Financial Mechanism and Resources

Czech Republic: Financing

Trends and key pressures on biodiversity and ecosystems

The Czech Republic is medium-sized by European standards, at 78 867 km2. Arable and crop land occupy 42% of the total area, followed by forest (35%), meadows and pasture (13%) and built-up and other land (11%).
Over 2000-15, the surface of mining areas decreased while transport infrastructure and public green areas increased, resulting overall in a relatively stable (+4%) surface of built-up and other areas. The take of agricultural land for road infrastructure accelerated in the early 2000s, peaking in 2008. It decreased after the crisis despite a rebound in 2013.
A major consequence of increasing urbanisation and transport infrastructure is landscape and habitat fragmentation. Between 2000 and 2010, the surface of unfragmented landscape decreased by about 7%, to 63% of the total area. Projections indicate such areas will cover only 53% of the total by 2040

Status and trends
Protected areas and Natura 2000 ecological network
Nature and landscape protection is regulated by national and EU legislation. The 1992 Act on Nature and Landscape Protection defines six national categories of specially protected areas. As of 2016, 4 national parks and 26 protected landscapes and small areas (categorised as national nature reserves, national nature monuments, nature reserves and nature monuments) cover 17% of the territory. Protection is largely aimed at conservation or improvement of the state of a site.
In 2016, national and international protected areas covered 22% of the territory, above the OECD average of 14% and Aichi target 11 for 2020 of 17%. This represents an increase of 39% since 2000. In terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories, protected landscape and protected areas with sustainable use of natural resources (IUCN categories V and VI) were the most widespread designations, totalling 14%. Natural monuments and habitat/species management areas (IUCN categories III and IV) together account for 1% and strict nature reserves, wilderness areas and national parks (IUCN categories I and II) for a further 1%. National (no IUCN category), regional and international designations account for 5%.
In 2016, Natura 2000 sites covered 14% of the Czech Republic, below the EU average of about 18%. Under the Habitats Directive, EU countries submit lists of proposed Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), then designate them as Special Areas of Conservation. Special Protected Areas (SPAs) are defined in the 1979 Birds Directive, amended in 2009. Many Natura 2000 sites overlap with nationally designated protected areas. The country had 1,153 Natura 2000 sites at the end of 2016: SPAs covered 9% of the territory, below the EU average of 12%, while SCIs accounted for 10%, below the EU average of 14%. The European Commission has assessed the species and habitat types in the Habitats Directive as insufficiently represented in the Czech Republic and says further areas need to be designated to complete the network. An infringement procedure was initiated in February 2016. In response, in 2016, 51 new SCIs were proposed and target feature were added to 70 existing sites.
Under the Habitats Directive, countries must survey and report every six years on habitat and species conservation status. The state of natural habitats of community interest (i.e. those that are in danger of disappearing, have a small natural range or present outstanding characteristics and are of European importance) has improved since 2000-06 but remains poor. In 2007-12, 83% of habitats had "unfavourable-bad" or "unfavourable-inadequate" status, with only 16% deemed "favourable". Most natural and near-natural habitats are in areas with limited or less intensive agricultural production. Small coastal and halophytic habitats and forests are the most damaged, while heathlands and temperate zone shrubs are in the most favourable conditions. The state of forests, rocky habitats and caves, and natural and semi-natural grassland formations also improved. However, these positive trends are partly due to improvement in information, data collection and methodology rather than active measures. The quality of habitats is deteriorating, for example, through eutrophication, air and water pollution, and intensification in agriculture, forest management and fish farming.

