COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - SLOVAKIA Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results
Date: 2017-02-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU initiative, Slovakia, application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, pollution control measures

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.2.2017  SWD(2017) 58 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review  Country Report - SLOVAKIA   Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results   {COM(2017) 63 final} {SWD(2017) 33 - 57 final} {SWD(2017) 59 - 60 final}  
 
 
Slovakia  2 

This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European 
Commission. Any comments are welcome to the following e-mail address: ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu  

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). 

Photographs: p.11 – © Kaycco/iStock; p.17 – © Ken Wiedemann/iStock; p.22 – © Matej 
Krajcovic/iStock 

For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright 
holder. 

©European Union, 2017 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Slovakia  3 

Table of Content 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 4 

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 5 

1. 

TURNING  THE  EU  INTO  A  CIRCULAR,  RESOURCE-EFFICIENT,  GREEN  AND  COMPETITIVE  LOW-
CARBON ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................... 5 

Developing a circular economy and improving resource efficiency ..................................................... 5 
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 7 

2. 

PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ....................................................... 9 

Nature and Biodiversity ......................................................................................................................... 9 
Estimating Natural Capital................................................................................................................... 11 
Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................... 11 
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 12 

3. 

ENSURING CITIZENS' HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE .......................................................................... 13 

Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 13 
 ................................................................................................................................................. 14 
Noise 
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 14 
Enhancing the sustainability of cities .................................................................................................. 17 
International agreements ................................................................................................................... 17 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ..................................................................... 19 

4.  MARKET BASED INSTRUMENTS AND INVESTMENT ............................................................................ 19 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 19 
Green Public Procurement .................................................................................................................. 20 
Investments: the contribution of EU funds ......................................................................................... 20 

5. 

EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................................... 22 

Effective governance within central, regional and local government ................................................. 22 
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 23 
Public participation and access to justice ........................................................................................... 25 
Access to information, knowledge and evidence ................................................................................ 26 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
Executive summary 

Slovakia  4 

About the Environmental Implementation Review 

launched 

reports  describing 

the 
the  Commission 
In  May  2016, 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  (EIR),  a  two-year 
cycle  of  analysis,  dialogue  and  collaboration  to  improve 
the  implementation  of  existing  EU  environmental  policy 
and  legislation1.  As  a  first  step,  the  Commission  drafted 
28 
the  main  challenges  and 
opportunities on environmental implementation for each 
Member  State.  These  reports  are  meant  to  stimulate  a 
positive debate both on shared environmental challenges 
for  the  EU,  as  well  as  on  the  most  effective  ways  to 
address the key implementation gaps. The reports rely on 
the detailed sectoral implementation reports collected or 
issued  by  the  Commission  under  specific  environmental 
legislation  as  well  as  the  2015  State  of  the  Environment 
Report  and  other  reports  by  the  European  Environment 
Agency.  These  reports  will  not  replace  the  specific 
instruments  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  EU  legal 
obligations.  

The  reports  will  broadly  follow  the  outline  of  the  7th 
Environmental Action Programme2 and refer to the 2030 
related 
for  Sustainable  development  and 
Agenda 
Sustainable Development  Goals  (SDGs)3  to  the  extent  to 
which  they  reflect  the  existing  obligations  and  policy 
objectives of EU environmental law4.  

The  main  challenges  have  been  selected  by  taking  into 
account factors such as the importance or the gravity of 
the  environmental  implementation  issue  in  the  light  of 
the  impact  on  the  quality  of  life  of  the  citizens,  the 
distance to target, and financial implications. 

The  reports  accompany  the  Communication  "The  EU 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  2016:  Common 
challenges  and  how  to  combine  efforts  to  deliver  better 
results", which identifies challenges that are common to 
several Member States, provides preliminary conclusions 
on  possible  root  causes  of  implementation  gaps  and 
proposes  joint  actions  to  deliver  better  results.  It  also 
groups in its Annex the actions proposed in each country 
report to improve implementation at national level. 

General profile 

Environmental  implementation  represents  a  challenge 
for Slovakia. Poor waste management performance, with 
low  recycling  rates  and  a  strong  dependence  on 

1 Communication "Delivering the benefits of EU environmental policies 

through a regular Environmental Implementation Review" 
(COM/2016/ 316 final). 

2 Decision No. 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013 on a General Union 
Environmental Action Programme to 2020 "Living well, within the 
limits of our planet". 

3 United Nations, 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals  
4 This EIR report does not cover climate change, chemicals and energy. 

landfilling  is  one  of  the  main  concerns.  Improving  water 
management  policy  in  the  context  of  the  EU  water 
framework  Directive  is  a  major  concern.  Its  rich  natural 
environment  and  biodiversity  -  with  one  of  the  largest 
NATURA  2000  networks  - 
is  one  of  the  country's 
strongest assets. On the other hand, an effort is needed 
to  preserve  this  potential  by  balancing  the  different 
interests  and  needs  through  transparent  and  efficient 
development consent and SEA/EIA processes.  

Main Challenges 

three  main 

The 
to 
implementation  of  EU  environmental  policy  and  law  in 
Slovakia are: 

challenges  with 

regard 

 

 

 

Improving  waste  management, 
particularly 
increasing  recycling,  rolling-out  separate  collection 
and reducing landfilling 
in  critical  regions  of  the 
Improving  air  quality 
country,  notably  in  urban  areas,  like  Bratislava  and 
Kosice.  Phasing  out  environmentally  harmful 
subsidies to brown coal. 
Improving  water  management,  notably  in  terms  of 
infrastructure  projects,  but  also  in  approaches  to 
agricultural  use  and 
landscape  management 
(drainage  systems  and  nitrates  pollution  as  well  as 
forest  management)  and  more  advanced  treatment 
of urban waste water 

Main Opportunities 

Slovakia  could  perform  better  on  topics  where  there  is 
already a good knowledge base and good practices. This 
applies in particular to: 

  Building  on  experiences 

in  nature  protection 
including the traditional landscape territorial system 
approach,  working  towards  a  complete  and  well 
managed Natura 2000 network 

  Preserving  important  sources  of  drinking  water  by 
application  of  ecosystem  based  approaches  and 
preventing negative impacts 

Points of Excellence 

leader  on  environmental 
Where  Slovakia 
implementation,  innovative  approaches  could  be  shared 
more widely with other countries. Good examples are: 

is  a 

  Territorial  System  of  Ecological  Stability  of  the 
Landscape (TSES), a system of landscape and nature 
protection  is  a  good  practise  developed  already  in 
former  Czechoslovakia. 
late 

1970s 

the 

in 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
Part I: Thematic Areas 

1. Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and 

competitive low-carbon economy 

Slovakia  5 

Developing a circular economy and improving 
resource efficiency 

The 2015 Circular Economy Package emphasizes the need 
to  move  towards  a  lifecycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
with a cascading use of resources and residual waste that 
is  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by  the 
development  of,  and  access  to,  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

SDG  8  invites  countries  to  promote  sustained,  inclusive 
and  sustainable  economic  growth,  full  and  productive 
employment  and  decent  work  for  all.  SDG  9  highlights 
the  need  to  build  resilient 
infrastructure,  promote 
inclusive  and  sustainable  industrialization  and  foster 
innovation.  SDG 12  encourages countries  to  achieve  the 
sustainable  management  and  efficient  use  of  natural 
resources by 2030. 

Measures towards a circular economy 

Transforming our economies from linear to circular offers 
an  opportunity  to  reinvent  them  and  make  them  more 
sustainable  and  competitive.  This  will 
stimulate 
investments and bring both short and long-term benefits 
for the economy, environment and citizens alike.5 

With the upcoming Slovakian Presidency of the EU in July 
2016,  the  circular  economy  in  Slovakia  should  progress, 
from the policy perspective as it has been listed as one of 
the  priorities.  Policy  makers  are  focussed  on  trying  to 
decrease  the  energy  intensity  of  the  Slovakian  economy 
(as  it  is  double  the  EU  average)  as  well  as  improving 
waste management and decreasing the high landfill rate. 
This will help with resource productivity where Slovakia is 
currently below the EU average. 

To  date,  there  is  no  national  policy  outlining  a  coherent 
approach  towards  eco-innovation  and  the  circular 
economy.    A  national-level  working  group  has  been  set 
up 
the  European 
Commission’s  Circular  Economy  Package,  however,  no 
concrete strategies or action plans have yet been agreed 
upon.6 

the  measures 

to  discuss 

in 

this 

efficient 
is 
low-carbon  economy.  However, 
formulated without clear time-tables for implementation 
and/or  with  unclear  financial  backing  apart  from  the 
priorities  agreed  also 
the  Slovak  Partnership 
in 
Agreement  or  Operational  Programmes  2014-2020.  This 
means  a  high  degree  of  reliance  on  EU  funds  for  public 
investments in general.  

As regards the instruments in Slovakia, the focus appears 
to remain on traditional environmental approaches, such 
as  environmental  management  systems7,  environmental 
labelling8  and  green  public  procurement 
(GPP)9. 
However,  even 
instruments  are 
these  voluntary 
implemented and promoted by the public administration 
bodies  mainly,  and  in  particular  by  the  Ministry  of 
Environment.    
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2003-1510 

Figure 1 shows trends over time and indicates a modest 
but overall stable increase of resource productivity (how 
efficiently  the  economy  uses  material  resources  to 
produce  wealth)  since  2004  in  Slovakia.  However,  since 
2014 a slight decrease can be observed. In 2015, Slovakia 
performed  below  the  EU  average  in  terms  of  resource 
productivity, with 1.0 EUR/kg (EU average is 2.0). 11 

The Government manifesto adopted by new Government 
in April 2016 includes as one of its main objectives in the 
environmental  agenda  to  prepare  the  conditions  for 
steady  transition  towards  the  competitive  and  resource 

5 European Commission, 2015. Proposed Circular Economy Package  
6 European Environment Agency, 2016. More from less – material 

resource efficiency in Europe. Slovakia Report 

7 The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and 

Environmental Management System under ISO 14001 (EMS); 
8 Environmental labelling of products, implemented through the 
European and national eco-labelling schemes EU Ecolabel and 
Environmentally Friendly Products 

9 Section 5 
10 Eurostat, Resource productivity, accessed October 2016 
11 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic 

product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
SMEs12 and resource efficiency 

In  the  Flash  426  Eurobarometer  "SMEs,  resource 
efficiency  and  green  markets"  it  is  shown  that  36%  of 
Slovakia's  SMEs  have invested   up to 5%  of  their annual 
in  their  resource  efficiency  actions  (EU28 
turnover 
average 50%), 34 % of them are currently offering green 
products and services, 62% took measures to save energy 
(EU28  average  59%),  57%  to  minimise  waste  (EU28 
average  60%),  62%  to  save  water  (EU28  average  44%), 
and  56%  to  save  materials  (EU28  average  54%).  From  a 
circular  economy  perspective,  30%  took  measures  to 
recycle by reusing material or waste within the company, 
21% to design products that are easier to maintain, repair 
or reuse and 20% were able to sell their scrap material to 
another company.   

According to the Flash 426 Eurobarometer, the resource 
efficiency  actions  undertaken  allowed  the  reduction  of 
production costs in a 37% of the Slovakia's SMEs. 

The Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, resource efficiency 
and  green  markets"  shows  that  52%  of  the  SMEs  in 
Slovakia have one or more full time employee working in 
a  green  job13  at  least  some  of  the  time.  Slovakia  has  an 
average  number  of  2.4  full  time  green  employees  per 
SME.  

Eco-innovation 

The results of  the scoreboard depicted in Figure 2 show 
that  the  overall  eco-innovation  performance  of  Slovakia 
for  the  year  2015  has  improved  compared  to  2013  and 
2014,  with  an  overall  index  score  of  72  (compared  to  a 
score of 54 in 2013), ranking Slovakia 23rd among EU28. 
This  reflects  the  challenges  Slovakia  faces  in  terms  of  a 
lack  of  a  coherent  eco-innovation  policy  framework  as 
well as low investment in R&D.  

