Select a project of interest on the map

Elbe dam

The dam to facilitate water transportation near Děčín would irreparably harm the Danube’s last free flowing section in the Czech Republic and the unique Elbe Canyon, which is planned as a NATURA 2000 site. The dam would lead to a loss of rich river ecosystems, including beaver, otter and many fish species.

D8 motorway, section 0805

Constructing the remaining 16.4 kilometres on the Prague-Dresden motorway would pass through the protected landscape area of České Středohoří, which Alexander von Humboldt once referred to as “the third most beautiful view in the world”.

R35 expressway

This controverisal 30 kilometre section of expressway between Turnov and Úlibice near Opatovice nad Labem is part of the 2010 regional strategy and would potentially cut the unique “Czech Paradise” UNESCO-protected landscape. The costs of the Opatovice crossing have also risen unreasonably high and are under question by the Commission.

Most waste incinerator

This region has the highest ratio of municipal waste production in the Czech Republic, so first decreasing waste generation through waste prevention should be the first programs for support. The capacity of the planned incinerator should then decrease accordingly.

Prague expressway ringroad R1 - NW sections

The southern variant for Prague’s ring road has received official backing, even though it would cut through residential and protected natural areas and recreational sites, while increasing heavy transit traffic through the city and more frequent traffic jams. This variant is more complex with tunnels and bridges, costing the city exhorbitantly and creating safety hazards. By contrast, the northern alternative that bypasses urban areas is clearly recommended in the environmental impact assessment and costs at least EUR 165 million less. Nevertheless the Ministry of Transport is still pursuing the southern variant and considers avoiding EU funding for the most problematic parts of the project.

Reconstruction of the railway bridge in Kolín

The project would increase the height of a railway bridge underpass to enable river navigation. However the project has been questioned for its economic and financial feasibility, as too little water transport is expected to justify the project, construction costs are prohibitively high, and the sole company participating in the tender procedure was awarded the contract. The project should not be supported with EU funds, as the rationale is unclear and issues related to the transparency of contracting are serious.

Regional integrated centre for recovery of municipal waste for the Moravian–Silesian region

The capacity of this incerator would be built to correspond with the nearly 500 000 annual tons of municipal solid waste produced. Yet installing this much capacity would undermine EU targets for a 50 percent recycling ratio and decreasing the overall amount of municipal solid waste generally. The unpopular incinerator would also be constructed in an area with some of the highest air pollution levels in Europe, a situation which incineration would exacerbate.

Chotíkov municipal waste incinerator

This incenerator would serve Plzen at a capacity of nearly 100 000 tonnes per year, but its location in the nearby village of Chotikov faces strong local opposition. No alternative solutions were assessed, and the general planning proceedings did not include a proper environmental impact assesment process.

Prague – České Budějovice motorway/expressway connection (D3 and R4)

The R4 expressway via Písek has been discussed and under piecemeal construction since the 1970s and could provide the missing link if extended further south to České Budějovice. The longer and similar D3 route via Tábor has also been under construction since the late 1990s, in spite of no clear economic justification and severe clashes with protected nature areas in the Prague vicinity. Czech transport authorities are however investing in both routes.

Railway junction reconstruction in Brno

The main railway station would be moved about one kilometre from its current location in the city centre, complicating the lives of tens of thousands of commuters and increasing travel times. A 2004 local referendum concluded that modernising the station in its current location is widely favoured and far more appropriate.

R55 expressway

The 10-kilometre section between Olomouc and Břeclav would cross a NATURA 2000 site and endanger protected bird habitats. A tunnel variant is under consideration, but this would cost nearly three times more than the alternative proposal that would also bypass the NATURA 2000 area.

R52 expressway

The project includes 20 kilometres of new expressway and repairing an existing 10 between Brno and Vienna.This section would adversely affect three NATURA 2000 sites and several unique Moravian landscapes, including the Pálava UNESCO biospheric reserve and the Lednice-Valtice cultural complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site.