The Czech Republic can draw CZK 550 billion from EU funds. The European Commission (EC) has approved eight programs for 2021–2027. The Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) said on Thursday. Some calls have already been announced, the ministry added.
The Czech Republic has approved the Jan Amos Komenský, Technical Assistance, Technologies and Applications for Competitiveness, Employment+, Transport, Environment, Integrated Regional Operational Programme (IROP), and Fisheries programs for the new period. Fair Transformation is due to be added next month.
“The approval of programs for the new seven-year period is proceeding smoothly and in line with our expectations set by the Ministry for Regional Development in its role as coordinator of cohesion policy in the Czech Republic,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalisation and Minister for Regional Development Ivan Bartoš (Pirates).
The Czech Republic fell behind
Jiří Kvíz, director of enovation, a company that deals with, among other things, subsidy consultancy, said that the subsidy programs should have been launched last year, which is already evident from the name of the 2021-2027 programming period.
“However, as we are already in the second half of 2022, it is clear that the Czech Republic has fallen behind in implementing programs that were supposed to help with the country’s post-covid recovery, ensure timely energy savings in companies and generally stimulate the economy on the threshold of the emerging recession and under the weight of record inflation,” he said.
At the end of 2020, it was expected that, like the 2014-2020 programming period, the upcoming one would start with a delay. The previous government of Andrej Babiš (ANO) approved the distribution of EU subsidies for 2021-2027 between the programs in early March last year and the Partnership Agreement in late September.
The latter was sent to the EC by the new government of Petro Fiala (ODS) in December, and most programs were sent for approval in January. EC approval and the start of disbursement were expected at the end of May.
First calls have been announced for some programs for the period 2021-2027. An overview is available on the umbrella website, dotaceeu.cz.
In late May this year, the Ministry of Regional Development reported that the EC had reimbursed the Czech Republic CZK 503.9 billion by the end of April, roughly three-quarters of the money negotiated for the 2014-2020 programming period.