At its meeting on Monday 20 April 2026, Andrej Babiš's government approved the transfer of the agenda of the Industrial Cooperation Department, which was previously under the Ministry of Defence, to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It also supported a small amendment to the Construction Act to postpone the deployment of the National Geoportal for Spatial Planning by a year, which was submitted by Regional Development Minister Zuzana Mrázová as a member of parliament, and approved an action plan for the National Strategy for Countering Hybrid Action for two years. The Cabinet meeting was preceded by a meeting of the European Union Committee at government level.

The European Union Committee at government level discussed the position that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will take to the An informal European Council is held in Nicosia, Cyprus.. „One of the items on the agenda will be the multiannual financial framework for the period 2028-2034. The European Commission is proposing a fundamental change where instead of individual chapters and ministries negotiating money for these seven years, it proposes this in the agriculture and cohesion package. We do not like this because we think that a chapter such as health, for example, deserves a separate budget,“ Babiš said after the meeting.

„We also do not like the fact that the Commission proposes one of the highest declines for the Czech Republic among all Member States. In nominal terms, it is by twenty percent. Supposedly, this is on the basis of the fact that we are getting richer. We have a different opinion on this,“ stated the Prime Minister.

According to Prime Minister Babiš, the EU states should deal with the overall situation in the energy sector, developments around the Strait of Hormuz and securing gas and oil supplies. „I have just sent another letter to all the leaders of the European Union, to the President of the European Commission and to the President of the European Council, in which I start by saying that I am following up on further discussions about high energy prices and the revision of the ETS 1 and 2 emission allowance system. In the letter, I take stock that the European Union consumed 330 billion cubic metres of natural gas in 2025 and that domestic production is only ten per cent. And that the situation is even worse for oil. Consumption is 520 million tonnes and domestic production is only 0.5 per cent. This is a very detailed cookbook, a guide to how Europe should respond to what has happened or is still happening in the Middle East in the US-Iran conflict,“ řekl Babiš. „It would be good if Europe realised what has actually happened here and how to respond,“ dodal.

Vláda schválila transfer of the agenda of the Industrial Cooperation Department, including foreign cooperation, from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Jobs and funding for the agenda will be transferred with it. The change is intended to ensure more effective support for the Czech defence industry, including research, development and innovation, and to maintain or strengthen its position on world markets.

It will be possible to improve cooperation between expert services across key themes for industrial development or to streamline support to the defence industry through operational programmes. At the same time, close cooperation will be maintained with the Ministry of Defence, in particular the Ministry of Defence Intergovernmental Defence Cooperation Agency, and the Czech Army.

The Cabinet supported the proposal of the Minister for Regional Development Zuzana Mrázová for a small amendment to the Building Act. The amendment is to extend the transition period for the adaptation of the National Geoportal of Spatial Planning by one year from 30 June 2026 to 30 June 2027, so that this information system of the construction administration can be adapted to the changes brought about by the amendment to the Construction Act currently being discussed by the Parliament.

The government discussed and approved Action Plan for the National Strategy for Countering Hybrid Activities for 2026 and 2027. The plan contains a total of 23 tasks, six more than in the previous biennium, of which nine are completely new. The new tasks relate, for example, to economic security and supply chain vulnerabilities or research security to prevent unwanted technology transfer.

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