COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 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 Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life
Date: 2019-07-31
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Slovakia, application of EU law, climate change policy, environmental law, environmental protection, governance, green economy, public health, quality of the environment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 31.7.2019  SWD(2019) 116 final/2  CORRIGENDUM This document corrects document SWD(2019) 116 final of 04.04.2019 Footnote 87 modified  The text shall read as follows: COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019     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 Environmental Implementation Review 2019:  A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life  {COM(2019) 149 final} - {SWD(2019) 111 final} - {SWD(2019) 112 final} - {SWD(2019) 113 final} - {SWD(2019) 114 final} - {SWD(2019) 115 final} - {SWD(2019) 117 final} - {SWD(2019) 118 final} - {SWD(2019) 119 final} - {SWD(2019) 120 final} - {SWD(2019) 121 final} - {SWD(2019) 122 final} - {SWD(2019) 123 final} - {SWD(2019) 124 final} - {SWD(2019) 125 final} - {SWD(2019) 126 final} - {SWD(2019) 127 final} - {SWD(2019) 128 final} - {SWD(2019) 129 final} - {SWD(2019) 130 final} - {SWD(2019) 131 final} - {SWD(2019) 132 final} - {SWD(2019) 133 final} - {SWD(2019) 134 final} - {SWD(2019) 135 final} - {SWD(2019) 136 final} - {SWD(2019) 137 final} - {SWD(2019) 138 final} - {SWD(2019) 139 final}  
 
 
This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European  Commission. 
Comments are welcome, please send them to ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu 

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©European Union, 2019 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

Executive summary .................................................................................................................................. 3 

Part I: Thematic areas .............................................................................................................................. 4 

1. 

Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy .... 4 

Measures towards a circular economy ................................................................................................. 4 
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 6 
Climate change ...................................................................................................................................... 8 

2. 

Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital .................................................................... 10 

Nature and biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 10 
Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services .................................................................. 11 
Estimating natural capital ................................................................................................................... 12 
Invasive alien species .......................................................................................................................... 12 
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 13 

3. 

Ensuring people’ health and quality of life..................................................................................... 15 

Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 15 
Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................. 16 
 ................................................................................................................................................. 17 
Noise 
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 17 
Chemicals ............................................................................................................................................ 20 
Making cities more sustainable ........................................................................................................... 21 

Part II: Enabling framework: Implementation tools ................................................................................ 23 

4. 

Green taxation, green public procurement, environmental funding and investments ................... 23 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 23 
Green public procurement .................................................................................................................. 24 
Environmental funding and investments ............................................................................................ 25 

5. 

Strengthening environmental governance ..................................................................................... 28 

Information, public participation and access to justice ...................................................................... 28 
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 29 
Effectiveness of environmental administrations................................................................................. 31 
International agreements ................................................................................................................... 32 
Sustainable development and the implementation of the UN SDGs .................................................. 33 

2 

 
 
 
 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Executive summary 

Slovakia and the Environmental Implementation Review 

In  the  2017  EIR,  the  main  challenges  identified  for 
Slovakia  for  the  implementation  of  EU  environmental 
policy and law were: 

 

 

 

 

to  improve  waste  management,  particularly  by 
increasing  recycling,  rolling-out  separate  collection 
of waste and reducing landfilling; 
to  improve  air  quality  in  critical  regions  of  the 
country,  notably  in  urban  areas  like  Bratislava  and 
Kosice;  
to  phase  out  environmentally  harmful  subsidies  to 
brown coal; and 
to improve water management, including in relation 
to infrastructure projects, agricultural use, landscape 
management  (drainage  systems,  nitrates  pollution 
and  forest  management),  and  implement  a  more 
advanced  system  for  the  treatment  of  urban  waste 
water. 

Slovakia organised an EIR National Dialogue in April 2017 
focusing  on  the  main  findings  of  the  2017  report.  The 
dialogue  included  a  panel  discussion  with  stakeholders, 
including  journalists.  The  analytical  report  by  the  Slovak 
Institute  for  environmental  policy  (IEP),  released  also  in 
2017  and  presented  during  the  dialogue,  identified  the 
same challenges for Slovakia. 

Sector-specific  dialogues  were  organised  to  help  steer 
Slovakia’s implementation of EU environmental laws and 
policies.  A  Clean  Air  Dialogue  took  place  in  April  2018 
and a Nature Dialogue took place in May/June 2018. 

In 2017, the Commission launched the TAIEX-EIR Peer-to-
Peer  (EIR  P2P)  tool  to  facilitate  peer  learning  between 
experts  from  environmental  authorities.  Slovakia  hosted 
a EIR P2P workshop on reducing emissions from domestic 
heating.  Slovak  experts  also  participated  in  workshops 
organised in other Member States. 

Progress on meeting challenges since the 2017 EIR 

The  Ministry  of  the  Environment  has  kept  up  the 
momentum  created  during  the  Slovak  Presidency  in  the 
second  half  of  2016.  Their  work  has  mainly  involved 
drafting  the  strategy  but  the  actual  implementation  of 
Slovakia’s  environmental  agenda  continues  to  face 
several challenges. 

