The Czech trade inspectorate overseas and inspects legal entities, corporations, as well as individual persons who sell or supply products or goods to local markets, provide services or are engaged in similar business activities on local markets, entities or institutions offering consumer loans or run so-called sale fairs and market places, unless these entities are supervised by other inspection authority, as described by applicable and special legal regulations.
The Czech Trade Inspectorate overseas and inspects:
- weather applicable regulations regarding product and goods quality, health, storage, transportation, as well as personal hygiene requirements and applicable processing and operational requirements are followed,
- whether applicable and tested measuring instruments are used during the sale of goods, whether such instruments are subject to testing checkups, whether the used measuring instruments comply with special legal regulations and requirements, technical standards or with other technical regulations and lastly, whether the used instruments represent the approved type or model,
- whether common regulations and standards describing quality of provided services are followed,
- whether special state-issued regulations or special legal requirements and other binding regulations relevant to the business or trading operations and service administration processes are followed,
- whether special regulations requiring placement of proper labels and markings on goods had been observed when such products or goods were introduced to market, or whether applicable document describing the properties of the product, was enclosed and attached to the product itself, whether properties of products sold on the market comply with the necessary technical requirements and also whether special regulations requesting placement of special markings and labelling on products, as described by applicable legal relations have been followed,
- whether consumers are happy with the product or not,
- whether products sold on the markets are safe,
- whether persons or institutions offering consumer loans comply with special requirements, as described by applicable legal law or regulations.
The Czech Trade Inspectorate performs inspection activities within the applicable scope, as described by these laws and regulations:
Law No. 64/1986 Coll., the Czech Trade Inspectorate law, as later amended,
Law No. 634/1992 Coll., The Consumer Protection law, as later amended,
Law No. 22/1997 Coll., describing product technical requirements, as later amended,
Law No. 102/2001 Coll., describing product safety requirements, as later amended,
Law No. 477/2001 Coll., the Packaging law, as later amended,
Law No. 86/2002 Coll., the Environment and Clean Air Protection law, as later amended,
Law No. 311/2006 Coll., the Fuel Regulations, as later amended,
Law No. 379/2005 Coll., directives describing prevention policies against damages caused by tobacco products,
alcohol and by other addictive substances, as later amended,
Law No. 353/2003 Coll., the Consumer Tax law, as later amended,
Law No. 321/2001 Coll., describing some conditions regarding the consumer loan obtainment process, as later amended,
Law No. 189/1999 Coll., describing emergency crude oil reserves, as later amended,
Law No. 61/1996 Coll., describing some regulations against the legalization of profits obtained from criminal activities, as later amended,
Law No. 56/2001 Coll., describing vehicle operation on public roads, as later amended
Law No. 247/2006 Coll., describing limitations regarding the operation of pawnshops and other establishments operating during night time,
as later amended,
Law No. 552/1991 Coll., the State Inspectorate law, as later amended,
A person who seriously violates the applicable law, may be fined up to CZK 50. 000. 000,-. For less serious violations, the inspector may fine the person up to CZK 5. 000,-, payable immediately. If a person, who sells goods or crops that were produced, grown or obtained from his own agricultural, forestall or breeding farm, violates the applicable law, he may be fined of up to CZK 5. 000,-, payable within specified time period.
If products do not comply with applicable legal regulations, the inspector may (besides fines and penalties) forbid the sale of the applicable products or prohibit the farmer from introducing his products to the market.
The Czech Trade Inspectorate does not inspect food, meals and tobacco products. However, it inspects whether the sale of these products is conducted in a fair and honest way.
The quality of sold food products is inspected by the State Agricultural and Food Authority
Health standards and quality of foods obtained from livestock or from live animals, as well as the protection of our territory from contamination or from dangerous diseases, belongs to the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic.
Public health protection authorities are responsible for supervising whether regulations and restrictions, established by special laws or legal regulations protecting the public health, as well as health regulations protecting persons from physical, chemical, biological and other work related risk factors are followed.
Organisational structure of the Czech Trade Inspectorate
The main governing body of the Czech Trade Inspectorate is the main inspectorate with its applicable subordinate inspectorates (7 inspectorates and 7 affiliated branches) located in regional capital cities.
The head of the Czech Trade Inspectorate is the General Director, who is appointed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
The head of the inspectorate is a director, who is appointed by the General director.
The central inspectorate is the main governing , methodical and managing body, authorized to recall its subordinates.
Information administration and provision
Basic information regarding the Czech Trade Inspectorate may be found at www.coi.cz . Also additional information required to be published by Law No. 106/1999 Coll., the Free information access law, as later amended, may be found there.
The Czech Trade Inspection offers information and advisory services for citizens at each office location and during regular working days.
Information for media is provided by a press spokeswoman (pursuant to law No. 46/2000 Sb., as later amended).