Second Swiss Contribution to the Czech Republic

(status: April 2024)

On 29 June 2023, the Framework Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and the Government of the Czech Republic on the implementation of the Second Swiss Contribution to selected Member States of the European Union to reduce economic and social disparities within the European Union was signed. This programme has total allocation of 90 mil. CHF (= Swiss contribution of 76.9 mil. CHF + Czech co-financing of 13.3 mil. CHF) for the period 2023-2029.

In the meanwhile, negotiations of four thematic areas between the Swiss and the Czech side are on the way. Approval of those thematic measures is set into two stages. By the end of March 2024, all support measures passed the first milestone. Clearer contours of all thematic programmes are known now.

The most advanced support measure is the Sustainable tourism and enhancing biodiversity Programme with Swiss contribution of 38.4 mil. CHF under the auspices of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The programme operator on the Czech side is the Ministry of Environment. This Programme aims to address two main causes of biodiversity decline (1) landscape fragmentation and (2) excessive tourism. The first pillar enhances water and land connectivity of species populations as well as landscape permeability and stability. The second pilar focuses on systematic changes to management of visitor flows on nature wealth and ecosystem services in selected localities. This support measure contributes to the Swiss specific objective of protecting the environment and the climate change by addressing nature conservation and biodiversity.

The Czech–Swiss Research Infrastructure Initiative Programme with Swiss contribution of 13 mil. CHF is under the patronage of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The programe operator on the Czech side is the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. This programme aims to address (1) financing of partnership initiatives between national nodes of distributed infrastructures in which Switzerland and the Czech Republic participate either as a member or an observer and (2) facilitating the integration of Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) in the Czech Republic into the international networks, its promotion and attracting researchers to perform their research in this research facility. This support measure contributes to the Swiss specific objective promoting economic growth and social dialogue, reducing (youth) unemployment by supporting research and innovation.

Assisting Migrants to Integrate into the Czech Republic Progamme with Swiss contribution of 14 mil. CHF is another support measure under the auspices of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The programme operator on the Czech side is the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. This programme aims to economically and socially integrate persons from the territory of Ukraine (as a result of Russia's ongoing military aggression against Ukraine) and third-country nationals legally residing in the Czech Republic. Several tailor-made activities will be financed from the Swiss funds to achieve this goal. This support measure contributes to the Swiss specific objective managing migration and supporting integration by improving providing support to migration management and promoting integration measure.

The last support measure is the Homecare Programme with Swiss contribution of 10 mil. CHF, which is under the patronage of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The programe operator on the Czech side is the Ministry of Health. This support measure focuses on the implementation of systematic solutions to strengthen the role of homecare in the Czech Republic. The goals are to (1) improve patient care coordination in the social and health areas, (2) increase the efficiency and quality of systematic homecare provision and (3) strengthen the framework for the evaluation and funding of homecare. This support measure contributes to the Swiss specific objective strengthening of social systems by addressing health and social protection.

It is expected that all four thematic programmes will be approved in the second half of the year 2024 and first calls for proposals will be launched shortly after. Up-to-date information about the negotiations are available on the website of Czech Ministry of Finance https://www.swiss-contribution.cz

Information about the calls for proposals in individual thematic areas will be available after the approval of the support measure on the website of the programme operator.