A  poor  performance  on  waste  management,  with  low 
recycling  rates  and  a  strong  dependence  on  landfilling 
remains  one  of  the  main  concerns.  According  to  the 
Commission’s  2018  ‘early  warning  report’,  Slovakia  is  at 
risk  of  not  meeting  the  2020  municipal  waste  recycling 
target  of  50 %.  The  necessary  change  in  the  waste 
management performance would heavily depend on the 
enforcement  of  new  waste  legislation  and  further  fiscal 
incentives. 

3 

The  air  sector  still  needs  to  reduce  emissions  from  the 
burning  of  solid  fuel  in  homes  and  from  agriculture, 
transport  and  industry.  Moreover,  the  lack  of  robust  air 
quality  monitoring  and  air  pollution  data  complicates 
policy  efforts.  First  steps  have  been  taken  to  phase  out 
environmentally  harmful  subsidies  of  high-emissions 
electricity generation from lignite, advancing it from 2030 
to 2023 although the exploitation of lignite can continue 
beyond. 

Assessment  of  second  generation  of  River  Basins 
Management Plans shows that Slovakia has a long way to 
achieve  the  good  status/potential  objectives  for  water 
bodies  due  to  insufficient  water  management  policy, 
including  past  shortcomings 
in  the  application  of 
exemptions  to  the  objectives  of  the  Water  Framework 
Directive.  Despite  on-going 
the 
infrastructure  projects  mainly  co-financed  by  the  EU 
funds,  these  are  not  sufficient 
full 
compliance  with  the  Urban  Waste  Treatment  Water 
Directive.  

for  reaching 

investments 

to 

Biodiversity  —  with  one  of  the  largest  NATURA  2000 
networks  in  the  EU  —  continues  to  be  under  pressure. 
There are still significant gaps in the  designation of sites 
and  setting  of  conservation  objectives  and  measures 
because  the  management  plans  are  missing.  Specific 
problem relates to forest management plans and logging 
in protected areas. 

Although  citizens  became  more  vocal 
raising 
environmental  problems, 
environmental 
governance 
through 
efficient 
and 
consent  and  Strategic/Environmental 
development 
Impact  Assessment  (SEA/EIA)  processes  are  needed  to 
balance the different interests and needs. 

stronger 
transparent 

in 

Examples of good practice 

 

Institute 

The 
for  environmental  policy  was 
established  in  April  2016.  It  became  a  leader  in  the 
Ministry  of  the  Environment’s  analytical  work 
(including its cooperation with OECD and WB) and its 
work  feeds  into  the  preparation  of  the  new  Slovak 
2030 environment strategy. 

  A  compliance  check  unit  under  the  Ministry  of  the 
Environment  was created in  2016 to strengthen the 
role of EIA authorities. Creating this unit was one of 
the  prerequisites  for  receiving  2014-2020  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (ESIF).  Assisted  by 
the  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB)/Jaspers,  the 
unit  has  developed  a  new  methodological  approach 
to verify projects to be co-financed by EU funds. 
Two Slovak projects qualified among the 28 best LIFE 
nature/information projects in 2016-2017. 

 

 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Part I: Thematic areas 

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

competitive low-carbon economy 

Measures towards a circular economy 

The  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan  emphasises  the  need 
to  move  towards  a  life-cycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
reusing  resources  as  much  as  possible  and  bringing 
residual  waste  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by 
developing  and  providing  access  to  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

Following  the  adoption  of  the  Circular  Economy  Action 
Plan in 2015 and the setting up of a related stakeholder 
platform  in  2017,  the  European  Commission  adopted  a 
new  package  of  deliverables  in  January  20181.  This 
included  additional  initiatives  such  as:  (i)  an  EU  strategy 
for plastics; (ii) a Communication on how to address the 
interplay  between  chemical,  product  and  waste 
legislation; (iii) a report on critical raw materials; and (iv) 
a  framework  to  monitor  progress  towards  a  circular 
economy2. 

The  circular  (secondary)  use  of  material  in  Slovakia  was 
4.9 %  in  2016  (below  the  EU-28  average  of  11.7 %).  The 
country  performed  slightly  above  the  EU-28  average  for 
the number of persons employed in the circular economy 
(at 1.76 % of total employment in 2016, against an EU-28 
average of 1.73 %)3. 

In  the  2017  Special  Eurobarometer  468  on  attitudes  of 
EU  citizens  towards  the  environment,  86 %  of  people  in 
Slovakia  said  they  were  concerned  about  the  effects  of 
plastic  products  on  the  environment  (EU-28  average 
87 %).  88 % said they  were  worried about  the impact of 
chemicals (EU-28 average 90 %)4. People in Slovakia seem 
to  strongly  support  circular  economy  initiatives  and 
environmental protection measures. 

