Czech Republic

SenateChamber of Deputies

Chamber of Deputies

Openness and transparency

Information about access to parliamentary documents, parliament’s reporting to the public, parliament’s relation to Freedom of Information laws, and lobbying.

Parliamentary documents

The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance The agendas of plenary meetings are published online in advance.
The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance The agendas of committee meetings are published online in advance.
Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site Results of votes on draft legislation are published on the parliamentary web site.
Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website Draft legislation is published on the parliamentary website.
Citizens can submit comments on draft legislation on the parliamentary web site

Annual reporting by parliament

Parliament publishes an annual report on its activities
Parliament publishes the parliamentary budget
Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public Level of detail of the parliamentary budget made available to the public: Only the total amount; A summary of the main elements; The complete budget
A summary of the main elements
The parliamentary budget is available on the parliamentary web site
Yes

Access to parliament

Plenary meetings are open to the public
Notes
No special restrictions. National ID Card/passport is necessary to enter the parliamentary premises.
Committee meetings are open to the public
Notes
Committee meetings can be voted to be closed if classified information is being debated. Visitors must have a National ID Card/passport to enter the parliamentary premises.
There is a dedicated channel for broadcasting parliamentary meetings A dedicated channel is one that is mainly about parliament, and is accessible free of charge to the general public. The channel might be owned by Parliament or a public or private company. Dedicated channels may be broadcast by parliament, government, or another broadcaster. They may be carried on television, radio or the Internet (webcasting).
Media used for the dedicated channel
Webcast
Meetings broadcast on the dedicated channel
Plenary sittings
Committee meetings

Freedom of information

There is a freedom of information law in the country
Yes
Parliament is subject to the freedom of information law
Parliament has an office/division dedicated to FOI requests
Yes
Categories of Information that are exempt from disclosure Certain categories of information may be exempt from disclosure
Act No. 106/1999 Coll., Act on Free Access to Information: https://www.mvcr.cz/soubor/act-on-free-access-to-information-1999-pdf.aspx
The Information Act sets rules for the provision and processing of information, including the requirements and manner of request, deadline, remedies and manner of providing information. It does not apply to classified information (Section 7), priviate individual information within the bounds of data protection laws (Section 8a), and protected trade secrets (Seciton 9). The obligation to provide information also does not apply to inquiries on opinions, future decisions and the creation of new information.


Lobbying

There are rules about the activities of lobbyists in parliament
There is a register of accredited lobbyists