One  of  the  main  drivers  to  support  eco-innovation  and 
the  circular  economy  could  be  the  automotive  industry, 
as  it  is  one  of  the  main  industries  in  Slovakia.  Another 
driver  could  be  an  incentive  framework  to  promote 
innovation among companies and academics. A National 
technology transfer portal was established in the Centre 
of Scientific and Technical Information and will now work 
more intensively with offices located within universities.   

There  are  several  barriers  to  circular  economy  and  eco-
innovation in Slovakia.  

On  the  one  hand,  there  are  economic  and  financial 
barriers, i.e. lack of financial resources and high costs of 

12 Small and medium enterprises 
13 The Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, resource efficiency and green 

markets" defines "green job" as job that directly deals with 
information, technologies, or materials that preserves or restores 
environmental quality. This requires specialised skills, knowledge, 
training, or experience (e.g. verifying compliance with environmental 
legislation, monitoring resource efficiency within the company, 
promoting and selling green products and services). 

Slovakia  6 

innovation (RIS314). In particular, there is still a significant 
lack  of  funding  for  research  and  innovation  in  Slovakia. 
Public  sector  and  EU  structural  funds  are  the  main 
sources  of  R&D 
in  Slovakia,  rather  than 
companies  (RIS3).  Certain  regions,  i.e.  Slovakia's  central 
and eastern regions, do not attract private investment at 
all, mainly due to infrastructure problems.15 
Figure 2: Eco-Innovation Index 2015 (EU=100)16 

funding 

The lack of market demand for innovation and low level 
of public awareness on this topic are also barriers.  

Suggested action 

  Develop an overarching policy framework with respect 

to circular economy and eco-innovation. 

  Establish  a  policy  framework  that  would  enable  the 

  Increase  the 

uptake of circular economy measures. 
in 
funding  opportunities 
Slovakia.  Foster  the  development  of  a  secondary  raw 
materials  market.  Incentivise  investments  in  green 
products and services. 

for  SMEs 

  Raise  awareness  among  the  population  of  circular 

economy to increase the market demand.  

14 Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation: The 

Smart Specialisation Strategy for the Slovak Republic for period 2014-
2020 

15 European Commission, SWD(2016) 93 final 
16 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2015 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Slovakia  7 

Figure  3:  Municipal  waste  by  treatment  in  Slovakia 
2007-1420 

Figure 4: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2007-1421 

Waste management  

Turning waste into a resource requires: 
 

implementation  of  Union  waste 

Full 
legislation, 
which  includes  the  waste  hierarchy;  the  need  to 
ensure  separate  collection  of  waste;  the  landfill 
diversion targets etc. 

  Reducing  per  capita  waste  generation  and  waste 

 

generation in absolute terms. 
Limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials 
and  phasing  out 
recyclable  or 
recoverable waste. 

landfilling  of 

SDG  12  invites  countries  to  substantially  reduce  waste 
generation  through  prevention,  reduction,  recycling  and 
reuse, by 2030. 

The EU's approach to waste management is based on the 
"waste  hierarchy"  which  sets  out  an  order  of  priority 
when  shaping  waste  policy  and  managing  waste  at  the 
operational 
level:  prevention,  (preparing  for)  reuse, 
recycling,  recovery  and,  as  the  least  preferred  option, 
incineration 
disposal  (which 
without energy recovery). The progress towards reaching 
recycling 
the  adoption  of  adequate 
WMP/WPP17  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance  of  Member  States.  This  section  focuses  on 
management  of  municipal  waste  for  which  EU  law  sets 
mandatory recycling targets. 

landfilling  and 

targets  and 

includes 

Municipal  waste  generation  in  Slovakia  has  increased  in 
2014  breaking  the  downward  trend  since  2010  and 
remaining  considerably  below  the  EU  average  (321 
kg/y/inhabitant 
475 
kg/y/inhabitant)  as  shown  in  Figure  3.  There  are  still 
differences in national and Eurostat statistics. 

compared 

around 

to 

Figure  3  depicts  the  municipal  waste  by  treatment  in 
Slovakia  in  terms  of  kg  per  capita  which  shows  a  high 
low 
landfilling  of  municipal  waste  and  still  a  very 
recycling rate. Slovakia has one of the lowest landfill gate 
fees  among  the  EU  MSs.18  The  number  of 
illegal 
dumpsites  is  also  a  huge  problem,  mainly  in  Bratislava 
region.  

Recycling  of  municipal  waste  (including  composting) 
remains relatively low (12% compared to the EU average 
of  44%).  Therefore,  significant  efforts  will  be  needed  to 
meet the 50% recycling target by 2020 as shown in Figure 
4.19 

17 Waste Management Plans/Waste Prevention Programmes 
18 http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/typical-charge-
gate-fee-and 
19 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by 
ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates 
and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50% recycling of 
municipal waste. 

recommendations 

Slovakia  still  has  high  landfilling  rate  of  municipal  waste 
(76% in 2014). Incineration accounts for 12%. In order to 
help  bridging  the  implementation  gap  in  Slovakia,  the 
Commission  has  delivered  a  roadmap  for  compliance.22 
included  progressive 
The  main 
increase of landfill tax and use of the revenues to the first 
steps  of  the  waste  hierarchy; 
improvement  of  the 
performance  of  the  Extended  Producer  Responsibility 
schemes  for  the  main  waste  streams  to  ensure  the 
funding  of  separate 
appropriate  and  sustainable 
collection,  sorting  and  recycling.  As  soon  as  separate 
(PAYT) 
collections  are 

in  place,  Pay-as-You-Throw 

20 Eurostat, Municipal waste and treatment, by type of treatment 

method, accessed October 2016 

21 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste, accessed October 2016 
22 European Commission, Roadmap Slovakia  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
 
                                                            
Slovakia  8 

schemes  should  be  encouraged  and harmonised  at  local 
level.  The  PAYT  schemes  introduced  in  some  regions  in 
low  fee  and  thus  do  not 
Slovakia 
incentivise 
for 
collection. 
municipalities  to  encourage  separate  collection  and 
reuse/recycling should be harmonised. 

impose  a  very 
separate 

Incentives 

in  particular 

On 1 January 2016, a new legal act on waste entered into 
force,  which  governs 
several  aspects  of  waste 
including  waste  prevention,  extended 
management, 
producer responsibility, management of municipal waste, 
and the ceasing of the former Recycling Fund' operation. 
Parts  of  this  act  are  relevant  to  improving  circular 
the  extended  producer 
economy, 
responsibility scheme. It is not clear whether the act itself 
would  allow  Slovakia  to  achieve  the  2020  objectives  of 
Waste FD  and more  ambitious  objectives  of  the  Circular 
Economy  package.  The  Waste  management  plan  of  the 
Slovak Republic for 2016-2020 was also adopted in 2015. 
It evaluated performance between 2011 and 2015 up to 
2013. The results showed that several objectives had not 
been  reached,  including  the  targets  set  for  municipal 
waste – in particular recycling targets.  

Full  implementation  of  the  existing  waste  legislation 
could  create  more  than  5900  jobs  in  Slovakia  and 
increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by over 
EUR  620  million.  Moving  toward  the  targets  of  the 
Roadmap  resource  efficiency  could  create  over  7000 
additional  jobs  and  increase  the  annual  turnover  of  the 
waste sector by over EUR 740 million.23 

Suggested action 

  Gradually increase landfill taxes to phase-out landfilling 
of recyclable and recoverable waste. Use the revenues 
to  support  the  separate  collection  and  alternative 
infrastructure  to  support  the  first  steps  of  waste 
hierarchy.  Avoid  building  excessive  infrastructure  for 
the treatment of residual waste. 

  Focus  on  implementation  of  the  separate  collection 
obligation  to  increase  recycling  rates.  As  soon  as  an 
efficient  separate  collection  scheme  is  in  place,  PAYT 
schemes  should  be  encouraged  and  harmonised  at 
local level.   

  Extend and improve the cost-effectiveness, monitoring 

and transparency of existing EPR schemes. 

23 Implementing EU legislation for Green Growth (2011), study by Bio 
Intelligence service, breakdown per country on job creation was 
made by the consultant on Commission demand but was not 
included in the published document 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
  
 
                                                            
 
2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Slovakia  9 

Nature and Biodiversity  

The  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
biodiversity  in  the  EU  by  2020,  restore  ecosystems  and 
their services in so far as feasible, and step up efforts to 
avert  global  biodiversity  loss.  The  EU  Birds  and  Habitats 
Directives  aim  at  achieving  favourable  conservation 
status of protected species and habitats.  

SDG  14  requires  countries  to  conserve  and  sustainably 
use the oceans, seas and marine resources, while SDG 15 
requires  countries  to  protect,  restore  and  promote  the 
sustainable  use  of  terrestrial  ecosystems,  sustainably 
manage  forests,  combat  desertification,  and  halt  and 
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 

The  1992  EU  Habitats  Directive  and  the  1979  Birds 
Directive are the cornerstone of the European legislation 
aimed  at  the  conservation  of  the  EU's  wildlife.  Natura 
2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas 
in  the  world,  is  the  key  instrument  to  achieve  and 
implement the Directives' objectives to ensure  the long-
term  protection,  conservation  and  survival  of  Europe's 
most  valuable  and  threatened  species  and  habitats  and 
the ecosystems they underpin. 

The  adequate  designation  of  protected  sites  as  Special 
Ares  of  Conservation  (SAC)  under  the  Habitats  Directive 
and  as  Special  Protection  Areas  (SPA)  under  the  Birds 
is  a  key  milestone  towards  meeting  the 
Directive 
objectives  of  the  Directives.  The  results  of  Habitats 
Directive Article 17 and Birds Directive Article 12 reports 
and  the  progress  towards  adequate  Sites  of  Community 
Importance (SCI)-SPA and SAC designation24 both in land 
and  at  sea,  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance of Member States. 

By  early  2016,  29.57%  of  the  national  land  area  of 
Slovakia is covered by Natura 2000 (EU average 18.1 %), 
with  Birds  Directive  SPAs  covering  26.83  %  (EU  average 
12.3%) and Habitats Directive SCIs covering 11.95 % (EU 
average  13.8  %).  There  are  514  Natura  2000  sites  in 
Slovakia - 41 SPAs and 473 SCIs. 

Natura  2000  is  considered  integrated  into  the  national 
system  of  protected  areas,  which  provides 
for 
conservation measures for Natura 2000 sites because of 
a  high  overlap  between  Natura  2000  and  nationally 
protected areas. The same Act on Nature and Landscape 
Protection, governs both networks (Act 543/2002 Coll as 
amended).  

24 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are designated pursuant to the 
Habitats Directive whereas Special Areas of Protection (SPAs) are 
designated pursuant to the Birds Directive; figures of coverage do 
not add up due to the fact that some SCIs and SPAs overlap. Special 
Areas of Conservation (SACs) means a SCI designated by the Member 
States. 

While the designation of the SPAs was completed, the SCI 
network is still incomplete25 as shown in Figure 526. 

Figure  5:  Sufficiency  assessment  of  SCI  network  in 
Slovakia  based  on  the  situation  until  December  2013 
(%)27  

By  February  2016,  Slovakia  had  established  209  Special 
Areas of Conservation (SAC).  

socio-economic  developments, 

Complaints  usually  address  conflicts  between  nature 
protection  and 
in 
particular  constructions  of  motorways,  new  water 
reservoirs and hydropower plants conflicting with Natura 
2000.  A  significant  part  of  complaints  raises  alleged 
mismanagement or lack of management of Natura 2000 
sites or specific  protected features (species or habitats), 
in  particular  clearcutting  of  forest  habitats  in  Natura 
2000, hunting of wolves28, lack of protection of particular 
bird species, etc.     

Slovak  Natura  2000  sites  are  managed  by  land  owners 

25 For each Member State, the Commission assesses whether the 
species and habitat types on Annexes I and II of the Habitats 
Directive, are sufficiently represented by the sites designated to 
date. This is expressed as a percentage of species and habitats for 
which further areas need to be designated in order to complete the 
network in that country. The current data, which were accessed in 
2014-2015, reflect the situation up until December 2013. 

