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VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS OF MUNICIPALITIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

G. Kocourkova, D. Hrabincova, A. Ticha, R. Hladik

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the current state of the register of municipalities in the Czech Republic with a focus on their influence on the development and operation of the technical infrastructure. Voluntary associations of municipalities represent one of the ways of interregional cooperation; the purpose of all associations of municipalities is to provide public services to their members. The first voluntary associations in the Czech Republic were founded in the early 1990s. Roughly half of the associations of municipalities were established in order to build water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment plants. Until early 1990s, the technical infrastructure throughout the state was centralized. Unlike the other network sectors, such as gas or electricity, water supply sector does not have one owner and independent regulator. Currently there is a large number of owners and operators of water supply network and sewerage system in the Czech Republic. Part of the water supply network is owned by municipalities; however, some municipalities have sold their network. Other municipalities have kept the network and have rented the operating part to the private sector. This is related to the emergence of problems both with financing the operation and reconstruction of technical infrastructure and drawing of European grants. The presented article maps the solutions to these problems in the Czech Republic and examines in detail the involvement of voluntary associations of municipalities operating in the South Moravian Region. The analysis of the current state of water supply and sewerage system of municipalities in the South Moravian Region was elaborated with the support of the extensive recherchГ© and marketing survey. Based on the obtained findings was, in the frame of the research project, finalized still incomplete public database and detailed maps showing the involvement of voluntary associations of municipalities in the complicated issue of water supply network and sewerage system in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.

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