Information on the status and trends of ecosystems and species Natural environments Terrestrial ecosystems Inland water ecosystems Coastal and marine ecosystems

Threatened species and bird species abundance
The Czech Republic has a relatively wide range of animal and plant species and habitats thanks to its location at the intersection of four bio-geographical subprovinces (Hercynian, Polonian, Western Carpathian and North Pannonian) and its geological diversity. Nearly 80,000 species have been recorded on its territory. Most of the vascular plant species are native or introduced before the 15th century. There are also 886 bryophytes, 1500 lichens and up to 40,000 fungi species recorded. Over 24,000 insects, about 8,000 other invertebrates and 711 vertebrates species have been also documented.
About one-third of species are categorised in the Czech red list as vulnerable and hundreds have disappeared. The shares of threatened mammal and invertebrate species are relatively close to the OECD average, but many others are in greater danger of extinction: 62% of reptile, 59% of amphibian, 53% of bird, 42% of freshwater fish and 33% of vascular plant and moss species are considered threatened. The most endangered species are found in natural watercourses, associated with old and decaying wood, or, most notably, tied to a mosaic of landscape elements (butterflies, amphibians and reptiles).
Species are increasingly threatened by intensive agriculture, introduction of invasive alien species and loss of semi-natural biotopes to landscape exploitation. However, the Czech list of specially protected species has barely been updated since 1992 and does not reflect current needs. It includes some species no longer needing protection and excludes some species that most need legal protection. In addition, the statutory framework for species protection tends to focus more on knowledge of species than on knowledge of changes to the quality of their habitats.
Over 2007-12, the share of animal species under the Habitats Directive with “favourable” conservation status reached 27.4%, an increase of 7.4 percentage points from 2000-06, while the share of those with “unfavourable-bad” status decreased by 1.5 percentage points, though it was still 34%. The relative improvement was accompanied by a decrease in the number of species with “unknown” conservation status. The number of species with “unfavourable-inadequate” conservation status also fell, but they still accounted for 32.5%.
Overall the state of plant species of community interest has also improved, with a growing number given “favourable” conservation status (from 15% in 2000-06 to 18% in 2007-12) and a declining number rated as “unfavourable-bad” (from 37% to 23%), although more than half of species were still categorised as “unfavourable-inadequate”, compared to 37% in 2000-06. Again, it must be noted that better data collection and methodology affected the assessment. Plants remain threatened by habitat destruction, which has reduced the area covered by native vegetation. Direct removal of plants for medicinal purposes and other forms of destruction are also a threat. The status of numerous species, particularly of those dependent on sites formed and managed by humans in the past, is getting worse.
The EU Birds Directive aims to protect 500 wild bird species from habitat fragmentation, intensive agriculture, forestry and pesticide use. Between 1982 and 2015, the populations of common, farmland and woodland bird species in the Czech Republic dropped by 6%, 31% and 17%, respectively. Intensification of agriculture, coupled with abandonment of less fertile agricultural land, was a key driver of farmland birds’ decline in the 1990s. Woodland species have dropped steadily, being gradually replaced by more widespread species, though the causes of the decline have not yet been studied.

Pressures on biodiversity
Clearing, land use and harvesting Water use, coastal pressures and hydrological changes to watercourses Invasive species Fire Pollution Climate change
Research, development and innovation
References

