Policy-making activities of the Administration of State Material Reserves as a central governmental agency stems from its authorised purview laid down by law and its position in the security systems of the Czech Republic.
The ASMR mission is primarily defined by the Act No. 97/1993 Coll., on the purview of the Administration of State Material Reserves, as amended.
The ASMR provides a coordination role in planning and supporting emergency economic measures. As a matter of priority, the ASMR makes use of material resources of private business entities, and, according to requirements by subject-matter Ministries, the ASMR generates and manages material reserves in commodities, whose ordinary production would not cover for increased consumption in state of crisis/emergency.
The changed security situation following 1990 stepwise reduced the significance of the threat of military conflict, while the focus of attention increasingly shifted towards various non-military threats. The changes resulted in an adoption of adequate concept of emergency economic measures, as stemming from the Act No. 241/2000 Coll.
In development of national policy on economic measures for states of emergency, the ASMR closely cooperates with other bodies of central government, analysing the effects, adopting and performing measures to resolve current problems and drafts subject-matter bills and regulations. Following developments in international security situation, affected primarily by international terrorism, the Czech Republic strengthens its national security systems too. Accordingly, the ASMR principal intention and objective is to ensure transformation, development and improvement of the system of emergency economic measures according to the needs of the state and in line with its compass of possibilities in particular security conditions.
In the ASMR concept, emergency economic measures and oil security are regarded as a part of national crisis management and defence planning, allowing for an effective use of material resources in crisis management of military as well as non-military situations. The ASMR plays a coordination role in assuring the availability of material resources. The complexity and effectiveness of procedures on assuring material resources stems from the fact, that these resources are limited in the Czech Republic and that their specific utilisation must always be commensurate with the scope of the arisen emergency. Creation of material reserves for the purposes of national defence is reduced in steps and their existing structure is being aligned with the requirements for managing possible non-military emergencies.
The ASMR also plays an important role in the Czech Republic’s involvement in humanitarian and relief operations led by the UN, NATO or the European Union and in the provision of humanitarian aid to emergency-stricken countries.