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The Czech Republic (CR) is administratively divided into central (state), regional (regions), and local (municipalities) levels. The central level, the Ministry of Culture (MC), is responsible for the preparation of the majority of legislative norms in the field of culture. Overall competence in this area is allocated according to the MC by Act No. 2/1969 Coll. on Establishing Ministries and Other Central Administration Bodies of the CR, the so-called Competence Act (see also chapter 1.2.2). Act No. 129/2000 Coll. on Regions states the legal position of regions and it determines that a region supports the universal development of its territory... read more →

In the past decade discussion has largely revolved around the issue of the amount of support for culture provided by the state, which has been reduced several times and only in recent years has begun to increase again. This complex situation has not benefited either from the fact that there has been a substantial increase in VAT in recent years. Since January 2012 the lower VAT rate has risen from 10% to 14%, the list of items subject to VAT has remained unchanged. The basic rate remained at 20%. The rate was supposed to be changed to a uniform 17.5%... read more →

On 3 October 2018 the Government of the CR adopted Resolution No. 629 on the Digital Czechia programme and proposed changes to the Statute of the Government Council for an Information Society. The programme’s steering body is the Government Council for an Information Society, which is headed by the government commissioner for information technology and digitisation. The Government Council for an Information Society was set up in 2014 and it is the Government of the CR’s initiating and coordinating body in the area of reform of public administration, the information society, the digital agenda, eGovernment, and information and communication technologies.... read more →

In April 1998, the government adopted the programme Priorities and Procedures of the Government for the Enforcement of Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, which characterises the main aims, methods, and procedures in the field of gender policy for the first time. Each year in June a progress report is submitted to the government and updated measures for the given year are approved. The responsible body for this issue is the Government Council for Equal Opportunities of Women and Men operating under the Office of the Government of the CR. The Council has been working since 2001 and it draws... read more →

The previous State Cultural Policy for 2015-2020 included for the first time as one of its priorities support for access to culture and the development of participative culture to facilitate social integration. The Concept of Support for the Arts for 2015-2020 identified as a new issue the social or societal impacts of the arts and contains the first mention in a strategic document of the importance of this issue in comparison with the economic impacts that have had the priority focus up to now.  The new State Cultural Policy for 2021-2025+ also considers one of its objectives to be "to... read more →

The Ministry of Culture (MC) is the body responsible for media in the CR. The Ministry manages the asset of publishers of periodic publications and it prepares legislation in the field. Television broadcasters have a number of obligations according to European regulations (Directive 2010/13/EU on Audio-visual Media Services). The legislative framework for radio and television broadcasting has allowed the creation of a dual system of broadcasting, i.e. the coexistence of a public and a private sector, with the consequence of exceptional dynamic development in the field of media. In 2001, the new Act on Radio and Television Broadcasting (Act No.... read more →

The official language of the CR is Czech, and it is used by the majority of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic (CR) – about 96%. Its use is not, however, defined by a special language act. In 2004, a proposal by Communist MPs for an amendment to the Constitution that would implement a national and official language was rejected. The attitude of the government to the proposal was negative. In conformity with their corresponding acts – such as the Act on Lotteries and Other Similar Games, the Trade Licensing Act, the Act on the Organisation and Implementation of Social... read more →

In the CR culture and art have not been systematically anchored as tools of social inclusion for a long time. This situation was demonstrated by the content of the National Programme for the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in 2010, which was developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the CR (MLSA). None of the priorities took culture or art into account as tools for social inclusion. Even the Action Plan for the Social Inclusion Strategy 2021-2030 (Ministry of Social Affairs, 2021) makes no mention of creative or artistic approaches to social inclusion or... read more →

Thanks to its strong historical and cultural background, a wide range of study programmes and extensive ICT infrastructure, the CR has a strong position in areas such as the gaming industry, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), design, architecture, film industry or crafts. A number of Czech designers, especially industrial and product designers, have won the prestigious Red Dot Award and have collaborated with major domestic companies such as LINET or Škoda Transportation. When it comes to smart cities and public spaces, there are many countries around the world that have incorporated Mmcité's products into their cities. Domestic companies such... read more →

The system of state heritage conservation works to protect and provide professional oversight of a significant part of the cultural heritage of the CR. It involves not just agencies of public administration but also a very wide circle of other entities, owners of heritage sites, and owners of real estate that is located within heritage-protected areas. In total, there are around 40,000 immovable cultural monuments and 611 heritage reserves and conservation zones in the country. A general interest in protecting and preserving cultural heritage and a living environment in settlements and the landscape that is good for society is declared... read more →