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Biodiversity instruments

Conservation programmes

Recovery plans for threatened species and ecosystems

Economic instruments
Liability for damage to the environment
The Czech Republic transposed the EU Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) through the 2008 Act on Prevention and Remedying of Environmental Damage, covering damage to water, land and biodiversity. The law is broader than the scope of the ELD regime with respect to biodiversity, including a larger range of protected plants and species. However, it excludes accidental contamination of water bodies, which is covered by the Water Act that also provides for remediation.
The MoE Environmental Damage Department deals with prevention and remediation (including of past contamination), monitoring and international co-operation in case of transboundary impact. Annex I of the 2008 Environmental Damage Act lists activities that can give rise to environmental liability, including activities subject to IPPC permits, transport of chemicals, and production and handling of pesticides. Operators involved must perform risk assessment and take all necessary measures to prevent environmental damage, and repair and restore the affected area and ecosystem functionality in case of damage. Operators not covered by Annex I do not need to do risk assessment but are still obligated to take preventive measures and carry out remediation in case of damage. The operator is responsible for covering all costs related to remediation, including the costs of risk analysis. It is, however, exempt from remediation costs in case of force majeure, if the damage was caused by a third party or if it occurred despite the operator taking all necessary steps to prevent it. Thus compliance with environmental permit conditions releases the polluter from liability, contradicting the principle of strict liability for environmental damage.
Operators whose operations may cause environmental damage exceeding the equivalent of EUR 800 000 (according to an estimate by the regional authority) must obtain insurance to cover the cost of remedying any potential environmental damage. Fines up to the equivalent of EUR 180 000 may be imposed for a breach of obligation to report information about potential damage and for not carrying out remediation.
Green public procurement
The national action plan on green public procurement (GPP) and socially responsible public procurement dates from the beginning of the 2000s, relatively early compared to other Eastern European countries. A 2010 government decision set out GPP rules and methodologies for furniture and information technology, and approved an MoE document laying out non-binding guidance for implementing environmental requirements in public procurement. According to the decision, sellers do not need ISO 14001 certification to qualify for GPP, which has resulted in a drop of certifications since 2010.
As part of the GPP decision, 25% of all state and public vehicles need to respect environmental standards. The decision also stipulates criteria for purchasing certain products. Contracting authorities should consider elements such as eco-labels, environmental standards and certification, and energy performance certificates in their procurement decisions. As GPP performance had been unsatisfactory, the strategy was revised. In 2017, the government approved a new document, “Rules for the Implementation of a Responsible Approach in the Public Procurement and Purchasing by the State and Local Governments”, which includes sustainability principles and requires the MoE to publish guidelines for public procurers on green specifications for various product categories. In addition, the MoE is planning workshops and other activities to inform and train purchasers. The Czech Republic should consider introducing all the key GPP elements listed in the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Improving the Environmental Performance of Public Procurement (C(2002)3), such as analysing the environmental costs of products and services, promoting effective information tools, encouraging the development of indicators, and assessing and evaluating GPP policies.

(2014) Integrated assessment of ecosystem services: The resulting average value of ecosystem services in the Czech Republic represents 1.5 the current gross national product
(2012) Feed-in tariffs for the generation of energy from waste incineration and landfill gas, reform of water pricing in the Czech Republic
(2011) Environmental Tax, (Summary)
Case studies for carbon sequestration markets: Krkonose (Giant Mountains) National Park – a FACE project, Sumava National Park – a FACE project
financial reserve and liability insurance

Conservation covenants

Biodiversity offsets

Environmental Stewardship Program

Fishery fees, grants and quotas

National park fees

Subsidies harmful to biodiversity
(2004) Analysis of Public Subsidies, case studies
(2006) Subsidy Reform and Sustainable Development: Economic, Environmental and Social Aspects - Reform of Industrial Zone Subsidies in the Czech Republic
(2005) Sectoral subsidies, environmentally related taxes, green tax reform, pricing of municipal services, charges
(2008) National Subsidy Programmes, European Subsidy Programmes
agri-environmental subsidies

References
Gren, I.M. and T. Soderqvist 1994 Economic valuation of wetlands: a survey. Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics. Beijer Discussion Paper series No. 54, Stockholm, Sweden. (South Moravia, Czech Republic -- Inland Wetlands -- Floodplains Food -- NTFPs only! -- 1993 -- Benefit Transfer -- Annual -- 290 USD/ha/yr --1100)
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Institutional arrangements and governance