However, there seems to be a gap between attitudes and 
behaviour.  According  to  the  European  Commission’s 
analysis,  the  Slovak  economy  is  projected  to  grow.5  At 

1 European Commission, 2018 Circular Economy Package. 
2 COM(2018) 029. 
3 European Commission, Indicators for the Circular Economy Monitoring 
Framework, 2018. 
4 European Commission, 2017, Special 486 Eurobarometer, ‘Attitudes of 
European citizens towards the environment’. 
5 Real GDP growth is expected to reach 4 % in 2018 and 4.2 % in 2019. 
Accelerating private consumption is set to remain the strongest driver 
of growth for both years, buttressed by rising employment and robust 
wage growth. Both private and government fixed investment is likely to 
accelerate markedly in 2018 and 2019. External demand is also 
expected to act as an increasingly important source of economic 
growth, partly owing to expanding production and export facilities in 

the  same  time  the  current  economic  model  with  its 
strong  dependence  on 
impedes  efforts  to 
alleviate  pressure  on  the  environment6.  Failing  to  adopt 
the  circular  economy  model  will  only 
increase  the 
challenge and widen the existing regional disparities. 

industry, 

The new 2018-2030 Environment Strategy which is being 
prepared  by  the  IEP/MoE7,  is  expected  to  put  greater 
focus  on  the  circular  economy  in  Slovakia.  Furthermore, 
the 2030 economic policy will introduce an updated raw 
circular  economy 
materials  policy  which 
principles.  Agenda  2030  vision  for  Slovakia  is  also  under 
the preparation. These documents should assist Slovakia 
in ensuring policy coherence. 
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2010-20178 

covers 

Figure  1  shows  that  since  2013  there  has  been  a  slight 
decrease  in  how  efficiently  the  economy  uses  material 
resources  to  produce  wealth.  In  2017,  Slovakia  was 
below  the  EU  average  for  resource  productivity,  with 
1.14 EUR/kg (the EU average is 2.04 EUR/kg)9,10. 

the manufacturing sector. European Commission 2018 European 
Semester, Country report Slovakia  
6 The Slovak economy is characterised by a growing manufacturing 
sector, a rather low endowments in sub-soil assets, and a growing 
consumption of material resources. As a result, the country is highly 
dependent on external markets for both imports of raw material and 
exports of manufactured goods, This is coupled with rising amounts of 
waste generated and increasing pressure on the environment. Ministry 
of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, study “Making the Slovak 
republic more resource efficient economy”  
7Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Environment 
Strategy. 
8 Eurostat, Resource productivity. 
9 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic 
product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 
10 Slovak authorities suggests that this is caused by the historical 
structure of the industry. 

4 

                                                                 
 
 
                                                                                                        
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

The number of EU Ecolabel products and EMAS- licensed 
organisations  in  a  specific  country  can  give  a  rough 
estimate  of  the  circular  economy  transition.  These  two 
indicators  show  to  what  extent  the  circular  economy 
transition  is  engaging  the  private  sector  and  other 
national  stakeholders.  These  two  indicators  also  show 
the  commitment  of  public  authorities  to  policies  that 
support  the  circular  economy.  As  of  September  2018, 
licenses  covering  8  products 
Slovakia  had  only  2 
registered  in  the  EU  Ecolabel  scheme  out  of  a  total  of 
70 099  in  the  EU.  This  shows  a  low  take-up  of  these 
licences11.  Five  Slovak  organisations  are  currently 
registered in EMAS12. 

SMEs and resource efficiency 

Performance  of  Slovak  SMEs  on  environmental  issues  is 
broadly  in  line  with  the  EU  average  (see  Figure  2). 
However,  Slovakia’s  overall  performance  deteriorated 
compared  to  the  previous  reference  period,  when  the 
country scored above the EU average. For instance, fewer 
SMEs  have  benefited  from  public  support  measures  for 
their  resource-efficiency  measures,  falling  from  52  %  in 
2015 to 43 % in 2017 but still in line with the EU average. 
The biggest decline in this area is the proportion of SMEs 
benefiting  from  public  support  measures  to  produce 
green  products,  which  fell  from  28  %  in  2015  to  1  %  in 
2017.  

 The  latest  Eurobarometer  on  ‘SMEs,  resource  efficiency 
and green markets’13 asked companies about both recent 
resource-efficiency actions they had taken and additional 
resource-efficiency  actions  they  planned  to  take  in  the 
next  2  years.  The  Eurobarometer  then  compared  these 
responses with responses given to the same questions in 
2015.  The  proportion  of  companies  that  undertook 
resource-efficiency  measures  is  fairly  close  to  the  EU-28 
average, but has a substantial decrease in saving water (-
17 %) and in minimising waste (-13 %). Similarly, although 
ambition levels to undertake such measures are close to 
the  EU-28  average,  they  have  decreased  significantly 
compared to recent years. 

