Billions from Brussels: How EU Money is Powering Czechia’s Growth

Czechia has successfully launched the 2021-2027 European funding period, with 13% of the available funds already reimbursed—far exceeding the European average of 7.5%.

By the end of 2024, more than half of the allocated funds had already been contractually secured. This means that beneficiaries—businesses, municipalities, and institutions—have committed to using these resources for specific projects aimed at economic growth, sustainability, and innovation.

Environmental Protection

EU funds have played a crucial role in reducing air pollution, improving water purification, and promoting energy efficiency, leading to a better quality of life for residents.

Key achievements (2014–2020):

• The percentage of people living in areas with high air pollution dropped from 26.5% to just 1.4%.
• Annual energy consumption fell by 3.2 million GJ, equivalent to 3.5% of Czechia’s total heat consumption.
• Composting increased by 70%, preventing over 305,000 tons of waste from ending up in landfills.
• More than 88,800 households replaced solid fuel boilers with environmentally friendly alternatives.

Modernizing Transport Infrastructure

EU funds have helped expand and modernize roads, highways, and railways, making travel faster and safer across the country.

Key achievements (2014–2020):

• 357 km of new roads and highways were constructed, while 1,500 km were reconstructed.
• One in four municipalities improved connections to regional capitals.
• 439 km of railways and 43 railway stations were modernized, along with 26 km of new metro, tram, and trolleybus lines.
• The number of trains on upgraded railways rose by 14%, reducing travel times.

Boosting Business Competitiveness

EU funding has been essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fostering economic growth, digitalization, and regional development.

Key achievements (2014–2020):

• Financial support for SMEs helped revitalize 1,500 brownfield sites into business and residential hubs, covering an area the size of 36,500 football fields.
• High-speed internet reached 18,125 households in remote areas, improving digital accessibility.
• The Citizen Portal was launched, providing access to over 400 online government services.

Advancing Research, Development, and Innovation

EU funds have strengthened collaboration between research institutions and companies, accelerating the practical application of scientific discoveries.

Key achievements (2014–2020):

• Industry-academic partnerships grew by two-thirds, fostering 3,525 collaborations between companies and research institutions.
• Nearly 4,000 applied research results led to new or improved products and services.
• Scientific output improved in both quantity and quality, countering a previous decline.