FinMin reduces fees for EU students

Brno, Jan 25 (CTK) - Students from other EU member states attending Czech schools have the right to the reduced fare in the Czech Republic thanks to the intervention of Ombudsman Pavel Varvarovsky, his office's spokeswoman Iva Hrazdilkova told CTK yesterday.

On the ombudsman's recommendation, the Finance Ministry modified conditions for the right to students' fare for students under 26 years as from January 1, 2012, deleting the condition of permanent residence in the Czech Republic.

According to Varvarovsky, this condition discriminated against students from other EU member states studying at Czech schools as well as children of foreigners living in the Czech Republic.

"The ombudsman has assessed the case on the basis of a Slovak student's complaint," Hrazdilkova said.

The reduced fare is to support commuting students. The state compensates carriers for the lower price.

Varvarovsky has pointed out that the ban on discrimination on the grounds of citizenship is embedded in the EU primary law and it is in harmony with an equal position of citizens from all EU countries.

The Finance Ministry originally defended the regulation saying it is entirely in the state's power to decide on its support for students.

Varvarovsky challenged this opinion. He argued that such a stance limited a free movement and access to services of citizens from other EU member states.

The ministry accepted the argument eventually and issued a new regulation under which all students in a full-time study programme can use the reduced fare on the route between their place of residence and school in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) also dealt with the case in the past. However, it rejected the Slovak student's complaint in 2010 saying it does not have enough powers to abolish the regulation.