Among Slovak companies, 28 % find grants to be helpful. 
Only 17 % find technical consultancy useful and only 10 % 
find  financial  consultancy  useful.  These  are  among  the 
lowest  scores  in  the  EU  for  both  indicators.  16 %  of 
respondents  would  opt  for  the  demonstration  of  new 
technologies  (EU-28  average  22 %).  All  other  forms  of 
support are rated in a much more critical way in Slovakia 

11 European Commission, Ecolabel Facts and Figures. 
12 As of May 2018. European Commission, Eco-Management and Audit 
Scheme. 
13 Flash Eurobarometer 456 ‘SME, resource efficiency and green 
markets’ January 2018. The 8 dimensions were Save energy; Minimise 
waste; Save materials; Save Water; Recycle by reusing material 
internally; Design products easier to maintain, repair or reuse; Use 
renewable energy; Sell scrap materials to another company. 

than in the average EU country. 25 % don’t consider any 
type of assistance to be useful (EU-28 average 20 %) for 
their resource-efficiency projects. 
Figure 2: Environmental performance of SMEs14  

Despite  decreasing,  there  is  still  substantial  interest 
among  the  Slovak  business  community  in  investing  in 
resource efficiency. 

Eco-innovation 

Slovakia  ranked  23rd  on  the  2018  European  Innovation 
Scoreboard, with a 4.8 % increase since 201015. It ranked 
21st 
in  the  overall  2017  European  Eco-innovation 
Scoreboard with a total score of 74 (see Figure 3). 

As  shown  in  Figure  4,  Slovakia’s  overall  eco-innovation 
score  was  75  in  2017,  ranking  it  20th  out  of  the  28  EU 
countries (compared with 24th in 2014 and 23rd in 2015) 
and putting it 25 % below the EU average. This is due to a 
lack  of  a  coherent  eco-innovation  policy  framework  in 
Slovakia  as  well  as  low  investment  in  Research  and 
Development (R&D). 

Barriers  to  eco-innovation  and  the  circular  economy  in 
Slovakia  include  (i)  a  weak  demand  for  eco-innovation 
products  and  services;  (ii)  insufficient  private  sector 
investment  in  R&D;  (iii)  very  low  public  funding  of 
businesses’  R&D  expenses;  and  (iv)  too  few  high-level 
graduates  in  engineering  and  science  in  the  country’s 
workforce. 

14 European Commission, 2018 SBA fact sheet - Slovakia, p.14. 
15 European Commission, European innovation Scoreboard 2018, p. 15. 

5 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Figure 3: 2017 Eco-innovation index (EU=100)16 

framework; 

The  further  uptake  and  support  of  eco-innovation  is 
hampered  by:  (i)  fragmented  policies  and  an  incoherent 
in 
administrative 
implementing  measures 
(iii) 
insufficient  financial  backing;  and  (iv)  a  lack  of  public 
awareness  which  results  in  a  low  demand  for  eco-
innovation. 

slow  progress 
support  R&D; 

(ii) 
that 

Figure 4: Slovakia’s eco-innovation performance 

The  main  factors  that  drive  eco-innovation  and  the 
circular  economy  are:  (i)  successful  regional  integration; 
and  (ii)  strong  connections  between  Slovakia’s  gas  and 
electricity networks and those of neighbouring countries 
which  is  a  huge  advantage  for  the  country’s  energy 
sector.  High  levels  of  total  turn  over  show  that  Slovakia 
would  benefit  from  more 
innovation.  Rather  stable 
employment  in  knowledge-intensive  manufacturing  and 
services and higher share of employment in medium and 
high-tech  manufacturing  is  providing  a  good  foundation 
for developing eco-innovative products and services. 

In  comparison  to  the  last  reporting  period,  some  steps 

16 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2017. 

is  an  Action  plan 

have been taken to support the country’s environmental 
goals since the 2017 EIR. For example, one of the specific 
steps  in  reducing  of  the  emissions  and  promoting  the 
cleaner  transportation 
for  the 
development  of  electro-mobility  as  well  as  Strategy  for 
low/carbon  development  until  2030,  both  being  under 
preparation. There are also a number of initiatives under 
way by businesses and NGOs to increase waste recycling 
and  recovery,  such  as  the  Slovak  Circular  Economy 
Institute17. 

2019 priority actions 

  Complete a policy framework that would enable the 

 

uptake of circular economy measures. 
Increase  the  funding  opportunities  for  SMEs 
Slovakia. 

in 

Waste management 

Turning waste into a resource is supported by: 
(i)  fully 
legislation,  which 
implementing  EU  waste 
includes  the  waste  hierarchy,  the  need  to  ensure 
separate  collection  of  waste,  the 
landfill  diversion 
targets, etc.; 
(ii) reducing waste generation and waste generation per 
capita in absolute terms; and  
(iii)  limiting  energy  recovery  to  non-recyclable  materials 
and  phasing  out  landfilling  of  recyclable  or  recoverable 
waste. 