26 The percentages in Figure 5 refer to percentages of the total number 
of assessments (one assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a 
given biographical region with the Member State); if a habitat type or 
a species occurs in more than 1 Biogeographic region within a given 
Member State, there will be as many individual assessments as there 
are Biogeographic regions with an occurrence of that species or 
habitat in this Member State. 

27 European Commission, internal assessment. 
28 http://domov.sme.sk/c/20374539/lesoochranarom-sa-nepaci-plan-

lovu-vlka-obratili-sa-na-brusel.html  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
                                                            
 
and  users,  scientific/methodical  support  and  in  some 
sites  also  management  is  provided  by  the  Slovak  State 
Nature  Conservancy.  The  Slovak  Ministry  of 
the 
Environment  bears  the  overall  responsibility  for  Natura 
2000  in  Slovakia.  In  addition  to  the  sites  designated  by 
the  state  administration  bodies  there  are  also  2  private 
protected  areas 
the  Wolf  Forest 
(designated  by 
Conservation  Association)  and  2  municipal  protected 
areas  

Figure 6: Conservation status of habitats and species in 
Slovakia in 2007/2013 (%)29 

Slovakia  10 

Only  5  %  and  1.7  %  of  the  unfavourable  assessments 
respectively  for  species  and  habitats  were  showing  a 
positive trend in 2013. 

A  comparison  of  the  results  of  Article  17  reports  shows 
an  overall  improvement  as  concerns  knowledge  of  data 
and  a  considerable 
improvement  as  concerns  the 
conservation  status  of  habitats.  While  in  the  period  of 
2007-2012 the conservation status of 6 habitat types and 
60  species  was  found  unknown  in  2001-2006  it  was  11 
habitat  types  and  103  species.  According  to  the  official 
report submitted under Article 12 of the Birds Directive33, 
76  %  of  the  breeding  species  showed  short-term 
increasing  or  stable  population  trends  (for  wintering 
species this figure was 69 %) as shown in Figure 7. 

Figure  7:  Short-term  population  trend  of  breeding  and 
wintering bird species in Slovakia in 2012 (%)34 

According to the latest report on the conservation status 
of  habitats  and  species  covered  by  the  Habitats 
Directive30,  38.6  %  of  the  habitats'  biogeographic 
assessments  were  favourable  in  2013  (EU27:  16  %). 
Furthermore,  44  %  are  considered  to  be  unfavourable–
inadequate31 (EU27: 47 %) and 12 % are unfavourable  – 
bad  (EU27:  30  %).  As  for  the  species,  20  %  of  the 
assessments were favourable in 2013 (EU27: 23 %) 41 % 
at  unfavourable-inadequate  (EU27:  42  %)  and  20  % 
unfavourable-bad status (EU27: 18 %). This is depicted in 
Figure 632.  

29 These figures show the percentage of biogeographical assessments in 
each category of conservation status for habitats and species (one 
assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a given biographical 
region with the Member State), respectively. The information is 
based on Article 17 of the Habitats Directive reporting - national 
summary of Slovakia 

30 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation 
status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive. 

31 Conservation status is assessed using a standard methodology as 

being either ‘favourable’, ‘unfavourable-inadequate’ and 
‘unfavourable-bad’, based on four parameters as defined in Article 1 
of the Habitats Directive. 

32 Please note that a direct comparison between 2007 and 2013 data is 
complicated by the fact that Bulgaria and Romania were not covered 

As  regards  the  management  of  forest  and  support  from 
EU funds, Slovak NRDP 2014-2020 includes the measure 
on  prevention  of  risk  of  forest  fires  which  according  to 
the  ECA  finding  were  misused  in  the  period  2007-2013. 
To  overcome  the  problem,  new  delineation  of  areas  at 
medium  and  high  risk  of  forest  fires  was  proposed35, 
however without any robust methodology behind this.  

Almost  41  %  of  the  total  area  of  Slovakia  is  afforested 
(the EU average is 42 %); while around 48% of the forest 
overlaps with Natura2000. This generates contradictions 
between different approaches in the forest management 
which was identified as one of the three most important 

by the 2007 reporting cycle, that the ‘unknown’ assessments have 
strongly diminished particularly for species, and that some reported 
changes are not genuine as they result from improved data / 
monitoring methods. 

33 Article 12 of the Birds Directive requires Member States to report 

about the progress made 

34 Article 12 Birds Directive reporting - national summary of Slovakia 
35 The fire protection forest roads are eligible only for investments in 
sections which are needed to be linked to the existing forest roads 
network, and reconstruction of forest roads network are to be 
considered, based on the principles of cost-effectiveness and 
sustainability. It would be subject to the further analysis  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                                                                 
in  Slovakia36.  The 
challenges  for  the  environment 
intensity  of  the  forest  exploitation  according  to  certain 
indicators  was  growing  during  the  last  decade  and  the 
clear  cutting  is  heavily  used.  The  majority  of  the  forest 
belongs to the state but some parts are privately owned 
and  managed  e.g.  by  NGOs.  The  management  of  the 
state  forest  follows  the  Forest  Management  Plans 
focusing  on  the  production  function  of  the  forest.  As 
regards  the  health  of  forest,  though  the  trend  has 
stabilised  since  the  90s,  the  weakened  ecosystems 
stability  over  decades  caused  that  forest  ecosystems 
have  suffered  from  strong  storms  (such  as  Ticha  and 
Koprova valleys in High Tatras in 2004).  

to 

the 

Thanks to this relatively high share of forests, Slovakia is 
promoting  the  use  of  biomass  through  EU  funds  as  the 
contribution 
renewable  policy  objectives. 
However, the sustainable use of (woody) biomass is of a 
concern in certain regions of Slovakia due to the cutting 
and  burning  high  quality  wood  for  energy  purposes.37 
Trends already shows that the forest stock and landscape 
features in the urban areas and around rivers and roads 
are  being  depleted. 
further 
deterioration, Slovakia was asked to elaborate an analysis 
for  sustainable  use  of  biomass  sources in  the  context  of 
EU  funding38.  Unlawful  use  of  quality  wood  for  the 
purpose of biomass combustion was also reported. 

In  order  to  prevent 

Slovakia  11 

in  order  to 

community interest to a favourable conservation status 
across their natural range. 
  Strengthen  capacity  building 

improve 
management  of  Natura  2000  sites  and  species 
protection  regimes  and  to  ensure  full  integration  with 
other  policies  and  their  associated  funds.  Strengthen 
communication with stakeholders. 
the  sustainable 
promote efficient use of biomass. 

forest  management  and 

  Ensure 

Estimating Natural Capital  

The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on the Member 
States  to  map  and  asses  the  state  of  ecosystems  and 
their  services  in  their  national  territory  by  2014,  assess 
the  economic  value  of  such  services,  and  promote  the 
integration of these values into accounting and reporting 
systems at EU and national level by 2020. 

for 

services 

Activities  are  ongoing  on  mapping  and  assessment  of 
ecosystems  and  their  services39  at  local/regional  levels 
selected 
(assessment  of  ecosystem 
ecosystems have been performed in four national parks – 
Slovenský raj, Tatra, Veľká Fatra and Muránska planina).  
According  to  the  Action  Plan  for  the  implementation  of 
the  updated  National  Biodiversity  Strategy  to  2020, 
Slovakia is to develop a methodology for the assessment 
of ecosystem services and implement it in model areas in 
2016, with a view to a national assessment in 2018 and a 
national  report  with  related  communication  events  in 
2019.  

Suggested action 

  Continue  working  and provide  government support  to 
the  mapping  and  assessment  of  ecosystems  and  their 
services, valuation and development of natural capital 
accounting systems. 

Green Infrastructure  
The  EU  strategy  on  green  infrastructure40  promotes  the 
incorporation  of  green  infrastructure  into  related  plans 
and  programmes  to  help  overcome  fragmentation  of 
habitats  and  preserve  or  restore  ecological  connectivity, 
enhance  ecosystem  resilience  and  thereby  ensure  the 
continued provision of ecosystem services. 

Green  Infrastructure  provides  ecological,  economic  and 
social  benefits  through  natural  solutions.  It  helps  to 
understand the value of the benefits that nature provides 
to human society and to mobilise investments to sustain 
and enhance them. 

A  number  of  projects  have  been  designed  to  restore 

39 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food, 
clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 

40 European Union, Green Infrastructure — Enhancing Europe’s Natural 

Capital, COM/2013/0249 

Suggested action 

  Complete the Natura 2000 designation process and put 
in place clearly defined conservation objectives and the 
necessary  conservation  measures  for  the  sites  and 
provide  adequate  resources  for  their  implementation 
in  order  to  maintain/restore  species  and  habitats  of 

36 The Institute of the environmental policy in Slovakia: The three most 
important challenges for the environment in Slovakia 
37 According to SK authorities, there is a need for harmonisation of EU 

energy, water and biodiversity policies. 

38 OP Quality of Environment and the Rural Development Programme 
contain provision to prepare Criteria for the sustainable use of the 
biomass in the regions of Slovakia will be prepared at the national 
level before granting any support for use of biomass. The document 
was presented  in September 2016, however the stakeholders 
criticised the analysis when it comes to the existing stock of woody 
biomass and calculation of its future potential as it significantly 
diffesr to other sources, please see: 
http://www.ekoforum.sk/peticia/biomasa  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
                                                            
ecosystems  -  for  example,  grasslands,  saltmarshes  and 
wetlands.  However,  these  are  rather  individual  actions, 
and  a  strategic  policy  framework  still  needs  to  be 
developed. 

A  National  programme  for  small  scale  projects  Land 
Revitalisation  and  Integrated  River  Basin  Management 
was 
the 
programme  was 
subsequent 
Government without robust evaluation of its impact.   

in  2010-2012.  However, 

cancelled  by 

implemented 

the 

Support of green infrastructure type of projects from EU 
funds  was  inadequate  so  far.  Despite  that  these  were 
eligible in PP 2007-2013, no project was co-financed over 
the whole period and funds were reallocated towards the 
end  of  programming  period  to  flood  risk  management 
and  the  response  capacity.  PP  2014-2020  provides  for 
support to green measures again. 

include 

the  effective 

integration  of  green 
Barriers 
to 
infrastructure 
of 
understanding 
ecosystems,  lack  of  data  and  information  on  benefits, 
planning  weaknesses,  poor  use  of  integrated  spatial 
planning  processes  and  conflicts  with  economic  and 
development interests. 

limited 

Soil protection  

further 

soil  degradation  and 

The  EU  Soil  Thematic  Strategy  highlights  the  need  to 
ensure  a  sustainable  use  of  soils.  This  requires  the 
prevention  of 
the 
preservation of its functions, as well as the restoration of 
degraded  soils.  The  2011  Road  Map  for  Resource-
Efficient  Europe,  part  of  Europe  2020  Strategy  provides 
that  by  2020,  EU  policies  take  into  account  their  direct 
and  indirect  impact  on  land  use  in  the  EU  and  globally, 
and  the  rate  of  land  take  is  on  track  with  an  aim  to 
achieve no net land take by 2050. 

SDG  15  requires  countries  to  combat  desertification, 
restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by 
desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve 
a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030. 

Soil is an important resource for life and the economy. It 
provides  key  ecosystem  services  including  the  provision 
of food, fibre and biomass for renewable energy, carbon 
sequestration,  water  purification  and  flood  regulation, 
the provision of raw and building material. Soil is a finite 
and  extremely 
increasingly 
degrading  in  the  EU.  Land  taken  by  urban  development 
and infrastructure is highly unlikely to be reverted to its 
natural  state;  it  consumes  mostly  agricultural  land  and 
increases  fragmentation  of  habitats.  Soil  protection  is 
indirectly  addressed  in  existing EU policies  in  areas  such 
as  agriculture,  water,  waste,  chemicals,  and  prevention 
of industrial pollution. 

resource  and 

fragile 

Artificial  land  cover  is  used  for  settlements,  production 
systems and infrastructure. It may itself be split between 

Slovakia  12 

built-up areas (buildings) and non-built-up areas (such as 
linear transport networks and associated areas). 

