Protection of mineral deposits in a context of land-use planning as a part of raw materials policy.

Abstract

This dissertation thesis provides a complex and multi-dimensional analysis of protection of mineral deposits (so called “mineral safeguarding”) in a context of land use planning as a part of raw materials policy. The overall objective was to assess the concept of mineral safeguarding in the Czech Republic in the eyes and knowledge about European Union´s strategy in raw materials and good practice examples. The analysis was done on different administrative levels (from European, to national, regional, and local) and the interconnection between mineral and land use planning policies and legislation was investigated. The thesis provides an overview of EU strategy on security of minerals supply from domestic resources and findings of EU-funded projects focused on mineral safeguarding and management of mineral resources in land use planning, including the knowledge on mineral safeguarding practices in other European countries. The Czech policy and legal framework on raw materials, protection, and use of mineral resources, and on land use planning were studied in detail. The analysis and the following assessment were focused on several aspects of mineral safeguarding in relation to land use planning: (data management, mineral deposit´s identification, implementation and decision-making, competences of different stakeholders). The study includes analysis of four Czech implementation practice examples. The perspective of future development of mineral safeguarding was explored by research on stakeholders´ opinion via structured questionnaires of the Delphi Survey complemented by illustration of five European good practice examples and their applicability in the Czech context. The findings have been assessed and discussed in order to set recommendations to competent authorities in the area of raw material policies and land use planning.