Prague, Aug 1 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman signed the bill on European political parties and foundations into law today, which enables their operation in the country, the Presidential Office has announced.
Zeman also signed amendments to the laws on an online register of contracts, classified information, protection against animal torture, social insurance and advocacy.
He also confirmed stricter rules for the possession of substances from which biological and toxin weapons might be made, including compulsory measures preventing the theft of these substances.
Czech parliament dealt with the bill on EU parties twice this year because the Senate rejected a clause on the possibility of transforming a Czech party into a European one. The senators argued that a Czech party would not meet the conditions, such as membership of people from various EU countries.
The bill is based on an EU directive from 2014, which aimed to facilitate the operation of European political parties and foundations by upgrading the host country’s coordination with the EU authority where European parties and foundations are registered.
The directive secures the legal capacity and recognition of European political parties in all EU member countries.
According to the government data, there are 18 political parties operating on a European level and the same number of associated foundations, mainly in Belgium, Denmark, France and Italy.
The law on online register of contracts set the duty for state, regional and municipal firms and organisations to release all contracts worth over 50,000 crowns in the register. The amendment granted a partial exemption from the law to some state-controlled companies in order to protect sensitive business data. Collective bargaining agreements and contracts concerning the handling of explosives will not have to be released online either.
The amendment to the law on classified information improves the security of electronically sent sensitive data. It applies the data processing rules for paper documents to electronic files and databases.
Under the amendment to the law on protection against animal maltreatment, fur farms will be banned in the Czech Republic as of 2019.
As a result of the amendment to the social insurance law, employees on a long sickness leave will be paid higher benefits.
The amendment to the advocacy law extends the scope of legal services that the state covers on behalf of poor people.