The  annual  land  take  rate  (growth  of  artificial  areas)  as 
provided  by  CORINE  Land  Cover  was  0.40%  in  Slovakia 
over the period 2006-12, around the EU average (0.41%). 
It represented 1147 hectares per year (in the period 2000 
–  2006  it  was  486  hectares)  mainly  driven  by  industrial 
and  commercial  sites,  as  well  as  housing,  services  and 
recreation41.  

The  percentage  of  built  up  land  in  2009  was  2.54  %, 
below  the EU average (3.23 %)42.  The  soil water  erosion 
rate  in  2010  was  2.18  tonnes  per  ha  per  year,  close  to 
EU28 average (2.46 tonnes). 43 

There are still no EU-wide datasets enabling the provision 
of  benchmark  indicators  for  soil  organic  matter  decline, 
contaminated sites, pressures on soil biology and diffuse 
pollution.  An  updated  inventory  and  assessment  of  soil 
protection  policy  instruments  in  Slovakia  and  other  EU 
Member  States  is  being  performed  by  the  EU  Expert 
Group  on  Soil  Protection.  Figure  8  shows  the  concise 
characterization  of  land  cover  changes  in  Slovakia  in 
2012. 
Figure 8: Land Cover types in Slovakia in 201244 

41 European Environment Agency Draft results of CORINE Land Cover 

(CLC) inventory 2012; mean annual land take 2006-12 as a % of 2006 
artificial land. 

42 European Environment Agency, 2016. Imperviousness and 

imperviousness change 

43 Eurostat, Soil water erosion rate, Figure 2, accessed November 2016 
44 European Environment Agency, Land cover 2012 and changes country 

analysis [publication forthcoming]. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
3. Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life 

Slovakia  13 

Air quality  

The  EU  Clean  Air  Policy  and  legislation  require  that  air 
quality  in  the  Union  is  significantly  improved,  moving 
closer  to  the  WHO  recommended  levels.  Air  pollution 
and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity should be 
further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding 
critical  loads  and  levels.  This  requires  strengthening 
efforts  to  reach  full  compliance  with  Union  air  quality 
legislation  and  defining  strategic  targets  and  actions 
beyond 2020. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  suite  of  air 
legislation45,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 
standards  and  objectives  for  a  number  of  air  pollutants. 
As  part  of  this,  Member  States  are  also  required  to 

nitrogen  oxides  (-63%)  ensure  air  emissions  for  these 
pollutants  are  within  the  currently  applicable  national 
emission ceiling48.  

At the same time, air quality in Slovakia continues to give 
cause  for  concern.  For  the  year  2013,  the  European 
Environment  Agency  estimated  that  about  5  620 
premature  deaths  were  attributable  to  fine  particulate 
matter49 
ozone 
concentration50.51 This is due also to exceedances above 
the EU air quality standards such as shown in Figure 952.  

concentrations, 

and 

200 

to 

For  2014,  the  Slovak  authorities  have  communicated 
exceedances  above  EU  air  quality  standards  that  have 
been 
(NO2)  and 
particulate  matter  (PM10)  in  several  air  quality  zones. 
Furthermore, the target values and long-term objectives 

for  nitrogen  dioxide 

registered 

Figure 9: Attainment situation for PM10, NO2 and O3 in 2014 

that  up-to-date 

ensure 
information  on  ambient 
concentrations  of  different  air  pollutants  is  routinely 
made  available  to  the  public.  In  addition,  the  National 
for  emission 
Emission  Ceilings  Directive  provides 
reductions  at  national  level  that  should  be  achieved  for 
main pollutants. 

The  emission  of  several  air  pollutants  has  decreased 
significantly  in  Slovakia46.  Reductions between  1990  and 
201447  for  sulphur  oxides  (-91%),  ammonia  (-43%),  non-
methane  volatile  organic  compounds  (-15%)  as  well  as 

45 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards  
46 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 

viewer (NEC Directive) 
 2013 is used as a reference period for all MSs 

47

48 The current national emission ceilings apply since 2010 (Directive 
2001/81/EC); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have been set by 
Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and 
repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. 

49 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and 
liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. 
PM10 (PM2.5) refers to particles with a diameter of 10 (2.5) 
micrometres or less. PM is emitted from many anthropogenic 
sources, including combustion. 

50 Low level ozone is produced by photochemical action on pollution 

and it is also a greenhouse gas 

51 European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe – 2016 
Report. (Table 10.2, please see details in this report as regards the 
underpinning  methodology). 

52 Based on European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe 

– 2016 Report. (Figures 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1) 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
 
regarding  ozone  concentrations  are  exceeded  in  two  air 
quality zones.53  

The  persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  requirements  (for 
PM10  and  NO2),  which  have  severe  negative  effects  on 
health  and  environment,  are  being  followed  up  by  the 
European  Commission  through  infringement  procedures 
covering  all  the  Member  States  concerned,  including 
Slovakia.  The  aim  is  that  adequate  measures  are  put  in 
place to bring all zones into compliance. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  health-related  external 
costs  from  air  pollution  in  Slovakia  are  above  EUR  3 
billion/year  (income  adjusted,  2010),  which  include  not 
only the intrinsic value of living a full health life but also 
direct costs to the economy. These direct economic costs 
relate  to  1.3  million  workdays  lost  each  year  due  to 
sickness related to air pollution, with associated costs for 
employers  of  EUR  123  million/year  (income  adjusted, 
2010),  for  healthcare  of  above  EUR  10  million/year 
(income adjusted, 2010), and for agriculture (crop losses) 
of EUR 35 million/year (2010).54 

Suggested action 

  Maintain  downward  emissions  trends  of  air  pollutants 
in order to achieve full compliance with air quality limit 
values  -  and  reduce  adverse  air  pollution  impacts  on 
health, environment and economy. 

  Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to comply with 
currently applicable national emission ceilings55 and/or 
(and  ozone 
(NO2) 
to 
concentrations), 
inter  alia,  by  reducing  transport 
related emissions - in particular in urban areas. 

reduce  nitrogen  dioxide 

  Reduce PM10 emission and concentration, inter alia, by 
reducing  emissions  related  to  energy  and  heat 
generation  using  solid  fuels,  to  transport  and  to 
agriculture. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive  provides  for  a 
common  approach  for  the  avoidance,  prevention  and 
reduction  of  harmful  effects  due  to  exposure  to 
environmental noise. 

Excessive  noise  is  one  of  the  main  causes  of  health 
issues56.  To alleviate  this,  the  EU  acquis  sets  out  several 

53 See The EEA/Eionet Air Quality Portal and the related Central Data 

Repository 

54 These figures are based on the Impact Assessment for the European 

Commission Integrated Clean Air Package (2013) 

55 Under the provisions of the revised National Emission Ceilings 

Directive, Member States now may apply for emission inventory 
adjustments. Pending evaluation of any adjustment application, 
Member States should keep emissions under close control with a 
view to further reductions. 

56 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, 

Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 

Slovakia  14 

including  assessing  the  exposure  to 
requirements, 
environmental  noise  through  noise  mapping,  ensuring 
that information on environmental noise and its effects is 
made  available  to  the  public,  and  adopting  action  plans 
with  a  view  to  preventing  and  reducing  environmental 
noise  where  necessary  and  to  preserving  the  acoustic 
environment quality where it is good. 

Slovakia's  implementation  of  the  Environmental  Noise 
Directive57 is significantly delayed. The noise mapping for 
the  most  recent  reporting  round,  for  the  reference  year 
2011, is only 50% complete for agglomerations and 28% 
for major roads. The noise mapping for major railways is 
complete.  Action  plans  for  noise  management  in  the 
current period have been adopted for only 25% of major 
roads.  Action  plans  for  agglomerations  and  major 
railways  have  not  been  completed.  The  Commission 
contacted  the  Slovakian  authorities  with  regard  to  the 
missing  noise  maps  and  action  plans,  and  continues  to 
follow up on the situation. 

Suggested action 

  Complete  noise  mapping  and  action  plans  for  noise 

management and use them in planning praxis 

Water quality and management 

(including  surface  and  ground  waters) 

The  EU  water  policy  and  legislation  require  that  the 
impact  of  pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh 
is 
waters 
significantly  reduced  to  achieve,  maintain  or  enhance 
good  status  of  water  bodies,  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive; that citizens throughout the Union 
benefit from high standards for safe drinking and bathing 
water;  and  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

SDG  6  encourages  countries  to  ensure  availability  and 
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

The  main  overall  objective  of  EU  water  policy  and 
legislation  is  to  ensure  access  to  good  quality  water  in 
sufficient  quantity  for  all  Europeans.  The  EU  water 
acquis58  seeks  to  ensure  good  status  of  all  water  bodies 
across Europe by addressing pollution sources (from e.g. 

World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark 

57 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish, 
every 5 years, noise maps and noise management action plans for 
agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants, and for major 
roads, railways and airports.  

58 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC); the Urban 

Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) concerning 
discharges of municipal and some industrial waste waters; the 
Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) concerning potable water 
quality; the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) concerning 
water resources management; the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) 
and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
                                                                                                 
agriculture, urban areas and industrial activities), physical 
and  hydrological modifications  to  water  bodies)  and  the 
management of risks of flooding.  

River  Basin  Management  Plans 
(RBMPs)  are  a 
requirement  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  a 
means  of  achieving  the  protection,  improvement  and 
sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. 
This includes surface freshwaters such as lakes and rivers, 
groundwater,  estuaries  and  coastal  waters  up  to  one 
nautical mile. 

Slovakia  has  provided  information  to  the  Commission 
from  its  second  generation  of  RBMPs.  However,  as  the 
Commission  has  not  yet  been  able  to  validate  this 
information  for  all  Member  States,  it  is  not  reported 
here. 
In  its  first  generation  of  RBMPs59  under  the  WFD  the 
Slovak  Republic  reported  the  status  of  1760  surface 
water  bodies60  and  101  groundwater  bodies.  65%  of 
natural  surface  water  bodies  achieve  a  good  or  high 
ecological  status61  and  only  42%  of  heavily  modified  or 
artificial  water  bodies  achieve  a  high  or  ecological 
potential.  96%  of  surface  water  bodies,  72%  of  heavily 
modified  and  artificial  water  bodies  and  61%  of 
groundwater  bodies  achieve  good  chemical  status62 
is  unknown63).  69%  of 
(while  the  status  of  26% 
groundwater  bodies 
in  good 
quantitative status64. 

(26%  unknown)  are 

identified  that  organic  pollution,  nutrients 
Slovakia 
pollution,  pollution  by  hazardous  substances  from  both 
diffuse65  and  point  sources,  and  hydromorphological 
alterations  are  the  main  causes  of  non-attainment  of 
good status.  

The  Slovak  RBMPs  have  some  deficiencies  that  result  in 
uncertainties  about  the  status  and  effectiveness  of 
Programmes  of  Measures. 
In  particular  there  are 
weaknesses  in  monitoring,  methodologies  for  status 

59 Disclaimer: "According to SK authorities, the percentage of 

groundwater bodies (GWBs) achieving good chemical status raised to 
82,7%, as well as the % of GWBs in good quantitative status stands 
now at 93,3%." 

60 In the 1st RBMPs SK reported only rivers as surface water bodies 
61 Good ecological status is defined in the Water Framework Directive 

referring to the quality of the biological community, the hydrological 
characteristics and the chemical characteristics. 

62 Good chemical status is defined in the Water Framework Directive 

referring to compliance with all the quality standards established for 
chemical substances at European level. 

63 According to SK authorities, out of 101 groundwater bodies 26 bodies 

have been identified as geothermal water bodies/geothermal 
structures with a deep circulation of ground waters (their aquifers  
outside discharge area are at the depth of  200 – 500 meters) for 
which their chemical and quantitative status was not assessed   
64 For groundwater, a precautionary approach has been taken that 

comprises a prohibition on direct discharges to groundwater, and a 
requirement to monitor groundwater bodies. 

