1) ČEZ will have to publish part of its contracts in the Contract Register
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After our long-term effort to achieve compromise in the House of Deputies, the Amendment of the Act on Contract Register was passed on March 8. It abolishes unsubstantiated opt-out for certain types of state-owned enterprises (ČEZ, ČD, ČEPS, etc.). It is really a fantastic breakthrough in long-time efforts in making state-owned companies, which administer enormous public funds, to provide information on their management of citizens’ money. You can find more information on the passed Bill in my glossary, which I wrote for NFPK: https://bit.ly/2Wg7eS3 (ENG version).
Of course, we have not won completely, yet. The Senate will take a vote on the Bill on May 2, so we will be grateful for any support. Nevertheless, we believe, that there is a big chance for successful ending of the legislative process. We will do our best!
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Anyway, there is almost no week without news on how the Contract Register raises awareness on uneconomic management in the central or local government. Recently, our analyst discovered a contract, which was the basis for Ústecký Region’s 2 million CZK website. The website was supposed to help wheelchair users to find barrier-free places. However, it turned out, that the website does not work well and has many mistakes. And that the money from the contract went to the companies of local politicians (more here: https://bit.ly/2HNzcAs).
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It is obvious, that the Contract Register serves its role and we are very glad that the Constitutional Court sees it the same way. The Court recently dismissed the motion of a group of senators to abolish the Act on Contract Register (more here: https://bit.ly/2HN28sv).
2) The right to access information was strengthened!
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On March 12, thanks to our advocacy efforts, the measures for strengthening the citizens’ right to access information were definitively passed. The powers of the Office for Personal Data Protection (“OPDP”) were in fact extended to the agenda of protection of right to information. Anyone, who requests information and is unsuccessful even after appellate procedure, will have a right to make a motion to the OPDP. The OPDP will be able to review the decision on denial of the information and if it concludes that the information should have been provided, it will use a so-called “information order”, according to which the administrative body will have to provide the information. The superior administrative authorities will also have this power to use the information order. This represents the biggest reform of the Access to Information Act since the 90’s. It will help citizens and it will ease the burden of the courts. More here: https://bit.ly/2Yg1Zn3
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During the same March vote, we successfully prevented excessive limitation of access to information on security issues or ongoing criminal investigation (e.g. a 50-page report by the European Anti-Fraud Office into the so-called Stork’s Nest affair of the PM A.Babiš would not be accessible to Czech citizens). One of the Bulwarks of Democracy (= the current standards of the access to information should not be lowered) was thus defended.