International and regional co-operation
International commitments
Governance and institutions
The Czech Republic is a unitary state with three government levels: central, regional and municipal. The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is the main authority for environmental policy, compliance monitoring and enforcement, and environmental quality monitoring. Agencies under its aegis include the Nature Conservation Agency, the Cave Administration, the Czech Environmental Information Agency (CENIA), the Czech Environmental Inspectorate (CEI), the Czech Geological Survey, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and the State Environmental Fund.
The MoE co-ordinates environmental activities of other ministries and central administrative authorities. On specific issues, responsibility is shared with other ministries. For example, on water resource management, the Ministry of Agriculture regulates activities related to agriculture, including water use, supply and sewage systems; the Ministry of Health develops requirements for management of hazardous waste from health care facilities. Chemicals and noise management require special permits from the MoE or, when public health may be endangered, the Ministry of Health.
Horizontal collaboration is mainly carried out by the advisory Council for Sustainable Development, which co-ordinates sustainable development issues across central authorities. Its nine thematic committees and working groups bring together representatives of all ministries, Parliament, municipalities, non-government organisations (NGOs), trade unions, industry and academia. Chaired by the prime minister, it meets three times a year. The council is responsible for the Sustainable Development Strategy and its reviews, biennial reporting on the strategy, co-ordination of sectoral issues and strategies across ministries, and national implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
A broader horizontal co-operation mechanism is the inter-ministerial commenting procedure to discuss draft policies and legislation before cabinet approval. Representatives of regions, municipalities and NGOs are also involved. Drafts are available online for information and comments.
Regional and local authorities
The Czech Republic is divided into 14 regions and 6,258 municipalities. Prague has the status of both a region and a municipality. The 1993 Constitution gives substantial independence to subnational authorities, which have delegated responsibilities but do not hold legislative powers. Subnational governments are mainly funded by central government budget allocations and fees for public service provision.
Regional authorities have environmental departments dealing with transport (road networks, regional public transport), biodiversity, spatial planning (approval of regional planning and zoning documents), health and tourism. Local authorities oversee local public transport and roads, waste management, water supply, wastewater treatment, local planning and housing.
By population size, Czech municipalities and regions are among the smallest in the OECD, which contributes to governance fragmentation. In contrast to the trend in many OECD countries since the 1990s, the number of municipalities has not been declining, mainly due to a lack of incentives to merge. Mergers would increase efficiency by reducing duplication and streamlining provision of some services, but are politically difficult. The fragmentation issue has been dealt with so far via voluntary agreements between municipalities to co-operate on certain functions. The MoE has nine regional departments providing oversight to lower-level authorities. However, the ministry has not developed implementation guidelines to strengthen vertical co-ordination. It should consider developing oversight procedures with systematic evaluations and indicators on subnational environmental performance. The Union of Czech Towns and Municipalities (SMO ČR), the Association of Local Governments (SMS ČR), and the Association of Regions are platforms for horizontal exchange and mechanisms for co-ordination with the central government. SMO ČR, a voluntary organisation, participates in preparation of draft legislation on topics pertaining to municipal responsibilities. It represents around 2500 municipalities accounting for more than 70% of the population. SMS ČR brings together mayors of about 1100 municipalities to monitor key legislative proposals with a potential impact on local authorities. The Association of Regions represents the interests of all 14 regions before Parliament and the government. The associations participate in the Council for Sustainable Development’s committee on sustainable municipalities. Other vertical co-ordination includes CENIA’s role supporting regional authorities in issuing integrated permits. In addition, lower-level land use plans need to comply with higher-level ones.
Civil society
Private sector
(2005) private environmental expenditure
(2014) Czech Bioplatform: Review on industry, business and biodiversity assessment in the Czech Republic

Indigenous peoples
References
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Strategic frameworks and sectoral inclusion

Strategic and legislative framework
Biodiversity strategies and legislation
The National Biodiversity Strategy (NBS) defines priorities in sustainable biodiversity use and conservation for 2016-25. Built on a comprehensive evaluation of the previous strategy (2005-15), it is also linked to the State Environmental Policy, the Czech Republic 2030 sustainable development strategy and concept documents across all sectors. The NBS focuses on mainstreaming biodiversity protection into decision making at all administrative levels and aims to maintain a given funding level for biodiversity conservation, nature and landscapes after 2020, when current operational programmes end. A midterm implementation review of the NBS objectives will be prepared in 2020 and an overall evaluation in 2025. The NBS is aligned with international commitments: the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020, the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity to 2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The evaluation of the 2005-15 NBS concluded that 28% of its 161 strategic objectives were achieved, 45% were partially met, 19% were not met and 8% could not be evaluated. These results were attributed to half the objectives being too ambitious or not measurable. Consequently, the updated NBS contains fewer objectives and measures, focusing on essential and achievable priorities. It will be supplemented by more detailed measures and more specific tasks in a 2018 update of the State Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection Programme of 2009.
The NBS contains 20 framework objectives in four priority areas, 68 component objectives and 123 follow-up measures, each associated with an assessment indicator. Most indicators currently available are related to financial resources from the EU structural and investment funds; there are very few indicators to monitor the status and evolution of the state of biodiversity. Developing such comprehensive indicators is an NBS objective.
NBSAP2005
Threatened Species Strategy