This  section  focuses  on  management  of  municipal 
waste18  for  which  EU  law  sets  mandatory  recycling 
targets19. 

vs 

(378 

around 

kg/y/inhabitant 

Although the generation of municipal waste increased in 
Slovakia  in  2017,  it  remains  considerably  below  the  EU 
average 
487 
kg/y/inhabitant,  see  Figure  5).  Despite  some  recent 
improvements to ensure more consistency in the reports 
to  the  European  Commission,  there  are  still  differences 
between national statistics and those of Eurostat. A pilot 
phase  of  New  Waste  Management  Information  System, 
for 
which 
international  reporting  as  well  as  waste  management 
planning, has been launched in summer 201820. 

improve  data  collection  also 

should 

17 European Commission, Eco-Innovation Observatory: Eco-innovation 
Country Profiles 2016-2017. 
18 Municipal waste consists of mixed waste and separately collected 
waste from households and from other sources, where such waste is 
similar in nature and composition to waste from households. This is 
without prejudice to the allocation of responsibilities for waste 
management between public and private sectors. 
19 See Article 11.2 of Directive 2008/98/EC. This Directive was amended 
in 2018 by Directive (EU) 2018/851, and more ambitious recycling 
targets were introduced for the period up to 2035. 
20 Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, Waste Management 
Information System. 

6 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Figure  5:  Municipal  waste  by  treatment  in  Slovakia 
2010-201721 

Vrakuna26. Proper closure of old landfills is pending27.  
Figure 6: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2010-201728 

Slovakia  still  has  a  high  landfilling  rate  of  municipal 
waste. At 60 % (66 % in 2016), it is among the highest in 
the  EU.  Recycling  (including  composting)  remains  low 
(30 %  vs  the  EU  average  of  46 %).  The  steep  increase  in 
the  recycling  rate  in  2014-2017  was  mainly  due  to 
adjustments  in  the  statistical  reporting  methodology 
rather than by an improvement in performance.  

Therefore  the  country  needs  to  make  significant  efforts 
to  meet  the  50 %  municipal  waste  recycling  target  by 
2020  (see  Figure  6)22.  According  to  the  Commission’s 
‘early warning report’23 Slovakia is at risk of not meeting 
this target. The report recommended a number of urgent 
priority  actions  to  be  taken  by  Slovakia  to  bridge  the 
implementation gap. 

The country will need to make an even greater effort to 
meet the post-2020 recycling targets24. 

Moreover,  Slovakia  still  struggles  to  comply  with  the 
2013  target  to  divert  50 %  of  bio-degradable  municipal 
waste  from  landfills.  Incineration  accounts  for  10 %  of 
municipal  waste  treatment.  The  high  number  of  dump 
sites25, like around Bratislava, is also a huge problem, as 
are  old  industrial  sites  like  the  most  critical  one  in 

21 Eurostat, Municipal waste by waste operations. 
22 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. 
23 SWD(2018)424 accompanying COM(2018) 656. 
24 Directive (EU) 2018/851, Directive (EU) 2018/852, Directive (EU) 
2018/850 and Directive (EU) 2018/849 amend the previous waste 
legislation and set more ambitious recycling targets for the period up to 
2035. These targets will be taken into consideration to assess progress 
in future Environmental Implementation Reports. 
25 IEP study shows that stronger prevention measures and enforcement 
measures are needed.  

Slovakia has a very high number of municipalities (around 
3 000).  This  leads  to  fragmentation,  inefficiencies  and  a 
in  waste  collection  and 
lack  of  economy  of  scale 
treatment.  In  addition,  the  capacity  of  many  small 
municipalities  to  adequately  design  and  procure  high 
quality collection services based upon international good 
practice, is likely to be very limited. Data collection is also 
likely to be inadequate for these municipalities.  

Slovakia’s  waste  legislative  framework  is  deemed  to  be 
quite  complex.  New  Waste  Act  is  in  force  as  of  2016 
(79/2015 Coll.) and since then Slovakia applies extended 
producer  responsibility  (EPR)  rules  for  packaging  waste. 
The revenues generated from this scheme should help to 
improve services, provided that they directly benefit the 
budgets  of  the  relevant  municipalities.  The  Waste  Act 
was already subject to several amendments. From 2017, 
individual  households  are  required  to  separate  bio-
waste, unless they practice home composting. A support 
programme  for  home  composting  has  been  launched. 
However,  requirements  to  sort  bio-waste  have  been 
specified inadequately and include many exemptions (eg. 
municipalities  that  incinerate  their  residual  waste  are 
exempt  from  collecting  kitchen  waste).  This  has  stalled 

26 The inventarisation of environmental burdens in Slovakia took place 
in 2006 -2008 and identified almost 2000 sites, of which around 250 are 
of high risk. Vrakuňa landfill is a site of a former chemical plant which 
has an impact on one of the most important sources of the drinking 
water in the Central Europe located in the south of Slovakia. The 
implementation of the project of encapsulation of site should be 
supported from EU funds, but is delayed. 
27 The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) ordered Slovakia in July 2018 to 
pay fines for non-compliance with its judgment from April 2013 
concerning the Považský Chlmec landfill. A number of other landfills are 
in a similar situation to Považský Chlmec and need to be closed or re-
permitted. An amendment to Act 39/2013 Z. z. on integrated pollution 
prevention and control entered into force in July 2018 to ensure the 
proper closure of old landfills.  
28 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste. 

