In the Czech Republic, the state will be able to seize private land for military facilities for defense purposes. The relevant amendments to the law on ensuring the country's defense were approved by the Czech Senate.
The bill provides that the most important military facilities can only be owned by the state. If the Czech Ministry of Defense fails to reach an agreement with private land owners on the purchase within three years, it will be able to restrict or withdraw their ownership. At the same time, the amendment will allow the Ministry of Defense to offer owners of the plots on which the facilities are located higher redemption prices than before. The State will be able to resort to compulsory withdrawal only as a last resort.
At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic emphasized that the main purpose of the legislative act is to correct the situation in which the state does not own all the land under the ammunition depots in Tinishta-nad-Orlici, Dobronin, Chermna-nad-Orlici and Travchitsy. The Agency considers this fact as a security threat, since the owners can lease or sell the plots, and the state will not be able to prevent this. After approval by the Senate, the amendment will be submitted to the President for signature.
Earlier, Czech Defense Minister Jana Chernokhova stated that the amendment was prepared by the Ministry of Defense due to the fact that some land plots under military facilities belong to private individuals, for example, as a result of restitution. According to her, the law should prevent the possibility of such sites falling into the hands of unfriendly persons.