65 Diffuse pollution comes from widespread activities with no one 

Slovakia  15 

the 

link  between  pressures  and 
assessment  and 
Programmes  of  Measures.66  A  number  of  exemptions 
were  applied.  The  planned  measures  are  expected  to 
result  in  improvement  of  chemical  status  of  surface 
water  bodies  by  4%.  The  measures  should  also  bring 
improvement  of  ecological  potential  of  artificial  and 
heavily  modified  water  bodies67  by  2%  and  chemical 
status by 28%. The quantitative status of groundwater is 
expected to improve by 5%. 

that 

apply. 

Discussions 

Slovakia  has  designated  around  30%  of  the  territory  as 
Nitrate  Vulnerable  Zone.  The  action  programme  has 
differentiated  measures  per  areas  depending  of  farming 
the 
restrictions 
implementation  of  the  Directive  are  on-going  between 
the  Commission  and  Slovakia  in  the  context  of  an 
infringement procedure launched in 2012. A recent Court 
of  Auditors  report  "Danube  river  basin  II:  Quality  of 
water"68 stated there is a lack of ambition in the Member 
States concerned including Slovakia to address causes of 
pollution. It stated that Member States are not using all 
the possibilities offered by the Nitrates Directive 

on 

As  regards  drinking  water,  Slovakia  reaches  very  high 
compliance rates of 99.52% % for microbiological, 100 % 
for  chemical,  and  99.4%  for  indicator  parameters  laid 
down  in  the  Drinking  Water  Directive69.  More  than  80% 
of  drinking  water  sources  in  Slovakia  are  underground, 
and  are  concentrated  in  the  south-  western  part  of 
Slovakia  (Zitny  ostrov  belongs  to  the  biggest  sources  of 
drinking  water  in  Central  Europe).70  There  are  several 
pressures.   

As  shown  in  Figure  10,  in  2015  in  Slovakia,  out  of  33 
bathing  waters,  48.5  %  were  of  excellent  quality,  30.3% 
of  good  quality,  3.0%  of  sufficient  quality.  1  bathing 
waters was of poor quality or non- compliant while it was 
not  possible  to  assess  the  remaining  5  bathing  waters 
because  of  their  reconstruction.71  The  figure  shows  a 
decrease of bathing waters having excellent quality. 

66 Disclaimer: "According to the SK authorities, a large part of 

deficiencies/uncertainties identified in the 1st RBMPs have been 
addressed in the 2nd RBMPs" 

67 Many European river basins and waters have been altered by human 
activities, such as land drainage, flood protection, and, building of 
dams to create reservoirs 

68 25/1/2016: 

http://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocItem.aspx?did=35001 
69 Commission's Synthesis Report on the Quality of Drinking Water in 
the Union examining Member States' reports for the 2011-2013 
period, foreseen under Article 13(5) of Directive 98/83/EC; 
COM(2016)666 

70 https://www.minzp.sk/oblasti/voda/  
71 European Environment Agency, 2016. European bathing water quality 

discrete source. 

in 2015, p. 26 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
Figure 10: Bathing water quality 2012 – 201572 

Figure 11: Urban waste water Slovakian situation 2012 – 
Final deadline 201575 

Slovakia  16 

in  accordance  with 

With  regard  to  the  implementation  of  the  Urban  Waste 
Water  Treatment  Directive, 
its 
Accession treaty, Slovakia had until 31 December 2015 to 
comply, with a number of transitional deadlines in 2004, 
2008  and  2010.  In  2012,  all  agglomerations  due  to 
comply with Article 3 (collection of waste water) met the 
requirements of the Directive. 97.9% of the waste water 
load  collected  was  subject  to  secondary  treatment  in 
accordance  with  Article  4  of  the  Directive.  However,  as 
regards  Article  5,  only  43.3  %  of  the  waste  water  load 
collected was subject to more stringent treatment.73 The 
Commission  is  following-up  on  the  above-mentioned 
non-compliance by means of a pilot exchange.  

Figure  11  shows  the  total  generated  load  at  Member 
State  level  (in  population  equivalent  and  regardless  of 
load  that  remains  to  be 
agglomerations)  and  the 
addressed by Slovakia.  

The  estimated  investment  needs  (reported  by  Slovakia 
under  Article  17  of  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment 
Directive)  to  reach  full  compliance  with  the  Directive  in 
are  of  807  MEUR74.  The  Majority  of  investments  are 
supported  by  EU  funds  due  to  the  limited  availability  of 
sources  at  the  national  level.  This  has  been  reported  as 
distorting  element  in  setting  the  balanced  water  pricing 
policy.     

Flood  risk  areas  have  started  to  been  identified  and 
mapped  in  the  Slovak  Republic  in  the  context  of  Flood 
Risk Management and the Plans were prepared together 
with  2nd  RBMPs.  Slovak  Republic  was  hit  by  flooding 
incidents  with  serious  economic  damage  costs  for  last 
time  in  2013  (total  direct  costs  estimated  for  24  floods 
recorded between 2002 and 2013 is EURO 790 mill.)  

Management and  prevention  of  floods is  an  area  where 
potentially  more  economical  nature-based  solutions 
could improve resource efficiency through reducing costs 
and  delivering  multiple  benefits. 
its  2014-20 
operational  programmes the  Slovak  Republic  is  planning 
to  invest  also  in  nature-based  solutions.  However,  their 
effectiveness can be contradicted by the recent plans to 
invest  in  grey  infrastructure  projects  in  the  context  of 
national Strategy to fight with climate change. 
Suggested action76 

In 

  Slovakia  should  do  a  more  detailed  assessment  of 
pressures and improve monitoring in order to know the 
status  of  water  bodies  and  design  effective 
Programmes of Measures.  

  The  assessment  methods  should  improve  to  provide 
more certainty about the water status. Programmes of 
Measures  should  cover  all  identified  pressures  and 
implementation gaps and should be adequately funded 

72 European Environment Agency, State of bathing water, 2016 
73 European Commission, Eighth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Directive (COM (2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final). 

74 European Commission, Eighth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Directive (COM (2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final). 

75 European Commission, 2016. Urban waste water, 8th implementation 
reports. Note: graph illustrates the distance to compliance (is not 
based on the legal compliance assessment methodology) while the 
text above graph refers to the legal compliance with UWWTD. 
76 Suggested actions are based on the EC assessment of 1st round of 

RBMPs. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
Slovakia  17 

and  should  take  into  account  the  conclusions  of  the 
Court of Auditors report77.  

  New  physical  modifications  of  water  bodies  (including 
anti-flood  measures)  should  be  assessed  in  line  with 
article  4(7).  In  these  assessments  alternative  options 
and  adequate  mitigation  measures  have  to  be 
considered.  This  is  particularly  relevant  for  new  dams 
(like  Slatinka,  Tichy  potok,  Sered-Hlohovec)  planned 
outside  the  intervention  logic  of  Water  Framework 
Directive  decades  ago  or  small  hydropower  stations 
(like on river Hron). Similar concerns apply to drainage 
channels maintenance and development.    

  Slovakia should  improve  its  water  pricing policy based 
on an analysis of environmental and resource costs and 
covering a broad range of water services.   

Enhancing the sustainability of cities  

The  EU  Policy  on  the  urban  environment  encourages 
cities  to 
implement  policies  for  sustainable  urban 
planning and design, including innovative approaches for 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation.  

transport  and  mobility, 

SDG11  aims  at  making  cities  and  human  settlements 
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

Europe is a Union of cities and towns; around 75% of the 
EU  population  are  living  in  urban  areas.78  The  urban 
the 
environment  poses  particular  challenges 
environment  and  human  health,  whilst  also  providing 
opportunities and efficiency gains in the use of resources.  

for 

The  Member  States,  European  institutions,  cities  and 
stakeholders have prepared a new Urban Agenda for the 
EU  (incorporating  the  Smart  Cities  initiative)  to  tackle 
these  issues  in  a  comprehensive  way,  including  their 
connections with social and economic challenges. At the 
heart  of  this  Urban  Agenda  will  be  the  development  of 
twelve  partnerships  on  the  identified  urban  challenges, 
including air quality and housing79.  

The  European  Commission  will 
benchmark system in 201780. 

launch  a  new  EU 

77 Disclaimer: According to SK authorities, implementation of Nitrate 
Directive should be improved by amendments to Act No 136/2000 
Coll. on fertilizers, as amended, in force as of 1 January 2016. EC has 
not validated yet this information.  

78 European Environment Agency, Urban environment 
79  http://urbanagendaforthe.eu/ 
80  The Commission is developing an Urban Benchmarking and 

Monitoring ('UBaM') tool to be launched in 2017. Best practices 
emerge and these will be better disseminated via the app featuring 
the UBaM tool, and increasingly via e.g. EUROCITIES, ICLEI, CEMR, 
Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and others. 

The  EU  stimulates  green  cities  through  awards  and 
funding,  such  as  the  EU  Green  Capital  Award  aimed  at 
cities  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants  and  the  EU 
Green  Leaf  initiative  aimed  at  cities  and  towns,  with 
between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. 

Some local initiatives such as Agenda 21 were established 
in  the  past;  however  the  institutional  support  is  very 
weak.  

International agreements  

The  EU  Treaties  require  that  the  Union  policy  on  the 
environment  promotes  measures  at  the  international 
level  to  deal  with  regional  or  worldwide  environmental 
problems. 

Most  environmental  problems  have  a  transboundary 
nature  and  often  a  global  scope  and  they  can  only  be 
addressed effectively through international co-operation. 
International  environmental  agreements  concluded  by 
the Union are binding upon the institutions of the Union 
and  on  its Member  States. This  requires  the  EU and the 
Member  States  to  sign,  ratify  and  effectively  implement 
all  relevant  multilateral  environmental  agreements 
(MEAs) in a timely manner. This will also be an important 
contribution  towards  the  achievement  of  the  SDGs, 
which Member States committed to in 2015 and include 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
Slovakia  18 

many  commitments  contained  already  in  legally  binding 
agreements. 

The  fact  that  some  Member  States  did  not  sign  and/or 
ratify  a  number  of  MEAs  compromises  environmental 
implementation,  including  within  the  Union,  as  well  as 
in  related  negotiations  and 
the  Union’s  credibility 
international  meetings  where 
the 
participation of third countries to such agreements is an 
established  EU  policy  objective.  In  agreements  where 
voting takes place it has a direct impact on the number of 
votes to be cast by the EU. 

supporting 

Slovakia  has  signed  and  ratified  almost  all  MEAs.  It  has 
signed  but  not  yet  ratified  the  MARPOL  Annex  VI  on 
Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools 

4. Market based instruments and investment 

Slovakia  19 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful 
subsidies 

The Circular Economy Action Plan encourages the use of 
financial  incentives  and  economic  instruments,  such  as 
taxation  to  ensure  that  product  prices  better  reflect 
environmental costs. The phasing out of environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  is  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  in  national  reform  programmes 
submitted by Member States. 

Taxing pollution and resource use can generate increased 
revenue  and  bring  important  social  and  environmental 
benefits. 

In 2014, environmental taxes amounted to 1.79% of GDP 
and remain much below the early 2000 (2.45% in 2004). 
The 
largest  proportion  of  environmentally-related 
taxation in 2014 was from energy taxes, which generated 
revenue equivalent to 1.48% of GDP (EU average 1.88%). 
The implicit tax rate on energy is one of the lowest in the 
EU (108 vs 234 EU28 average). Taxes on transport (excl. 
transport fuels) accounted for 0.21% of GDP, whilst taxes 
on  pollution  and  resources  accounted  for  just  0.03%  of 
GDP.  The  support  to  production  of  electricity  from  low 
quality brown coal extracted in Slovakia is an example of 
environmentally harmful subsidies81.  

