Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ...

construction can proceed despite the negative assessment), recommendations from
the EIA process are almost always respected in the practice.
As regards the support of eco-innovations, education and awareness are extremely
important (both in the public sector and in the whole population) because in this way,
demand for environmentally beneficial products and services can be stimulated and
a market with eco-innovations can be created.
In the Czech Republic, the following informational tools are used to support
environmental technologies and eco-innovations:
● environmental impact assessment (EIA),
● monitoring and evaluating the state of environment,
● environmental education and awareness (in particular the State Programme of
Environmental Education and Awareness),
● specialized information tools (e.g. a database of environmentally harmful support
measures).
Voluntary tools are the most important informational, moral and economic kind
of support for environmentally friendly products and services because they raise the
interest of producers in environmental technologies and in eco-innovations and they
stimulate the establishment and development of the environmental market, because
producers naturally promote their products and thus encourage demand. Environmental
education and awareness are of utmost importance.
Voluntary tools include systems of environmental management (EMAS, ISO 14000),
cleaner production, eco-design, evaluation of life cycle and voluntary agreements
between the private sector and public administration.
In the Czech Republic, the following voluntary tools are used to support
environmental technologies and eco-innovations:
● labelling (national labelling system),
● systems of environmental management (EMAS, ISO 14000),
● projects of cleaner production,
● voluntary agreements.
1.2.2 | The current situation in the area of supporting environmental
technologies and eco-innovations at the European Union level
The main political document in the area of supporting environmental technologies
and eco-innovations is the European Technologies Action Plan of the European Union
proclaimed in an announcement of the European Commission addressed to the Council and
European Parliament of 28 January 2004 and approved by the Council in March 2004.
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