is returned to the buyer upon return of the empty package. In this way, the collected packages can be reused or recycled. |
| Implementation | Government Regulation No. 111/2002 Coll., laying down the amount of the deposit for selected types of returnable packages for which a deposit is made, comprises a list of returnable packages for which deposits are paid, together with the amount of such deposits. The list contains seven types of bottles. |
| Result | no information |
Additional info
Basic Fee Rate for Depositing Waste in Landfill
CZK/ton (Calendar Year)
Waste category | Year 2002 through 2004 | Year 2005 through 2006 | Year 2007 through 2008 | Year 2009 and on |
Hazardous | 1100 | 1200 | 1400 | 1700 |
Municipal and other | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
6.4.3. Information-based instruments
Additional info
no information6.4.4. Voluntary instruments
| Title | no information |
|---|---|
| Scope | Eco-labelling |
| Year | 1993 |
| Transition period | no information |
| Objectives | Promotion of “green products”. |
| Targets | no information |
| Description | no information |
| Implementation | no information |
| Result | no information |
Additional info
no informationResults
Biodegradable municipal waste
no informationConstruction and demolition waste
no informationWaste prevention
no information
7. Bibliography
- Czech Ministry for the Environment (2004). Report on the Environment in the Czech Republic in 2005, Prague 2005
- Government Order 197/2003 Coll., on the Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic
- REC (2001). Environmental Taxes in an Enlarged Europe. An Analysis and Database of Environmental Taxes and Charges in Central and Eastern Europe.
- REC (1999). Sofia Initiative on Economic Instruments. Preface and Executive Summary of the Sourcebook on Economic Instruments for Environmental Policy in Central and Eastern Europe. A Regional Analysis.
8. Country links to national waste information
- http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/wasteinc/ — No title
- http://www.mzp.cz/cz/odpadove_hospodarstvi — No title
- http://www.mzp.cz/en/waste_management — No title
- http://www.mvcr.cz/clanek/sbirka-zakonu.aspx — No title
- http://aplikace.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/sbirka/ — No title
- http://www.env.cz/ris/vis-legcz-en.nsf/ — No title
- http://www2.oecd.org/ecoinst/queries/ — OECD/EEA database on instruments used for environmental policy and natural resources management
- http://www.env.cz/C125750E003B698B/en/waste/$FILE/waste_management_plan.pdf — Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic (2003): Waste Management Plan of the Czech Republic, Prague 2003