In the same year environmental tax revenues accounted 
for  5.77%  (up  from  5.72%)  of  total  revenues  from  taxes 
and  social-security  contributions  (EU28  average:  6.35%) 
as depicted in Figure 12. 
The  headline  figures  from  the  2016  study82  suggest  that 
there  is  considerable  potential  for  shifting  taxes  from 
labour to environmental taxes in Slovakia. Under a good 

81 The issue has attracted attention at the end of 2016 when one the 
blocks of the Novaky thermal power,  shut down on 1 January 2016 
due to the non-compliance with emission limits, has resumed 
service. The production of electricity from domestically produced 
lignite from Novaky´s mine is heavily subsidised in Slovakia (cca 100 
mil. annually paid by electricity consumers in form of feed-in tariff) 
while being the second biggest emitter of GHG in Slovakia. 
82 Eunomia Research and Consulting, IEEP, Aarhus University, ENT, 

2016. Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential 
for the EU28. N.B. National governments are responsible for setting 
tax rates within the EU Single Market rules and this report is not 
suggesting concrete changes as to the level of environmental 
taxation. It merely presents the findings of the 2016 study by 
Eunomia et al on the potential benefits various environmental taxes 
could bring. It is then for the national authorities to assess this study 
and their concrete impacts in the national context. A first step in this 
respect, already done by a number of Member States, is to set up 
expert groups to assess these and make specific proposals.  

practice scenario83, the amount could be as much as EUR 
0.69  billion  in  2018,  rising  to  EUR  1.46  billion  in  2030 
(both  in  real  2015  terms).  This  is  equivalent  to  an 
additional  0.78%  and  1.10%  of  GDP  in  2018  and  2030, 
respectively.  The  biggest  share  could  potentially  come 
from increasing vehicle taxation, which will also serve as 
the  means  to  influence  the  environmental  performance 
of vehicles in use in future. Suggested increase in vehicle 
taxes  could  account  for  EUR  0.64  billion  in  2030  (real 
2015 terms), equivalent to 0.49% of GDP.  

The next largest potential contribution to revenue comes 
from  the  proposed  amendments  to  the  taxes  on 
transport fuels. This accounts for EUR 0.41 billion in 2030 
(real 2015 terms),  

Figure  12:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  a  share  of 
total  revenues  from  taxes  and  social  contributions 
(excluding imputed social contributions) in 201484 

83 The good practice scenario means benchmarking to a successful 

taxation practice in another Member State.  

84 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed October 2016 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
equivalent  to  0.31%  of  GDP  Low  implicit  tax  rate  on 
energy and lower than average energy taxes share in GDP 
indicate  that  there  is  a  scope  to  increase  taxation  levels 
in  energy:  diesel  fuel  is  taxed  much  lower  than  petrol 
(both in per volume and in per energy content). 

Green Public Procurement  

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member States to take further steps to reach the target 
of applying green procurement criteria to at least 50% of 
public tenders. 
Green  Public  Procurement  (GPP)  is  a  process  whereby 
public  authorities  seek  to  procure  goods,  services  and 
works  with  a  reduced  environmental  impact  throughout 
their  life-cycle  when  compared  to  goods,  services  and 
works  with  the  same  primary  function  that  would 
otherwise be procured.  

The  purchasing  power  of  public  procurement  equals  to 
approximately  14%  of  GDP85.  A  substantial  part  of  this 
money  is  spent  on  sectors  with  high  environmental 
impact such as construction or transport, so GPP can help 
to  significantly  lower  the  impact  of  public  spending  and 
foster sustainable innovative businesses. 

A National Action Plan (NAP) was in place for the period 
2011-2015.86  GPP  criteria  are  not  developed  at  the 
level.  However  the  EU  GPP  criteria87  are 
national 
recommended  for  several  product  groups,  like  cleaning 
products  and  services,  IT  Office  equipment,  transport, 
copy  and  graphic  paper,  furniture,  food  and  catering 
services,  textiles,  electricity,  display  device,  garden 
products and services, and construction.88 The target was 
to  achieve  65  %  of  GPP  at  central  government  level  by 
the end of 2015, and 50 % of GPP for regional and local 
level by the end of 2015.89,90 NAP 2011-2015 (NAP GPP II) 
will be replaced by NAP GPP III (2016-2020). 

Slovak  authorities  monitored  the  uptake  of  GPP  policies 
in 2009 and 201091 and 201592.  

85 European Commission, 2015. Public procurement 
86 European Commission, 2015. Documentation on National GPP Action 

Plans 

87 In the Communication “Public procurement for a better environment” 
(COM /2008/400) the Commission recommended the creation of a 
process for setting common GPP criteria. The basic concept of GPP 
relies on having clear, verifiable, justifiable and ambitious 
environmental criteria for products and services, based on a life-cycle 
approach and scientific evidence base. 

88 PwC (2015), Final report "Strategic use of public procurement in 

promoting green, social and innovative policies 

89 European Commission, 2015. Documentation on National GPP Action 

Plans 

Slovakia  20 

Investments: the contribution of EU funds  

European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  Regulations 
provide  that  Member  States  promote  environment  and 
climate  objectives 
funding  strategies  and 
territorial 
programmes 
cohesion,  rural  development  and  maritime  policy,  and 
reinforce the capacity of implementing bodies to deliver 
cost-effective and sustainable investments in these areas. 

in  their 
for  economic, 

social  and 

Making  good  use  of  the  European  Structural  and 
Investment  Funds  (ESIF)93  is  essential  to  achieve  the 
environmental goals and integrate these into other policy 
areas.  Other  instruments  such  as  the  Horizon  2020,  the 
LIFE  programme  and  European  Fund  for  Strategic 
Investment94  (EFSI)  may  also  support  implementation 
and spread off best practice. 
The  funding  allocation  to  Slovakia95  for  PP  2014-2020 
(see  Figure  13), 
in  comparison  to  PP  2007-2013, 
increased  by  almost  14%  to  overall  EURO  15,3  billion  in 
terms of EU sources and by around 24% in terms of the 
total  funding  to  overall  20,0  billion  (mainly  due  to  the 
growth of the national economy). The public investments 
are  heavily  dependent  on  the  EU  funds  including  the 
environmental  sector.  There  is  a  lack  of  other  public 
sources to support the implementation of environmental 
policies. 

Number of programmes has decreased to 8 for ERDF, ESF 
and CF (plus RDP for EARDF and ETC OPs).  

for 

programme 

implementation 

The  main 
of 
environmental policies is Operational Programme Quality 
of Environment. It is planned that implementation of the 
programme will result inter alia in increasing the surface 
area of rehabilitated land by 452 hectares, increasing the 
surface  area  of  habitats  supported  to  attain  a  better 
conservation status by 20 131 hectares, enhancing waste 
recycling  capacity  by  197  466  tonnes/year  and  waste 
recovery capacity by 329 676 tonnes/year, increasing the 
population served by improved wastewater treatment by 
212  411  persons,  as  well  as  implementing  390  green 
infrastructure elements, The programme is also expected 
to  contribute  to  the  reduction  of  PM  emission  by  6  960 

contracts, and 28% in terms of monetary value 

92 The results from 2015 reached 20,7% green tenders from all 

tendering procedures in terms of number of contracts and 25,8% in 
terms of monetary value.  

93 ESIF 2014-2020 comprises five funds – the European Regional 

Development Funds (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European 
Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural 
Development (EAFRD), and the European Maritime and Fisheries 
Fund (EMFF). The ERDF, the CF and the ESF together form the 
Cohesion Policy funds. 

90 PwC (2015), Final report "Strategic use of public procurement in 

promoting green, social and innovative policies 

91 CEPS (2012), “Monitoring the Uptake of GPP in the EU” In 2010, green 

tenders represented 10% of the sample in terms of number of 
contracts, and 51% in terms of monetary value. In 2009, green 
tenders represented 11% of the sample in terms of number of 

94 EIB: European Fund for Strategic Investments 
95 Sources: 
ERDF/CF/ESF in 2007-2013 
EAFRD in 2007-2013 
EMFF in 2007-2013 
ERDF/CF/ESF/ EAFRD/EMFF in 2014-2020 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
                                                            
                                                                                                 
tonnes/year  and  selected  pollutant  emissions  by  38  083 
tonnes/year.  

measure represents 6.8% of the total EAFRD and is one of 
the lowest percentages among the MSs.  

Slovakia  21 

Current data suggest that the EU funds for the 2007-2013 
period were almost fully spent96 .  

Figure  13:  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
2014-2020: Budget Slovakia by theme, EUR billion97 

in  the 

The  general  problem  of  EU  programmes  in  Slovakia  is 
with  targeted  use  of  funds,  including  environmental 
sector.  Changes 
investment  strategy  of  the  
OPE  2007-2013  were  caused  by  the  delays  in  project 
preparation  in  waste  and  water  sectors  and  lack  of 
appropriate capacities in project design and preparation. 
This  created  a  serious  risk  of  a  substantial  funds 
decommitment  and  resulted  in  several  modification  of 
programme.  Another  challenge  is  the  integration  of 
environmental  priorities.  In  on-going  PP  2014-2020,  this 
would largely depend on the progress in implementation 
in  the  programmes  outside  the  Operational  Programme 
Quality  of  Environment.  However,  more  stringent 
regulatory and enforcement steps are needed leading to 
creation of credible plans to adopt measures designed by 
different strategies to this end.    

The  National  Rural  Development  Program  (NRDP)  of 
its  EARDF  part,  amounts  to  EUR  1,560 
Slovakia, 
million98.  The  budget  for  agri-environmental-climate 

96 Final data for the period 2007-2013 will only be available at the end 

of 2017.   

97 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 

Data By Country 

98 May 2015 

Slovakia used option of transfer part of budget of Pillar II 
to  Pillar  I  for  direct  payments  (21.3%  for  allocations  for 
to 
every 
amendments).  

2015-2020, 

budgetary 

subject 

year 

Contribution  of  RDP  towards  environmental  objectives 
inadequately  covers  the  needs.  Slovak  NRDP  includes 
only two measures for support of biodiversity (apart from 
agri-environment-climate measure), namely Natura 2000 
compensation  measure 
forest-environment 
measure,  with  rather  limited  allocation.  Around  half  of 
contribution  accounted  under  environmental 
the 
objectives 
is  related  to  the  measure  on  natural 
constraints (however, as in other MSs, no conditions are 
linked to this measure).  

and 

Some  of  the  needs  such  as  cohabitation  of  rural  areas 
and  agriculture  with  large  carnivores  are  out  of  the 
programme.  On  the  other  hand,  reconstructing  of 
drainage  channels  have  been  included  in  significant 
scope but with questionable benefits as well as fire forest 
prevention  measures,  which  are  problematic  as 
according to the ECA audit99.  

funds  to  pay 

With regard to the integration of environmental concerns 
into  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP),  the  two  key 
areas for Slovakia (as for all Member States) are relevant. 
First,  using  Rural  Development 
for 
environmentally  friendly  land  management  and  other 
environmental  measures,  and  secondly,  ensuring  an 
effective  implementation  of  the  first  pillar  of  the  CAP 
with regard to cross compliance and 1st pillar - 'greening' 
where almost 30 % of direct payment envelope could be 
for  the 
allocated  to  greening  practices  beneficial 
environment. 
ambitious 
implementation  of 1st  pillar greening  would  clearly  help 
to  improve  the  environmental  situation  in  areas  not 
covered  by  rural  development,  including  intensive  area, 
and  Slovakia  still  could  make  improvements  in  this 
regards.100  

environmentally 

An 

A  critical  review  of  the  programming  logic  of  the  Rural 
Development 
towards  more 
environmental  objectives  and  effective  implementation 
of 'greening' is crucial for 2014-2020. 

Programme 

(RDP) 

99 Special report no 24/2014: Is EU support for preventing and restoring 

damage to forests caused by fire and natural disasters well 
managed?  

