Basic information about the region

            The Pilsen Region lies in the southwest of the Czech Republic. It borders Karlovy Vary in the northwest, the Ústí Region in the north, in the northwest the Central Bohemian Region and the South Bohemian Region in the east. The longest border is with Germany (Bavaria) in the southwest. The region has a suitable position between the capital of Prague and western European countries.

The Pilsen Region with its 550, 000 inhabitants forms about 5.4% of the overall number of the Czech Republic´s population. More than 30% of the regional population is concentrated in the city of Pilsen, the largest city in the region, which is the industrial and administrative hub of the region and has strong links to the capital of Prague due to the motorway D5 (Nuremberk-Pilsen-Prague).

            The common border with Bavaria, one of the most developed regions of EU with similar natural conditions to the Pilsen Region, evokes a need to release overborder socioeconomic differences before our approach into the EU.

Since 1993 the districts Domažlice, Klatovy and Tachov uses European Support Programme of the Municipality Overborder Cooperation. The municipalities in the border areas of the Czech Republic and Germany form two Euroregions: the Bohemian Forest- the Bavarian Forest-Mühlveiertel and Egrensis.

           Within the preparation of the system for a regional policy in the Czech Republic referring to the planned approach into EU and in compliance with the Regional Development Support Act there were 8 statistical units made of the region NUTS II which consist of two or three regions. The Pilsen Region forms an area unit NUTS II Southwest together with the South Bohemian Region.

The area of the region consists of seven districts – Domažlice, Klatovy, Plzeň-jih, Plzeň-město, Plzeň-sever, Rokycany and Tachov. In the region there are 505 municipalities and their average area (14.97 km2 ) is larger than the national average (12,60 km2), but per one municipality there is only 1094 inhabitants compared to 1648 in the whole Czech Republic. The Pilsen Regions is typical of its low density and a large number of small municipalities.

The basic information about the area and inhabitants of the Pilsen Region
Area	7 561 km2
Population (to 1.1.2004)	550 113
Percentage of the population: 0 –14 years	16,5 %
Percentage of the population: 15 –59 years	64,8 %
Percentage of the population: 60 years and more	18,7 %
Number of inhabitants per 1 km^2	73
Number of towns and municipalities	501
Number of  municipalities parts	1543
Percentage of citizens (municipalities with the city status)	67,3 %
Percentage of inhabitants in cities with 10, 000 and more inhabitants	43,8 %

The Pilsen Region is characteristic of various natural conditions. The diversity is caused by its relief. The dominant natural phenomenon is the border mountain area in the southwest (the Bohemian Forest, the Czech Forest) and the Pilsen Valley in the northeast of the region.. The Pilsen Region has an immense development potential consider its position, natural and human resources and ties to other regions.

The Pilsen Region ranks among average economic developed regions in the Czech Republic, it shares approx. 5.5% in the national GDP. In the comparision to other regions it occupies the 5th place in the GDP production per one inhabitant, owing to high economic efficiency of the city of Pilsen which according to estimation, creates nearly two thirds of the overall GDP in the Pilsen Region.

Mechanical engineering, food processing, the industry of building materials and ceramics, the energy production and distribution and metallurgy are among the most significant industrial branches represented in the Pilsen Region. The firms with foreign capital represent approx. 3.4% of the whole number of industrial businesses in the region, this number exceeds twice the national average. Within the Czech Republic the Pilsen Region belongs to one of the regional areas with a long-time low unemployment rate which is approximately 7%.

In the Pilsen Region there are two universities, the Western Bohemia University (7 faculties) and the medical faculty of the Charles University in Prague. Both universities have a high quality of tuition and the focus of taught subjects attract students not only from the Pilsen Region, but also from other regions in the Czech Republic and foreign countries.

The Pilsen Region occupies a strategically important position in the connection between eastern-western Europe. The road transport is the greatest importance in the area of the region. The road network in the region has a distinctive radial system and the city of Pilsen is its most important traffic intersection.

The Pilsen Region´s position is also significant for the tourist industry development. The main groups of tourists travel from Germany and referring to the Czech Republic the inhabitants of bigger cities come back regularly to our region. The highest number of foreign visitors come from Germany across border crossings Rozvadov, Folmava and Železná Ruda.

The visitors and inhabitants of the Pilsen Region can take advantage of many cultural facilities, for example theatres, cinemas, galleries, castles and chateaux and there are also good conditions for sports – in summer for tourism and cyclotourism, in winter for down hill and cross country skiing.

The region establishment

The constitution of the Czech Republic laid down the establishment of regions as higher self-goverment territorial units. Owing to this legal fact there was adopted the act of the higher self-government territorial units establishment, so there were 14 regions set up in which a self-government and the part of the state administration is organized. On 12th April 2000 the act of regions was adopted (the region establishment) which defined the positions of the regions and their organizations.

Position of the Pilsen region in Czech Republic

The region is a territorial citizen community which has the right for a self-government.

The typical features are:

- area

- population

- system of organizations through which it deals and realizes its will

- legal personality. The region is a public corporation, it can act in the legal relationship with its own name, it has a status of the legal entity

- own administration. The region is entitled to have own property and separate property management in statutory restrictions.

The region is administrated by the assembly which is elected by citizens in regular elections. Assembly of newly established uppper self-goverment territorial units arose from the November elections 2000. The Pilsen Regional Assembly consists of 45 Members of the Regional Assembly. (the number of members is determinated according to the number of inhabitants in the region). The Regional Assembly elects the President of the region, Vice-presidents and the Members ot the Reginal Council. The Regional Council is an executive organization of the region in the sphere of the independent powers and during the realization of the powers it is responsible to the regional assembly. The Pilsen Regional Council has nine members (the number of members is determinated according to the number of inhabitants in the region). The President of the region represents the region outwardly.

One of the organizations in the region is the Regional Authority. The Regional Authority executes delegated powers, with the exception of such things which are entrusted to the Assembly or a special organization.

The Regional Authority carries out assignments of the independent powers set by the Regional Assembly and helps with board and commission activities. The functions of the Regional Authority are limited in the act of regions. The Regional Authority is represented by the Director and employees of the region who are ranked to the Regional Authority. The Regional Authority is comprised of departments, sections, secretariat of the Director and secretariat of the President. The Pilsen Regional Authority is made up of 17 departments.