At stake are hundreds of millions of crowns and the “pearl” of Czech science. At an estimated cost of Kč 6.7 billion, the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) will be built in Dolní Břežany, with the price of the land beneath it one of the few sticking points.
European Union funds were meant to cover the costs in full. The Institute of Physics (FZÚ) at the Czech Academy of Sciences (AV ČR), the recipient of the grant, derived the land purchase price — initially at some Kč 3,762 per square meter — based on an assessment by the firm Montekal, and a deal was agreed with the current landowner, the Archbishopric of Prague.
However, the Education Ministry (MŠMT) later ordered its own evaluation, carried out by YBN Consult and the president of the Czech Association of Property Valuers, Bedřich Malý, which assessed its value at Kč 1,000/sq m. Given the size of the plot in question, it’s an appreciable difference. In the first phase of the project, ELI will require 40,618 sq m and in the second phase 34,367 sq m, and for related, small scientific projects 9,573 sq m. All together, according to Montekal’s review, the cost will reach Kč 283.2 million.
The AV ČR and MŠMT failed to find middle ground, so to speak, and so did not arrive at a figure as for what to deduct from the European Union funds. This resulted in a third “conciliatory” evaluation by the University of Economics in Prague (VŠE), which arrived at a figure some Kč 2,300 higher than had the second appraisal, but did not resolve the problem.
Fourth time a charm?
The European Union would not pay the full price of the land as assessed by the first review at which according to the contract the FZÚ must buy the lots from the Archbishopric of Prague and went with the third assessment by the VŠE. Even after all the corrections, the AV ČR is still short Kč 100.15 million.
After an attempt to commission a fourth (even “more suitable”) review, which the EU resolutely called off, the ministry took another route. Last week, Education Minister Josef Dobeš (Public Affairs, VV) said “nothing now stands in the way of buying the plot” and he has “no doubts about the successful realization” of the ELI super laser project. But is everything truly resolved?
Czech Position was the first and only media to report on the huge discrepancy in the assessed price of the land back in April. While local reporters didn’t bother to follow up on the story, it did not escape the attention of Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats, ODS) and a number of parliamentarians; bookkeepers in Brussels, citing the article, called upon Minster Dobeš and the leadership of the MŠMT to explain the situation at an upcoming visit to Prague.
Much time has since passed. Czech public television (ČT) last week reported that the AV ČR, which is responsible for the ELI super laser’s construction, is still short some hundred million crowns — the difference between the contracted price and the number arrived at in the third assessment — and according to the report, the academy must make up the difference from its own budget. AV ČR will get roughly Kč 60 mln extra from the state budget, our sources say, and try to get the Archbishopric of Prague to come down on its price to cover the remainder
According to Czech Position’s information, however, the AV ČR will get roughly Kč 60 million extra from the state budget and try to get the Archbishopric of Prague to come down on its price to cover the remainder. It has yet to buy additional plots in the Dolní Břežany area in the hands of other owners at a pre-agreed price. The exact way in which the academy will finance all of this is still under discussion; most likely, it will be through additional funds earmarked for international research.
The AV ČR is under the gun as regards securing agreements about future agreements. The so-called national decision for the ELI super laser was — according to information from a Czech Position source — issued a few days ago, and therefore it’s necessary to carry out quickly; the deadline approaches.
“The question about the purchase of land for the ELI project is resolved and the sale contract will be signed in September,” the executive director of the project, Prof. Vlastimil Růžička, said in an August 4 press release.
What was the problem, then? And who was responsible for it?
“It is not important to determine who caused it. I can unequivocally declare that the Institute of Physics (FZÚ) throughout the preparatory process made the maximum effort to ensure compliance with both legal regulations and the terms of the MŠMT. The review, on which numerous officials worked [i.e., the lowest assessment by YBN Consult at Kč 1,000 per sq m] suffers from significant shortcomings, among them its starting point from narrow quantity of information,” Jan Řídký of the FZÚ at the AV ČR told Czech Position in early June.
“Remember that the purpose of the future research complex is the installation of a unique system. The choice of location for the construction of the building must necessarily exactly follow the requirements, otherwise the entire investment could be rendered useless,” he said. According to Minister Dobeš the solution is at hand, and ELI will come into being.
Truly a clear win-win situation?
At first glance, it seems all sides stand to gain in a win-win situation: Dobeš won’t need to come up with hundreds of millions of crowns; his first deputy, Jakub Hodinář, who is responsible for EU funding issues can give out more grants; the bean counters in Brussels will be satisfied; the church will be compensated at market price for the brownfield site outside of Prague. Even the mayor of neighboring Zlatníků-Hodkovic can rejoice that his land will be snapped up.
But in reality many important question linger. Why did it take the Education Ministry half a year to resolve such a crucial question? Were it not for one attentive bookkeeper, who requested the second price control review, would the price have been extravagant? Whose palms would have been greased? Is the law itself too lax in allowing for such differing appraisal prices? And is the Dolní Břežany locality really as unique and perfect a spot for the ELI super laser project as is proclaimed in the contracts? Is no one to blame for the “administrative problems”? One thing is for certain: Taxpayers will be asked for tens of millions of crowns more.
See related article: World’s most powerful laser to be developed near Prague