100 For the purpose of greening implementation (Regulation (EU) 

1307/2013) in 2015 Slovakia made it possible to use 10 as ecological 
focus areas (EFA), out of possible 19 elements. Neither use of 
fertilisers, nor use of plant protection products is allowed for EFA 
short rotation coppice. Soybean is eligible as EFA nitrogen fixing crop 
(thought there is divergence of views on its biodiversity benefits). 
100% of Natura 2000 grasslands were designated as environmentally 
sensitive, 0 ha designated outside Natura 2000. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Slovakia  22 

5. Effective governance and knowledge

is 

that 

crucial 

Capacity to implement rules 
It 
local 
central, 
administrations  have  the  necessary  capacities  and  skills 
and training to carry out their own tasks and co-operate 
and  co-ordinate  effectively  with  each  other,  within  a 
system of multi-level governance. 

regional  and 

Administrative capacities are in general not sufficient and 
the enforcement of the environmental laws and policies 
is  suffering  in  long-term  run  from  turn-over  with  every 
election round.  Water management sector suffers from 
weak administrative capacities for example.  

The responsibility for environmental matters lies with the 
Ministry  of  Environment  or  Regional  Authorities.  Local 
authorities are typically responsible for sectorial policies, 
like waste management, which is a source of tension. The 
Ministry  has  also  general  supervisory  and  controlling 
role.  

In 2013, a partial public administration reform took place 
which  resulted  in  creation  of  integrated  local  bodies, 
district  offices,  to  which  the  powers  and  responsibilities 
of  regional  environmental  offices,  regional  bodies  for 
transportation  and  forestry  management,  and  regional 
cadastral  offices  was  transferred  to.  While  there  is  no 
evaluation of the impact of this partial reform available a 
risk of loss of skills was reported. 

SDG  16  aims  at  providing  access  to  justice  and  building 
effective,  accountable  and  inclusive  institutions  at  all 
levels. SDG 17 aims at better implementation, improving 
policy  coordination  and  policy  coherence,  stimulating 
innovation,  establishing 
science, 
partnerships and developing measurements of progress. 

technology 

and 

Effective governance of EU environmental legislation and 
policies  requires  having  an  appropriate 
institutional 
framework,  policy  coherence  and  coordination,  applying 
legal  and  non-legal  instruments,  engaging  with  non-
governmental  stakeholders,  and  having  adequate  levels 
of  knowledge  and  skills101.  Successful  implementation 
depends, to a large extent, on central, regional and local 
government  fulfilling  key  legislative  and  administrative 
tasks,  notably  adoption  of 
implementing 
legislation,  co-ordinated  action  to  meet  environmental 
objectives  and  correct  decision-making  on  matters  such 
as  industrial  permits.  Beyond  fulfilment  of  these  tasks, 
government  must 
to  ensure  day-to-day 
compliance  by  economic  operators,  utilities  and 
individuals  ("compliance  assurance").  Civil  society  also 
has  a  role  to  play,  including  through  legal  action.  To 
underpin the roles of all actors, it is crucial to collect and 
share  knowledge  and  evidence  on  the  state  of  the 
environment  and  on  environmental  pressures,  drivers 
and impacts. 

intervene 

sound 

Equally,  effective  governance  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  and  policies  benefits  from  a  dialogue  within 
Member  States  and  between  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  on  whether  the  current  EU  environmental 
legislation  is  fit  for  purpose.  Legislation  can  only  be 
properly 
into  account 
experiences  at  Member  State  level  with  putting  EU 
commitments  into  effect.  The  Make  it  Work  initiative,  a 
Member  State  driven  project,  established 
in  2014, 
organizes a discussion on how the clarity, coherence and 
legislation  can  be 
structure  of  EU  environmental 
improved without lowering existing protection standards. 

implemented  when 

it  takes 

Effective governance within central, regional 
and local government 

Those  involved  in  implementing  environment  legislation 
at  Union,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  need  to  be 
equipped  with  the  knowledge,  tools  and  capacity  to 
improve  the  delivery  of  benefits  from  that  legislation, 
and the governance of the enforcement process. 

The  ownership  of  environmental  agenda 
is  weak, 
prevailed  by  social  topics.  Environmental  authorities  are 
the 
subject 
environmental 
their 
enforcement is low. 

pressures.102  While 
relatively  strict, 
is 

numerous 
legislation 

to 

Public trust in and among administrative levels is low.  

There  are  approx.  25  environmental  NGOs  in  Slovakia 

101 The Commission has work ongoing to improve the country-specific 
knowledge about quality and functioning of the administrative 
systems of Member States. 

102 The corruption level and its trend, including the public 

administration, is of concern in Slovakia as highlighted by the EU 
Semester - Country Specific Recommendations 2014 and 2015 and  
The 2016 EU Justice Scoreboard.  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
operating at national or local level, organised since 2007 
in  an  open  network  "Ekoforum",  while  several  of  these 
NGOs  are  also  members  of  new  "Green  Coalition", 
created in 2014. The Slovak environmental NGOs operate 
in generally unfavourable environment with a shortage of 
financing.  This  is  mirrored  e.g.  by  a  low  number  of  the 
in 
cases  being  addressed  to  the  national  courts 
environmental matters. 

Slovakia  has  an  average  number  of 
infringements 
concerning mainly non-conformity and bad-application of 
EU  environmental  acquis.  The  main 
shares  of 
infringements  are  in  water  (29%),  waste  (21%)  and 
impact  (22%)  sector  (data  of  2015).  The  gaps 
in 
transposition  of  the  EIA/SEA  Directives  were  already 
addressed  by  three  infringement  proceedings  since  the 
Slovak  accession  into  EU.  This  has  an  impact  on  the 
legality of the projects which fall under the EIA Directive 
the  development  consent 
and  were 
procedures during this period.  

subject 

to 

to 

in  response 

Slovakia  adopted  an  amendment  of  the  EIA  law  in  April 
2015 
the  second  horizontal  EIA 
infringement to avoid a risk  of interruption of EU funds. 
This  amendment  introduced  several  changes  to  the 
system  established  until 
like  binding  and 
appealable EIA Statement.  

then, 

Slovakia  23 

  Improve  the  application  of  EIA  and  SEA  as  important 

tools to ensure environmental integration.  

Coordination and integration 
The  Slovak  Republic  has  a  national  SDP  Strategy.103  The 
implementation  of  environmental  policies  is  fragmented 
by  the  competences  allocation.  Long-term  thinking  is 
often prevailed by political decisions.  
The transposition of the revised EIA Directive104 will be an 
opportunity  to  streamline  the  regulatory  framework  on 
environmental assessments. The Commission encourages 
the  streamlining  of  the  environmental  assessments 
because  this  approach  reduces  duplication  and  avoids 
in  environmental  assessments 
unnecessary  overlaps 
applicable 
a  particular  project.  Moreover, 
streamlining  helps  reducing  unnecessary  administrative 
burden  and  accelerates  decision-making,  without 
the  environmental 
compromising 
assessment  procedure.  The  Commission  has  issued  a 
guidance document in 2016105 regarding the setting up of 
coordinated 
are 
simultaneously  subject  to  assessments  under  the  EIA 
Directive, Habitats Directive, Water Framework Directive, 
and the Industrial Emissions Directive106.  

joint  procedures 

the  quality  of 

and/or 

that 

for 

A  pipeline  of  projects  with  old/pre-accession  EIAs  which 
are  to  be  co-financed  in  PP  2014-2020  still  exist  in 
transport  sector  and  the  compliance  of  these  projects 
with the EU acquis has to be ensured by doing new EIAs 
where necessary. 

In some of the environmental cases where individuals or 
NGOs have gained access before the national courts over 
the  past  years,  the  Slovakian  judges  referred  several 
requests for preliminary rulings to the Court of Justice of 
the  EU.  This  represented  a  valuable  contribution  to  the 
development  of  EU  environment  law,  since  preliminary 
rulings  enable  the  Court  of  Justice  to  give  a  coherent 
interpretation of the EU law.   

is  traditionally 

Environmental  policy 
linked  to  the 
planning  instruments  (territorial  plans).  These  however 
suffer  from  formalistic  application  of  the  strategic 
environmental assessment. Slovakia has in place a multi-
stage  development  consent  system,  in  which  the  EIA 
process  is  followed  by the  zoning decisions  and  building 
permit  stages.  There  are  discussions  on-going  for  last 
decades  on  the  complete  reform  of  permitting  system, 
(based on 1976 Construction Act, amended for numerous 
times  since  then),  however  these  have  not  materialised 
yet.  

Suggested action 

Compliance assurance 

EU  law  generally  and  specific  provisions  on  inspections, 
other  checks,  penalties  and  environmental  liability  help 
lay  the  basis  for  the  systems  Member  States  need  to 
have 
secure  compliance  with  EU 
to 
environmental rules. 

in  place 

Public  authorities  help  ensure  accountability  of  duty-
holders by monitoring and promoting compliance and by 
taking credible follow-up action (i.e. enforcement) when 
breaches occur or liabilities arise. Compliance monitoring 
can  be  done  both  on  the 
initiative  of  authorities 
themselves  and  in  response to  citizen complaints. It  can 
involve  using  various  kinds  of  checks, 
including 
inspections  for  permitted  activities,  surveillance  for 
possible  illegal  activities,  investigations  for  crimes  and 
audits for systemic weaknesses. Similarly, there is a range 
of  means  to  promote  compliance,  including  awareness-
raising  campaigns  and  use  of  guidance  documents  and 
online  information  tools.  Follow-up  to  breaches  and 

103 http://www.minzp.sk/dokumenty/strategicke-dokumenty/  
104 The transposition of Directive 2014/52/EU is due in May 2017  
105 European Commission, 2016. Commission notice — Commission 
guidance document on streamlining environmental assessments 
conducted under Article 2(3) of the Environmental Impact 
Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU). 

106 European Commission, [forthcoming 2016] 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
liability 

include  administrative  action 

liabilities  can 
(e.g. 
withdrawal of a permit), use of criminal law107 and action 
law  (e.g.  required  remediation  after 
under 
damage  from  an  accident  using 
liability  rules)  and 
contractual  law  (e.g.  measures  to  require  compliance 
with  nature  conservation  contracts).  Taken  together,  all 
of these interventions represent "compliance assurance" 
as shown in Figure 14.  

Best  practice  has  moved  towards  a  risk-based  approach 
at strategic and operational levels in which the best mix 
of compliance monitoring, promotion and enforcement is 
directed at the most serious problems. Best practice also 
recognises  the  need  for  coordination  and  cooperation 
between  different  authorities  to  ensure  consistency, 
avoid  duplication  of  work  and  reduce  administrative 
burden. Active participation in established pan-European 
networks  of  inspectors,  police,  prosecutors  and  judges, 
such as IMPEL108, EUFJE109, ENPE110 and EnviCrimeNet111, 
is  a  valuable  tool  for  sharing  experience  and  good 
practices. 

Figure 14: Environmental compliance assurance 

Currently, there exist a number of sectoral obligations on 
inspections  and  the  EU  directive  on  environmental 
liability  (ELD)  112  provides  a  means  of  ensuring  that  the 
"polluter-pays  principle" 
is  applied  when  there  are 
accidents  and  incidents  that  harm  the  environment. 
There 
information  giving 
insights  into  existing  strengths  and  weaknesses  in  each 
Member State.  

is  also  publically  available 

107Directive 2008/99/EC of The European Parliament and of the Council 
of 19 November 2008 on the protection of the environment through 
criminal law.  

108 European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement 

of Environmental Law 

109 European Union Forum of judges for the environment  
110 The European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment  
111 EnviCrimeNet  
112 European Union, Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/CE and 
remedying of environmental damage (OJ L 143, 30.4.2004, p.56) 

Slovakia  24 

For  each  Member  State,  the  following  were  therefore 
reviewed:  use  of  risk-based  compliance  assurance; 
coordination  and  co-operation  between  authorities  and 
participation in pan-European networks; and key aspects 
of implementation of the ELD based on the Commission's 
recently  published  implementation  report  and  REFIT 
evaluation.113  

Over  the  last  decade,  Slovakia  has  made  efforts  to 
improve  its  system  of  inspections  of  industrial  facilities. 
Some  good  practices  have  been  identified  in  terms  of 
compliance  promotion  activities  and  involvement  of 
NGOs in compliance assurance work.  

