Lenient environmental legislation to aid companies save

Prague, Jan 30 (CTK) - The government yesterday adopted a plan of the Environment and Industry and Trade Ministries for relaxing rules in the area of environmental protection thanks to which domestic firms will save Kc8bn a year, Prime Minister Petr Necas told journalists.

The proposal seeks to boost competitiveness and business activity in the Czech Republic from a point of view of environmental protection legislation, Necas said.

"The business sector may save over Kc8bn annually ... and one-off cost savings would be Kc1.7bn," he added.

The material is a part of an eco-audit which gathers information from the business sector about regulations relating to environmental protection. The eco-audit aims to improve the business environment and cut red tape.

The government approved a plan of the Industry and Trade Ministry to raise investment support for manufacturing projects in problem regions from the current 75 to 100 percent, the press department has said.

The support will be provided to districts whose rate of unemployment is at least 50 percent higher than the Czech average or to entities in regions supported by the state.

A Kc100m project in northern Moravia, for instance, was entitled to get from the state, region, self-governing unit or the EU a maximum of 75 percent from the amount of Kc40m, while under the new plan it may get the whole Kc40m sum.

The government decided that the National Security Office (NBU) would manage and operate the Public Regulated Service of the European satellite navigation system Galileo in the Czech Republic.

The system will start providing services at the end of 2014.

The PRS service is primarily designed for state security forces and other integrated rescue system units.

The Transport Ministry said the NBU had the necessary powers and also premises to manage the system.

Out of the total of 30 satellites, four Galileo satellites are currently in orbit.

Galileo's first services for motorists will be provided with 14 satellites in orbit.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) headquarters are located in Prague's Holesovice since last September.