Agriculture
Agricultural inputs and pesticides
Agriculture accounts for about 2.5% of GDP and employment, and agricultural land covers more than half the territory. Large farms cover 70% of the agricultural area and small farms (89% of farms by number) account for the remaining 30%. The real net value of agricultural production was stable over the review period, as was the area devoted to agriculture. Since 2000, there has been a slight shift to permanent grassland and meadows, driven by implementation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU milk crisis. Output was stable: while cereal production increased by 38%, other crops by 14% and food production by 5%, livestock production fell by 12% and non-food output by 55%.
Since 2000, nitrogen surpluses have decreased by 6%. However, consumption of mineral nitrogen per hectare, which accounts for 83% of mineral fertiliser consumption, increased by 70% between 2000 and 2015: it was particularly high in 2015 due to extreme drought. Phosphorus surpluses, meanwhile, decreased both in absolute tonnes (by 125%) and in terms of nutrient surpluses per hectare of agricultural land (by 140%); the phosphorus balance has been negative since 2008.
Pesticide consumption remained below that of most OECD countries despite increasing by 13% over 2000-15: it fluctuated but generally increased until 2012 (by 33%), then decreased by 15% with the implementation of the National Action Plan to Reduce the Use of Pesticides. Adopting measurable targets would help tracking progress in reducing the risk and impact of pesticide use on human health and the environment. Herbicides accounted for the largest share (45%), followed by fungicides (28%), growth regulators (14%), plant protection products (8%) and insecticides (5%).
In addition to pesticide use, agricultural land is polluted by past and present industry contamination from chemical incidents and leakage of contaminated water, waste discharges directly to the soil, leaching from contaminated sites, landfills, etc. As a result, limit values in soil are repeatedly exceeded for the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons chrysene and fluoranthene, and there is a high degree of persistence of chlorinated pesticides in soil. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium and nickel in soil are also above limit values.
Agriculture is a major source of diffuse pollution in both surface water bodies and ground reservoirs. It is mainly due to runoff from sprays, plant protection products and fertilisers, exacerbated by unsuitable crop composition, soil processing that increases erosion risk, compaction of the subtopsoil layer, etc. Such pollution is not monitored even though its effects on water quality are significant (CENIA, 2016).
Main policies and measures and organic farming
Environmental considerations have gradually been integrated into the CAP. The 2014-20 CAP enhances the policy framework for sustainable management of natural resources, addresses climate change mitigation and reinforces the resilience of farming. EU countries need to comply with basic environmental requirements to receive full funding, in addition to which they receive financial support as a "green payment" per hectare. They must also allocate part of their budget to measures beneficial to the environment in rural development programmes (RDPs); examples include agro-environment-climate measures and organic farming. The Czech RDP focuses mainly on ensuring sustainable natural resource management and encouraging climate-friendly farming practices while increasing competitiveness in agriculture, forestry and the food industry.
The share of land under organic farming tripled over 2000-11, then stalled; it accounted for 12% of the agricultural area in 2015. Implementation of the 2016-20 Action Plan for Development of Organic Farming aims to revive the positive trend and ensure that organic agriculture is a stable market by 2020. It follows two earlier organic farming action plans (2004-10 and 2011-15), each of which strengthened targets previously set for total land area under organic farming (10% of the agricultural area by 2010, which was met, and 15% by 2015, which was not). The growth of organic farming has largely been supported by subsidies paid within agro-environmental measures as defined in the RDP. Organic farmers received support either as payments per land area under organic management or in the form of a preferential points allowance according to investment projects. As about two-thirds of subsidies are allocated to livestock production, permanent grassland constitutes most of the land under organic farming (82%). The domestic organic food market remains underdeveloped, accounting for only 0.7% of food and beverage consumption in 2014, with most production exported.
Close to half the agricultural land is potentially threatened by water erosion and 11% is extremely threatened. Similarly, 18% of agricultural land is exposed to wind erosion, including 3% of the most vulnerable agricultural soil. This is principally due to intensive agricultural practices, such as large-scale unification of plots, monocultures, removal of landscape elements, lack of grass-covered belts or terraces, land management that disregards the slope of the land and growth of crops potentially vulnerable to erosion, e.g. maize. Heavily eroded soil can, on average, reduce yields by up to 75% and cut land prices by half. In the long term, the biggest problem is soil loss in the areas with the highest soil quality, around the Elbe and in Moravian valleys. The EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC), addressing pollution from agricultural activities, is being implemented. The European Soil Thematic Strategy also aims at preventing soil degradation and preserving soil as an important carbon pool.