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Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

bio-waste  (particularly  kitchen  waste)  collection  and 
treatment  markets.  The 
(PAYT) 
scheme has not been extended since the 2017 EIR and, in 
any case, the level of uptake is low. Finally, fee  for light 
plastic bags was introduced in 2018. 

‘pay-as-you-throw’ 

The  landfill  fee  in  place  as  of  2004  has  been  too  low  to 
sufficiently 
incentivise  separate  collection.  Following 
several  years  of  negotiations,  a  new  Act  to  increase  the 
fees  entered  into  force  as  of  January  201929.  This  is  a 
positive  development  and  together  with  an  amendment 
of the national Waste act also in force as of January 2019 
(to increase the sorting of packaging municipal waste and 
non-packaged  products  and  to  strengthen  the  rules  for 
operation  and  closure  of  landfills)  is  aimed  at  the 
landfilling  decrease.  It  remains  to  be  still  seen  whether 
these  developments  will  bring  the  necessary  incentives 
for a change in Slovakia's waste performance.  

2019 priority actions 

 

 

Increase  further  landfill  taxes  to  divert  recyclable 
waste  from  landfill.  Channel  the  resulting  revenues 
into measures to improve waste management in line 
with the waste hierarchy.  
  Avoid  building  excessive 

infrastructure  for  the 
treatment  of  residual  waste,  e.g.  mechanical-
biological treatment (MBT) facilities. 
Improve  and  extend  separate  collection  of  waste, 
including  for  bio-waste.  Establish  minimum  service 
standards  for  separate  collection  (e.g.  frequency  of 
collections, 
in 
municipalities  to  ensure  high  capture  rates  of 
recyclable  waste.  Use  economic  deterrents,  e.g. 
PAYT  schemes  and  set  mandatory  recycling  targets 
for  municipalities  with  measures  (e.g.  fines)  in  case 
of non-compliance. 

containers, 

types 

etc.) 

of 

Climate change 

The EU has committed to undertaking ambitious climate 
action internationally as well as in the EU, having ratified 
the Paris Climate Agreement on 5 October 2016. The EU 
targets are to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 
20 % by 2020 and by at least 40 % by 2030, compared to 
1990.  As  a  long-term  target,  the  EU  aims  to  reduce  its 
emissions  by  80-95 %  by  2050,  as  part  of  the  efforts 
required by developed countries as a group. Adapting to 
the adverse effects of climate change is vital to alleviate 
its  already  visible  effects  and  improve  preparedness  for 
and resilience to future impacts. 

The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) covers all large 
greenhouse  gas  emitters  in  the  industry,  power  and 
aviation  sectors  in  the  EU.  The  EU  ETS  applies  in  all 
Member States and has a very high compliance rate. Each 
year,  installations  cover  around  99 %  of  their  emissions 
with the required number of allowances.  

For emissions not covered by the EU ETS, Member States 
have  binding  national  targets  under  the  Effort  Sharing 
legislation.  Slovakia  had  lower  emissions  than  its  annual 
targets  in  each  of  the  years  2013-2017.  For  2020, 
Slovakia's  national  target  under  the  EU  Effort  Sharing 
Decision is to avoid increasing emissions by more than 13 
% compared to 2005. For 2030, Slovakia's national target 
under  the  Effort  Sharing  Regulation  will  be  to  reduce 
emissions by 12 % compared to 2005.  

Figure  7:  Change  in  total  greenhouse  gas  emissions 
1990-2017 (1990=100%)31 

  Close  and  rehabilitate  non-compliant  landfills  as  a 

 

matter of priority. 
Improve  the  functioning  of  extended  producer 
responsibility  systems, 
line  with  the  general 
in 
minimum requirements on EPR30. 

Slovakia 
strategy, in cooperation with the World Bank.  

is  working  on  a 

low  carbon  development 

29 The fee can vary from €7 per tonne to €17 depending on the sorting 
level of municipal waste; to be further increased annually. 
30 Set out in Directive (EU) 2018/851 amending Directive 2008/98/EC. 

31 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 (EEA 
greenhouse gas data viewer). Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2017. 
Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European 
Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by 
the European Environment Agency. 

8 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Figure  8:  Targets  and  emissions  for  Slovakia  under  the 
Effort Sharing Decision and Effort Sharing Regulation32 

energy, 

environment,  water  management,  biodiversity,  urban 
environment,  health,  agriculture,  forest  management, 
disaster 
transport, 
risk 
and 
tourism, 
management.  Progress  on  the  NAS 
is  periodically 
reviewed,  and  the  Government  adopted  a  progress 
report 
in  2016,  containing  a  mostly  qualitative 
assessment  of  undertaken  adaptation  efforts.  A  more 
detailed Monitoring and Reporting Framework has yet to 
be  developed.  Adaptation  measures  with  positive 
impacts  on  public  health  are  considered  to  be  a  top 
priority. 