Risk-based  approaches  to  target  compliance  assurance 
work seem to be used only to a limited extent. Relevant 
inspection  plans  are  in  place,  which  however  are  not 
made  publicly  available114.  Weaknesses  have  been 
identified  concerning 
the 
organisation  and  effectiveness  of  compliance  assurance 
work  in  individual  environmental  policy  subject-areas, 
e.g.  concerning  controls  of  water  abstraction115  and 
concerning illegal killing of birds116.  

strategic  planning  and 

Up-to-date  information  is  lacking  in  relation  to  the 
following:  

 

  data-collection  arrangements  to  track  the  use  and 
effectiveness  of  different  compliance  assurance 
interventions; 
the extent to which risk-based methods are used to 
direct  compliance  assurance  at  the  strategic  level 
in  relation  to  critical  activities  outside  of 
and 
industrial  installations,  especially  specific  problem-
areas  highlighted  elsewhere  in  this  Country  Report, 
i.e.  threats  to  protected  habitat  types  and  species, 
the  pressures  on 
air  quality  breaches  and 
groundwater resources. 
arrangements 
for  structured  coordination  and 
cooperation  between  different  relevant  competent 
authorities;  in  particular  between  inspectors  on  the 
one hand and prosecutors on the other hand 

 

113 COM(2016) 204 final and COM(2016) 121 final of 14.4.2016. This 

highlighted the need for better evidence on how the directive is used 
in practice; for tools to support its implementation, such as guidance, 
training and ELD registers; and for financial security to be available in 
case events or incidents generate remediation costs. 

114 Study on 'Assessment and summary of the Member States' 

implementation reports for the IED, IPPCD, SED and WID. Industrial 
Emissions Directive, 2016, Amec Foster Wheeler 
Environment&Infrastructure UK Ltd in collaboration with Milieu Ltd, 
p. 352f.  

115 European Court of Auditors, Special Report No 4, 2014, Integration 
of EU water policy objectives with the CAP: a partial success, p. 31-
35.  

116 'Stocktaking of the main problems and review of national 

enforcement mechanisms for tackling illegal killing, trapping and 
trade of birds in the EU', BioIntelligence, 2012, p. 141.  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
  how  the  competent  authorities  ensure  a  targeted 
and  proportionate  response  to  different  types  of 
non-compliant behaviour, in particular in relation to 
serious  breaches  detected,  given  indications  that 
there is a low level of detection of breaches and low 
probability  of  being  criminally  prosecuted  and 
sentenced for environmental offences117. 

Slovakia  participate 
EnviCrimeNet118.  

in  the  activities  of 

IMPEL  and 

For the period 2007-2013, Slovakia reported no cases of 
environmental damage handled under the Environmental 
Liability  Directive.  The  Ministry  of  Environment  has 
organised training events and conferences, and produced 
information  material  to  raise  awareness.  It  has  also 
created a methodology for spatial risk differentiation and 
an information system for the prevention and remedying 
of  environmental  damage  as  well  as  an  environmental 
damage  register.  However,  there  remains  scope  for 
additional  measures 
the  Directive's 
implementation.  Since  2012,  Slovakia  operates  a 
mandatory  financial  security  for  operators  carrying  out 
dangerous  activities  (to  pay  for  remediation  where  the 
operator cannot).  

improve 

to 

Suggested action 

  Improve 

transparency  on 

the  organisation  and 
functioning  of  compliance  assurance  and  on  how 
significant risks are addressed, as outlined above.  

  Encourage 

greater  participation  of 
authorities in all environmental compliance networks. 

competent 

  Step  up  efforts 

implementation  of  the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  with  proactive 
initiatives, in particular by drafting national guidance. 

in  the 

Slovakia  25 

Access  to  Information,  Public  Participation  in  Decision-
making  and  Access  to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters 
("the  Aarhus  Convention").  Public  participation  in  the 
administrative  decision  making  process  is  an  important 
element to ensure that the authority takes its decision on 
the  best  possible  basis.  The  Commission  intends  to 
examine compliance with mandatory public participation 
requirements more systematically at a later stage. 

Access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters  is  a  set  of 
guarantees  that  allows  citizens  and  their  associations  to 
challenge  acts  or  omissions  of  the  public  administration 
before  a  court. 
for  decentralised 
It 
implementation of EU environmental law. 

is  a 

tool 

For  each  Member  State,  two  crucial  elements  for 
effective  access  to  justice  have  been  systematically 
reviewed:  the  legal  standing  for  the  public,  including 
NGOs and the extent to which prohibitive costs represent 
a barrier. 

The  costs  of  court  procedures 
considered as being prohibitively high.  

in  Slovakia  are  not 

of 

decisions 

administrative 

A  major  challenge  to  bring  environmental  cases  to  the 
court  was  the  lack  of  legal  standing  for  the  public, 
including  environmental  NGOs,  for  asking  for  a  judicial 
review 
involving 
environmental matters. In several areas of environmental 
law the public was not entitled to bring a case to court, 
mainly  because  it  is  not  admitted  to  the  administrative 
procedure  which  is  a  precondition  for  taking  a  court 
issue  by 
action.  Slovakia  has  partly  addressed  the 
adopting 
justice 
requirements  for  NGOs  in  several  sectors119,  such  as  in 
the  area  of  projects  requiring  an  environmental  impact 
assessment. 

introducing  access 

legislation 

to 

Public participation and access to justice 

Suggested action 

The  Aarhus  Convention,  related  EU  legislation  on  public 
participation and environmental impact assessment, and 
the case-law of the Court of Justice require that citizens 
and  their  associations  should  be  able  to  participate  in 
decision-making  on  projects  and  plans  and  should  enjoy 
effective environmental access to justice. 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they can rely on the three "pillars" of the Convention on 

117 See for instance in relation to illegal killing of birds 'Stocktaking of 

the main problems and review of national enforcement mechanisms 
for tackling illegal killing, trapping and trade of birds in the EU', 
BioIntelligence, 2012, p. 136f.  

118 The Slovak Environmental Inspectorate is running inspections. 

However, according to SK authorities, for successful environmental 
compliance assurance a change in a complex system would be 
needed. The environmental prosecutors and judges are missing in 
the Slovak Republic. 

  Take  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  standing  of 
environmental NGOs to challenge acts or omissions of 
a public authority in all sectoral EU environmental laws, 
law  as  well  as  the 
in  full  compliance  with  EU 
Convention  on  Access 
Information,  Public 
to 
Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access  to  Justice 
in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention).  

119 Amendment 314/2014 to the EIA Act 100/2001 Coll. as applicable as 
of 01.01.2015 or amendment No. 408/2011 Coll. to Nature and 
Landscape protection Act No. 543/2002 Coll. as applicable as of 
01/12/2011 and adoption of the Administrative Judicial Procedure 
Act  No. 162/2015 Coll. in force as of 01/07/2016 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Access 
evidence 

to 

information,  knowledge  and 

The  Aarhus  Convention  and  related  EU  legislation  on 
access  to  information  and  the  sharing  of  spatial  data 
require that the public has access to clear information on 
the environment, including on how Union environmental 
law is being implemented. 

authorities 

instruments 

create  obligations 

public 
the  public, 

and 
increasingly 

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and business that environmental information is shared in 
an  efficient  and  effective  way.  This  covers  reporting  by 
active 
and 
businesses 
dissemination 
through 
to 
electronic means. 
The  Aarhus  Convention120,  the  Access  to  Environmental 
Information  Directive121  and  the  INSPIRE  Directive122 
together  create  a  legal  foundation  for  the  sharing  of 
environmental  information  between  public  authorities 
and with the public. They also represent the green part of 
the  ongoing  EU  e-Government  Action  Plan123.  The  first 
two 
to  provide 
information  to  the  public,  both  on  request  and  actively. 
The  INSPIRE  Directive  is  a  pioneering  instrument  for 
electronic  data-sharing  between  public  authorities  who 
can  vary  in  their  data-sharing  policies,  e.g.  on  whether 
access to data is for free. The INSPIRE Directive sets up a 
an  infrastructure,  allowing  harmonised  spatial  data  and 
services  exchange.  In  order  to  facilitate  access  to  the 
services,  concept  of 
INSPIRE  geoportal  has  been 
introduced. Spatial data and services are described to be 
searchable  via  metadata,  which  indicates  among  the 
other parameters, also level of public access to the to the 
level  of  shared  spatial  data    and  conditions  applying  to 
access an use in each Member State – i.e. data related to 
specific  locations,  such  as  air  quality  monitoring  data. 
Amongst  other  benefits 
the  public 
authorities' reporting obligations.  

facilitates 

it 

accessibility  of 
State, 
For  each  Member 
environmental data (based on what the INSPIRE Directive 
envisages)  as  well  as  data-sharing  policies  ('open  data') 
have been systematically reviewed.  

the 

Slovakia's  performance  on  the  implementation  of  the 
INSPIRE  Directive  as  enabling  framework  to  actively 
disseminate  environmental  information  to  the  public 

120 UNECE, 1998. Convention on Access to Information, Public 
Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in 
Environmental Matters 

121 European Union, Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to 

environmental information 

122 European Union, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC 
123 European Union, EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 - 

Slovakia  26 

leaves  room  for  improvement.  Slovakia  has  indicated  in 
the  3-yearly  INSPIRE  implementation  report124  that  the 
necessary  data-sharing  policies  allowing  access  and  use 
of  spatial  data  by  national  administrations,  other 
Member  States'  administrations  and  EU 
institutions 
without  procedural  obstacles  are  only  partially  available 
and  lack  consistency.  Slovakia  has  no  common  data-
policy  or  harmonized  conditions  for  access  and  use. 
Although there is legislation in place, the implementation 
lags  behind  and  the  current  data-sharing  landscape 
licenses  and 
remains  very  heterogeneous.  Different 
bilateral  data-sharing  agreements  are  being  used  for 
exchanging  spatial  data  between  public  authorities. 
There 
legislation  amendment 
process aiming to improve the situation and address the 
identified  gaps  foreseen  to  by  adopted  by  the  end  of 
2016. 

is  currently  ongoing 

the 

needed 

evaluation 

Assessments of monitoring reports125 issued by Slovakia 
and  the  spatial  information  that  Slovakia  has  published 
on the INSPIRE geoportal126 indicate that not all spatial 
information 
and 
for 
implementation of EU environmental law has been made 
available  or  is  accessible.  The  larger  part  of  this  missing 
spatial  information  consists  of  the  environmental  data 
required  to  be  made  available  under  the  existing 
reporting 
EU 
law.  With  respect  to  the  proposed 
environmental 
INSPIRE  priority 
linked  to  the 
list  of  the  datasets 
reporting  obligations  in  EU  environment  legislation127, 
Slovakia has initiated activities to create closer alignment 
between INSPIRE and environmental reporting. 

and  monitoring 

regulations 

of 

Suggested action 

them, 

  Critically  review  the  effectiveness  of  its  data  policies 
into 
taking 
and  amend 
consideration.    Provide  the  sufficient  support  for  the 
implementation of the amended legislation and ensure 
the consistency with the eGovernment activities. 

'best  practices' 

  Identify and document all spatial data sets required for 
the  implementation  of  environmental  law,  and  make 
the  data  and  documentation  at  least  accessible  'as  is' 
to  other  public  authorities  and  the  public  through  the 
in  the  INSPIRE  Directive. 
digital  services  foreseen 
Create  sufficient  conditions  to  meet  the  objectives  of 

124 European Commission, INSPIRE reports 
125 Inspire indicator trends 
126 Inspire Resources Summary Report 
127 https://ies-

Accelerating the digital transformation of government COM(2016) 
179 final 

svn.jrc.ec.europa.eu/attachments/download/1735/INSPIRE%20List%
20of%20priority%20data%20sets%20%5BDOC10%5D.pdf 

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
the actions defined in the national INSPIRE Action plan 
2016 - 2021128. 

Slovakia  27 

128http://inspire.enviroportal.sk/Upload/documents/20160426_SK_INS
PIRE_Action_Plan/SK_INSPIRE_Action_Plan_2016_2021_20160515.d
oc  

Environmental Implementation Report – Slovakia