Fisheries and aquaculture
Water resource management main policies and measures
EU requirements have been an important driver of improvement in water management and quality in EU countries. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) and other water-related directives established community-wide objectives to address pollution, promote better use and protection of water and mitigate the impact of floods and droughts. The Czech Republic prepared river basin management plans (RBMPs) for its river basins to comply with the WFD and has used the national Water Act as the main implementation tool. RBMPs were developed for the Danube, Elbe and Oder and for eight sub-basins. The plans in the initial cycle (2009-15) were gradually approved by early 2010. They outline measures aimed at achieving good status for all water bodies. A second river basin management planning cycle (2016-21), this time covering 10 sub-basins, was approved in 2015.
In terms of water management, the Water Act sets targets for flood protection and sustainable water use in addition to those of the RBMPs. Flood risk management plans, approved in 2015 for the following six years, were developed to address the repeated occurrence of large floods (after a century without such floods). Strategic documents such as the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan are also relevant for water use in a changing climate. In this context, the government in 2014 created a waterdrought interdepartmental committee to find effective solutions that could be rapidly implemented to address this emerging issue.
The Drinking Water and Bathing Water Directives set water quality standards. The Nitrates Directive protects water resources from nitrate pollution from agricultural sources. The Urban Waste Water Directive addresses collection, treatment and discharge of wastewater. In addition to national legislation transposing these directives, the Czech Republic adopted national and regional development plans for water supply and sewerage systems. The national plan defined objectives to 2015, laid down principles for ensuring the long-term public interest in these areas and synthesised information from the regional plans. The Operational Programme “Environment” (2014-20) also aims to address unregulated pollution discharges.
The Czech Republic is actively involved in the development of International RBMPs in the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe (ICPE, 1992), the Danube and the Oder. During its presidency of the ICPDR in 2016 it had three main priorities: support implementation of the International Danube River Basin Management Plan and Flood Risk Management Plan, be active concerning floods and droughts, and foster co-operation not only between countries in the region but also through other initiatives, particularly the EU macro-regional strategy for the Danube Region. Basin-wide co-operation and transboundary river basin management issues are dealt with through bilateral commissions with the Slovak Republic, Germany, Austria and Poland.

Forestry sector
Forests cover 35% of the land area, a slight increase from 34% in 2000. Coniferous forests are predominant (72%) due to past widespread planting of spruce and pine monocultures, which are less resistant to damage from disease and environmental pressure. Forests are among the worst-ranked habitats in the Czech Republic. Intense air pollution loads in past decades resulted in a high level of defoliation compared to other EU countries. Young forest growth is impeded by foraging by excessive numbers of game animals. The country is progressively moving towards a more natural and sustainable forest composition, which would entail the share of coniferous trees further decreasing to 64%, along with birch, elm and alder, and that of other deciduous trees, particularly beech, oak and linden, increasing from 8% to 18%.
The country has forest management plans focusing on production in forests that account for 75% of the total forest area. The volume of growing stock has increased by 13% since 2000, and forest resource use intensity is sustainable, meaning the total production volume is lower in the long term than the mean annual increment. Fluctuations in intensity are mainly due to drought, along with insect infestation and fungal disease on windbreaks.
Over 61% of the forest area is owned by the state and 15% by municipalities. Protection regimes cover 15% of the forest area. Sustainable forest management certification programmes, such as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and the Forest Stewardship Council, cover a declining share, which peaked at 75% in 2006 then dropped continuously to reach 68% in 2015. The decrease is attributed to the demanding certification process associated with a decline in sales of certified wood products, which consumers often considered too expensive after the crisis.

