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Brussels formally approves Czech plan to draw EU money

22 October 2012
2 minute read

The European Commission formally approved today the Czech National Strategic Reference Framework, a plan to draw European Union money for the period of 2007-2013.

Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Local Development Minister Jiri Cunek received in Brussels the final decision from EU commissioner for regional development Danuta Hubner. The talks that lasted for several months are the first step to the actual drawing.

However, the country will not be able to use the money until the Commission adopts its individual operational programmes that number 24. First programmes will probably be approved at the turn of September and October, and the last ones maybe as late as next year despite the fact that the Commission wants to finish all talks with Czechs before the end of 2007.

The Czech Republic can draw EUR26.7bn, or some Kc750bn, from EU structural funds in the years to come.

Cunek had promised that Czechs will be able to start drawing first money in June. Speaking to journalists in Brussels today, he described the delay as a mistake that he blamed especially on previous governments and on the stalemate produced by the 2006 general elections.

On the other hand, Hubner was not that critical and said there had been no fundamental delay. She added it was better to spend a few more weeks negotiating than to rush at the expense of quality.

First finance will probably come from the European Social Fund, which funds innovation, science and research and employment projects. Money from the Fund account for 14 percent of the total sum that the Czech Republic will be able to draw in the years to come.

Hubner said talks on the operational programme focused on transport were promising. The impacts of investing this money will be probably the most obvious for Czech citizens because a total of EUR5.7bn (almost Kc160bn) will come from the EU for the construction of roads, motorways and other transport infrastructure.

However, a completion of talks on operational programmes does not mean that the whole process is finished. Czechs have to secure that the programmes are implemented correctly, otherwise the country will have to pay some of the money back, which is a relatively common situation in some of the old EU countries.

Money the Czech Republic can draw from the EU in individual years (excluding money for Prague and for interregional cooperation; in euros)

year sum of money
2007 3,211,448,973
2008 3,369,415,782
2009 3,528,073,142
2010 3,694,149,485
2011 3,860,301,611
2012 4,025,849,807
2013 4,194,272,235
Total 25,883,511,035

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