Civil Emergency Planning Committee

In its Resolution No. 671 of 2 June 2008, accompanying the Report on the Activities of the National Security Council, the Government of the Czech Republic has, among other items, approved the following:

Statutes of the Civil Emergency Planning Committee

Article 1

Introductory Provisions

1. The Civil Emergency Planning Committee (hereinafter as “Committee”) is a standing working body of the National Security Council. It is responsible for the area of civil emergency planning and for the coordination and planning of measures to safeguard the protection of the country's internal security.

2. The Committee was established under Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 391 of 10 June 1998 on the National Security Council and on the planning of measures to safeguard the security of the Czech Republic.

Article 2

Competency of the Committee

1. The Committee coordinates the matters, which are called out under Article 1, Paragraph 1, with a focus on the planning of measures for the protection of the population and the economy and the protection of critical infrastructure These include the implementation of measures to be taken in the event of a nuclear accident[1], preventative measures to be taken against the use of weapons of mass destruction – including solutions to mitigation any consequences of their use – and the harmonization of requirements for any civil resources that might be required in order to maintain the security of the Czech Republic. The Committee is also involved in the area of security research for the Czech Republic. As part of its competencies, as specified in Paragraph 1, the Committee has the responsibility to carry out the following activities:

a) Evaluate and review plans for preparatory planning and conceptual measures and activities.

b) Facilitate any necessary interdepartmental coordination of preparatory planning and conceptual measures and activities.

c) Evaluate the execution of the preparatory planning and conceptual measures and activities and propose the implementation of any necessary preventative measures.

d) Evaluate, review and coordinate the activities of the Czech Republic's representatives that have been appointed to the bodies of the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other international entities.

e) Review the Plan for the Creation of Civil Resources Required to Facilitate the Security of the Czech Republic.

f) Coordinate security research in the Czech Republic.

Article 3

Makeup of the Committee

1. The Committee has 22 members.

2. The Interior Minister is the Chairperson of the Committee. The First Deputy Interior Minister is the Executive Vice-Chairperson of the Committee.

3. Other members of the Committee are:

a) Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

b) Deputy Minister of Agriculture

c) Deputy Minister of Defense

d) Deputy Minister of Finance

e) Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade

f) Deputy Minister of Transportation

g)Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs

h) Deputy Minister of Culture

i) Deputy Minister of the Environment

j) Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports

k) Deputy Minister of Health

l) Deputy Minister of Justice

m) Chairperson of the Council of the Czech Telecommunication Office

n) Chairperson of the State Office for Nuclear Safety

o) Vice-Governor of the Czech National Bank

p) Chairperson of the Administration of State Material Reserves

q) Director of the National Security Authority

r) Director of the Secretariat of the National Security Council

s) Director General of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic

t) President of the Police

4. The meetings of the Committee are also attended by a representative of the Security Information Service (hereinafter as "permanent observer").

5. The members of the Committee are appointed and removed by the respective ministers, the heads of central administrative bodies and the Governor of the Czech National Bank – if not already listed under Paragraph 3.

6. The members of the Committee attend all meetings and, only in exceptional situations, can they have a substitute attend the meeting who is a designated employee of their office (who is at least at a departmental director level). In such situations, the substitute has the same rights and obligations as a regular member of the Committee.

7. Changes to the makeup of the Committee are reported in writing to the chairperson of the Committee by the respective ministers, heads of central administrative bodies and the Governor of the Czech National Bank. The changes are recorded, applied and archived by the secretariat of the Committee.

Article 4

Meetings of the Committee

1. The meetings of the Committee are not open to the public and they are subject to the Committee's Procedural Rules.

2. Meetings of the Committee are called by the chairperson of the Committee and, in the chairperson's absence, by the executive vice-chairperson of the Committee or by a designated member of the Committee. The Committee meets:

a) Regularly on scheduled dates, at least once every 3 months.

b) As required – this includes special meetings that are scheduled at the request of a Committee member.

Article 5

Working Bodies of the Committee

1. To look into any particular subject issues, the Committee may set up – using members of the Committee, the permanent observer, the representatives of the respective ministries and other administrative offices and invited experts – subcommittees and working bodies of experts and appoint the heads of such work groups.

2. The heads of the subcommittees and working bodies of experts oversee the meetings of these work groups and submit the materials prepared by the respective work group to be reviewed at the meetings of the Committee.

Article 6

Secretariat of the Committee

1. The designated section of the Interior Ministry, responsible for the area of civil emergency planning, acts as the secretariat of the Committee, handling the administrative activities of the Committee.

2. The head of the secretariat of the Committee is appointed and removed from the position by the Minister of the Interior.

Article 7

External Cooperation

As required, the Committee may invite to its meetings representatives of various ministries and other administrative offices that are not members of the Committee as well as inviting to such meetings other experts. Decisions regarding invitations to such meetings are made by the chairperson of the Committee, based on the recommendations of members of the Committee.

Article 8

Committee Procedural Rules and Organizational Rules of the Committee

1. The Committee's Procedural Rules and any changes or amendments thereto are subject to approval by the National Security Council.

2. The internal structure of the Committee and the organization of its work are set out in the Organizational Rules of the Committee, which are approved by the Committee.

3. Meetings of subcommittees and working bodies of experts are governed by the respective Procedural Rules of such bodies.

Article 9

Final Provisions

1. Changes and amendments to these statutes are subject to being approved by the government.

2. These statutes are available to the public on an internet website and at the seat of the Office of the Government.

3. These statutes come into effect on 2 June 2008.

In its Resolution No. 171 of 15 April 2008, the National Security Council of the Czech Republic approved the following:

Procedural Rules

of the Civil Emergency Planning Committee

Article 1

Introductory Provisions

1. The Procedural Rules of the Civil Emergency Planning Committee (hereinafter as "Procedural Rules") is an internal directive of the Civil Emergency Planning Committee (hereinafter as "Committee"), which regulates the activities of the Committee.

2. The Procedural Rules are being issued in accordance with Article 8 of the Committee's Statutes, approved under the Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 813 of 22 August 2001, as last amended.

Article 2

Scheduling of a Committee Meeting

The members of the Committee, as listed under Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Committee's statutes, and the permanent observer, as specified under Article 3, Paragraph 4 of the Committee's statutes, and possibly also invited representatives of central governmental bodies and other experts – depending on the subject matter up for discussion – are invited to the Committee's meeting through a written invitation.

Article 3

Holding of a Committee Meeting

1. The meeting of the Committee is presided over by its chairperson. If absent the meeting is chaired by the executive vice-chairman of the Committee or by a designated member of the Committee.

2. The Committee has a quorum if a majority of its members are present.

3. Decisions reached at a meeting of the Committee are made by the Committee's members through voting. Such decisions either take the form of a resolution or the form of a proposal for a meeting of the National Security Council. A vote of a majority of all of the Committee's members is required in order to pass a resolution or proposal.

4. The meetings of the Committee are not open to the public and the meetings are subject to these Procedural Rules.

Article 4

Final Provisions

1. Changes and amendments to these Procedural Rules are subject to being approved by the National Security Council.

2. Should the Committee's Procedural Rules not cover a particular issue, the Committee can, as appropriate, proceed in accordance with the Procedural Rules of the National Security Council.

3. These Procedural Rules are available to the public on an internet website and at the seat of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. The internet version always features the full version of the currently valid Procedural Rules.

4. These Procedural Rules come into effect on 15 April 2008.