Figure 9: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector (Mt. CO2-
eq.). Historical data 1990-2016. Projections 2017-203033 

Transport  represents  almost  a  quarter  of  the  EU’s  GHG 
emissions and is the main cause of air pollution in cities. 
Transport  emissions  in  Slovakia  decreased  by  1  %  from 
2013 to 2016.  

The  F-gas  Regulation  requires  Member  States  to  run 
training and certification programmes, introduce rules for 
penalties  and  notify  these  measures  to  the  Commission 
by 2017. Slovakia has notified both measures.  

The  Kyoto  Protocol  governs  the  accounting  of  GHG 
emissions  and  removals  from  forests  and  agriculture. 
Preliminary  accounting  for  2013-2016  shows  net  credits 
of,  on  average,  -3.0  Mt  CO2-eq,  which  corresponds  to 
2.6%  of  the  EU-28  accounted  sink  of  -115.7  Mt  CO2-eq. 
Slovakia is one of eight EU Member States which exceed 
the cap of 3.5% from emissions of the base year (1990). 

The  EU  Strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  change, 
adopted  in  2013,  aims  to  make  Europe  more  climate-
resilient, by promoting action by Member States, better-
informed  decision  making,  and  promoting  adaptation  in 
key vulnerable sectors. By adopting a coherent approach 
and  providing  for  improved  coordination,  it  seeks  to 
enhance the preparedness and capacity of all governance 
levels to respond to the impacts of climate change.  

Slovakia  adopted  its  National  Adaptation  Strategy  (NAS) 
in  2014.  To  date,  no  specific  national  adaptation  plan 
(NAP)  has  been  adopted,  though  some  adaptation 
actions are included into existing sectorial strategies and 
plans  for  water  management,  agriculture  and  forestry. 
Some adaptation plans have been also adopted on a local 
level.  Regardless  of  which,  the  NAS  proposes  a  set  of 
adaptation measures in the  following  sectors:  geological 

32 Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2017Approximated EU greenhouse 
gas inventory 2017 (European Environment Agency). Member States 
national projections, reviewed by the European Environment Agency. 

The  total  revenues  from  the  auctioning  of  emission 
allowances  under  the  EU  ETS  over  the  years  2013-2017 
were  EUR  356  million.  24  %  of  the  auctioning  revenues 
have  been  spent  on  climate  and  energy  purposes. 
National  legislation  stipulates  main  purposes  of  how 
auctioning  revenues  should  be  spent  on  climate  related 
purposes34. 

2019 priority action 

In this report, no priority actions have been included on 
climate action, as the Commission will first need to assess 
the  draft  national  energy  and  climate  plans  which  the 
Member  States  needed  to  send  by  end  of  2018.  These 
plans  should  increase  the  consistency  between  energy 
and climate policies and could therefore become a good 
example  of  how  to  link  sector-specific  policies  on  other 
interlinked themes  such as agriculture-nature-water and 
transport-air-health. 

33 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 (EEA 
greenhouse gas data viewer). Proxy GHG emission estimates for 
2017Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European 
Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by 
the European Environment Agency. 
34 There was a problem with transparency of emissions trading in 
Slovakia in the past. 

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Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Nature and biodiversity 

in  the  EU  by  2020. 

The  EU  biodiversity  strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
full 
biodiversity 
implementation  of  the  Birds  and  Habitats  Directives  to 
achieve  favourable  conservation  status  of  protected 
species and habitats. It also requires that the agricultural 
improve 
and  forest  sectors  help  to  maintain  and 
biodiversity. 

It  requires 

Biodiversity strategy 

Slovakia adopted a  revised national biodiversity strategy 
and action plan to 202035 in 2014. 

Setting up a coherent network of Natura 2000 sites 

On  the  basis  of  the  latest  update  of  the  assessment, 
Slovakia’s  terrestrial  Natura  2000  network  under  the 
Birds  and  Habitats  Directives  is  now  considered  to  be 
virtually complete. 

By early 2018, 30.0 % of Slovakia’s land area was covered 
by  Natura  2000  sites  (EU  average  18.1 %),  with  Birds 
Directive  SPAs  covering  26.7 %  (EU  average  12.4 %)  and 
Habitats  Directive  SCIs  covering  12.5 %  (EU  average 
13.9 %).  Slovakia  has  683 Natura  2000  sites  —  41  SPAs 
and 642 SCIs. 

Designating Natura 2000 sites and setting conservation 
objectives and measures 

Natura  2000  is  considered  to  be  integrated  (with  the 
definition  ‘complementary’)  into  the  national  system  of 
protected  areas  as  there  is  a  high  degree  of  overlap 
between  conservation  measures  for  Natura  2000  sites 
and  for  nationally  protected  areas.  The  Act  on  Nature 
and  Landscape  Protection,  governs  both  networks  (Act 
543/2002 Coll. as amended). 

