Funding Social Services in the Czech Republic in the Light ofEU Legislation

The Czech Republic joined the European Union in May 2004 and one of the conditions for membership was to reconcile the legal environment in the Czech Republic so that it would be in synergy with the single market of the EU. Since then, the legal environment has evolved in response to newly arising changes. In 2006, the Directive on services in the internal market was adopted, which among other things specifies the rules governing fair competition. These state aid rules limit the funding schemes that founders of organisations providing social services have available for the financing of these organisations. Attention will be paid to obstacles created by EU legislation to the schemes available for social services funding in the Czech Republic.