The Ministry of the Environment, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, guarantees the protection of biodiversity in the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for agro-biodiversity, implying responsibility for genetic resources for food and agriculture.
In 1993 the Ministry of Agriculture established the National Program on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture to ensure long-term preservation, accessibility and sustainable use of genetic resources relevant for food and agriculture within the Czech Republic.
For the period 2023-2027, a new program document of the National Program on Conservation and Utilization of Plant, Animal and Microbial Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture was approved (still in Czech only).
The mission of the National Programme is to ensure the necessary extent, according to national legislation, international conventions, standards, and according to user’s needs, the activities essential for safe long-term storage and efficient utilization of genetic resources.
The programme has three specific parts (sub-programmes) governed both by the general rules common to all sub-programmes and also by specific rules related individual sub-programmes. These regulations are listed in the Annexes of the National Programme and they are based on relevant national legislation:
According to the Act no. 148/2003 Coll.:
National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources and Agro-biodiversity (NPPGR)
(Person authorized for this part by the Ministry of Agriculture is Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507, 161 06 Praha 6 Ruzyne)
and
National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources of Microorganisms and Small Animals with Economic Importance
(Person authorized for this part by the Ministry of Agriculture is Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507, 161 06 Praha 6 Ruzyne)
According to the Breeding Act:
National Programme on Conservation and Utilization of Animal Genetic Resources Important for Food and Agriculture
(Designated Entity for this part is the Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi 815, 104 10 Praha 14 – Uhrineves)