Extractive industries
Tourism
ecological sustainable tourism, environmental education, financial support mechanisms
certification of environmentally sound tourism, organic farming
Certification costs and managerial skills under different organic certification schemes - Selected Case Studies: Czech Republic (2007)

Urban sprawl
Energy and infrastructure
Climate change
References

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Financing

Domestic public financing
Environmentally related tax revenue rose from 2.4% of GDP in 2000 to 2.9% in 2011, then declined to 2.6% in 2015, well above the OECD average of 1.6%. Taxes on energy products account for the bulk of this revenue (78%, compared with the OECD average of 70%), while taxes related to transport (excluding fuels) generate relatively low revenue (16%, vs. 27% in the OECD). The rise in environmentally related tax revenue was driven by increased transport fuel consumption to 2008. Despite new taxes on energy products, the environmental tax burden in the economy has declined in recent years.
Between 2005 and 2015, environmental expenditure rose from 1.2% of GDP to 1.5%. This trend was driven by increased public investment in wastewater management as well as higher private investment in air and climate protection stimulated by the New Green Savings Programme in 2013. Over the same period, operational expenditure on waste management grew considerably while spending on soil and groundwater, including contaminated site remediation, decreased. In 2016, environmental expenditure fell to 1.2% with the transition to the new EU programming period. Capital expenditure accounted for 45% of total spending on environmental protection and current expenditure for 55%.

Reporting framework
Directly related central biodiversity expenditure in millions of Czech crowns (CZK): 1879.16 (2006), 1285.91 (2007), 1100.04 (2008), 1510.08 (2009), 1986.22 (2010), 1703.33 (2011), 1426.95 (2012)
Report2005, Report2009
public expenditure for nature conservation and landscape protection, support for non-productive agricultural functions

Private revenues
Biodiversity funds
State Environmental Fund, National Trust EcoFund (NTEF); *Czech State Environment Fund, Annual report; *Czech State Environmental Fund

International financing
The Czech Republic joined the OECD Development Assistance Committee in 2013. Its net official development assistance (ODA) began at 0.11% of gross national income (GNI) and had risen to 0.14% by 2016. It will need to increase its budget for ODA significantly to meet its target of 0.33% of GNI by 2030. Bilateral aid has focused mostly on education (17% of gross bilateral aid), government and civil society (13%), water supply and sanitation (8%) and agriculture (also 8%).
Support to the environment decreased in real terms between 2012 and 2013 before recovering. In 2015, it represented 21% of bilateral allocable aid, below the DAC average of 30%. The Czech share of bilateral allocable aid focusing specifically on climate change reached 14% in 2015, compared with 24% on average in the DAC. The country has pledged USD 5.3 million (CZK 110 million) to the Green Climate Fund.
Environment and climate protection are among the cross-cutting priorities21 of the Czech Development Co-operation Strategy. However, mainstreaming these priorities into programmes is a work in progress. The Czech Development Agency has focal points on environment. It screens and monitors projects for the environment focus and is trying to develop a methodology for integrating cross-cutting priorities into projects more systematically. Human resource capacity is constrained, however, and there is limited leadership and advocacy for these issues within the system.

(2014) Bilateral and multilateral development assistance, other public funds (2006-2012)
(2012) Rio marker (bio) 2002-2012
(2014) Concept of Foreign Development Cooperation of the Czech Republic in 2010 - 2017: mentioned biodiversity conservation
(2005) as a donor
trade in endangered species
(2005) foreign direct investment, export credit and the environment

References

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