The main objective of Czech regional policy is to improve quality of life in all types of regions with a focus on facilitating cohesion and boosting competitiveness. Each region should have the opportunity to pursue balanced development with respect to its potentials and specific features.
The Strategy of the Regional Development of the Czech Republic constitutes the basic regional policy instrument, over which the Ministry has legal authority. It secures the coherence of the national regional policy with the regional policy of the European Union and forms the basis for regionally targeted development programmes financed exclusively from national sources or co-financed from the sources of the European Union. As the national authority for strategic management and planning in the public administration, the Ministry of Regional Development focuses on improving the quality of public policies and strategies and general strategic tools and manages the Database of Strategies providing a comprehensive overview of approved public administration strategy documents.
Czech regional policy places particular emphasis on urban and rural development. The Ministry of Regional Development creates a national framework for urban policy defined by the Principles of Urban Policy. Integrated Territorial Investment is used as the main instrument of urban policy to support the development of Functional Urban Areas in the Czech Republic for the 2021-2027 programming period. The Ministry of Regional Development coordinates strategic rural development planning through the Rural Development Concept. The Ministry also helps municipalities by providing methodological support, including practical publications (water treatment, building restoration, negotiations with investors, etc.) and seminars and workshops. The Ministry is also responsible for important rural development instruments, e.g. CLLD and specific national funding programmes. It collaborates closely with the Technological Agency of the Czech Republic on applied research focusing on rural development and related topics.
Specific attention is paid to the use of new technologies in urban and regional development with the general aim of improving the quality of life in Czech cities. The Ministry of Regional Development provides methodological support for the implementation of the Smart Cities concept in urban governance and coordinates networking and sharing of examples of good practices, including best practices from abroad.
Regional Development Strategy 21+ documents