While  the  designation  of  the  SPAs  is  complete,  the  SCI 
network is not and no SCIs were designated as SACs36. In 
October 2017 Slovakia proposed to add 169 more sites to 
the  network.  While  an  assessment  has  shown  that  even 
with  these  additions  the  network  remains  incomplete, 
there  are  discussions  ongoing  with  Slovakia  which  is 
committed  to  complete  the  network37.  There  is  an 

ongoing 
concerning the incomplete Natura 2000 network. 

case  against 

infringement 

the  Slovakia 

In  spite  of  efforts  over  the  last  years,  there  has  been  a 
delay  in  approving  management  plans  for  Natura  2000 
sites. So far, 83 management plans for 90 SCIs have been 
approved,  including  those  covered  by  the  management 
plans of national parks and protected landscape areas. In 
addition, management plans have been approved for 13 
SPAs. 

Infrastructure development, such as roads, motorways or 
small hydro-electric power plants or water reservoirs and 
anti-flood 
infrastructure  continues  to  have  a  major 
impact  on  biodiversity  by  causing  the  fragmentation  of 
natural habitats. Inappropriate design or location of new 
constructions,  in  particular  linear  structures,  creates 
barriers to the migration of animals, separating individual 
populations  into  smaller  groups  and  posing  a  threat  of 
is  an  abrupt 
local  extinctions.  Another  example 
modification of water courses in the protected areas (as 
reported during the floods in Summer 201838, 39).  

Delays  and  insufficient  measures  to  assess,  mitigate  or 
compensate  the  damage  by  infrastructure  development 
remain  common.  The  construction  of  the  D4/R7 
Bratislava  bypass  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  forest 
areas along the Danube, which were the habitats of three 
protected  bird  species.  Slovakia  agreed  to  a  package  of 
compensation  measures  which  are  still  to  be  put  in 
place40. To mitigate the effects of the road on migrating 
wildlife, an ecoduct between Svrčinovec and Skalité is in 
the  planning  phase  even  if  the  construction  of  this 

35 National Strategy for the Protection of Biodiversity to 2020. 
36 As there is no obligation in SK legislation. 
37 Following discussions with the Commission in May/June 2018 in the 
context of the Nature Dialogue.  

38 Enviroportal. 
39 Dennikn, news article. 
40 The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Project 
compensatory measures. 

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Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

section  of  the  D3  motorway  finished  in  201741.  Several 
small hydro-electric power plants were built on the Hron 
river for which no or an insufficient EIA was carried out42. 

as  one  of 

Around  48,9 %  of  Slovak 
forest  overlaps  with 
Natura 2000  sites.  The  contradictory  approaches  to 
in  protected  areas  have  been 
forest  management 
identified 
three  biggest 
environmental  challenges43.  The  country  needs  to 
address  this  as  a  key  priority  to  improve  the  overall 
resource  efficiency  of  its  rural  economy44.  The  intensity 
of  the  forest  exploitation  as  measured  by  certain 
indicators has grown in the last decade and clear cutting 
is heavily used45,46. 

Slovakia’s 

Slovakia  has  around  10 180  hectares  of  primeval  forests 
which make up 0.46 % of the country’s total forest area47. 
In March 2018, an agreement was reached between the 
state forest company and NGOs to cease logging in these 
areas48.  The  Slovak  Ministry  of  the  Environment  has 
presented  in  October  2018  new  proposal  for  nature 
protection  Act  to  strengthen  the  management  of 
nationally protected areas49. 

The  sustainable  use  of  (woody)  biomass  remains  a 
concern in certain regions of Slovakia where high quality 
wood  is  cut  and  burnt  for  energy  purposes.  To  help  its 
renewable  energy  policy  objectives,  Slovakia  uses  EU 
funds  to  increase  the  use  of  biomass50.  However,  these 
subsidies are regarded as environmentally harmful and a 
campaign  by  NGOs  has  been  under  way  since  2014  to 
stop  this  support51.  The  subsidies  should  be  ceased 
according to the legislative change adopted in December 
201852.  This  is  a  progress  although  the  change  does  not 
include  woody  biomass  coming  from  calamity  and 
sanitary  logging  on  NATURA  sites.  The  lacking  impact 
assessment can adversely affect the integrity of the sites, 
in breach of the Habitats Directive. 

41 GlobSK, news portal. 
42 Webnoviny. 
43 The Institute of the environmental policy in Slovakia: The three most 
important challenges for the environment in Slovakia. 
44 OECD, Policy Paper: Making the Slovak Republic a more resource 
efficient economy. 
45 Aktuality,news article. 
46 Dennikn, news article . 
47 Pralesy website.  
48 Lesmedium, Lesníci nebudú zasahovať v pralesoch   
49 The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, proposal for 
nature protection Act. 
50 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. 
51 Biomasaker. 
52 Ekonomika. 

Moreover, excessive logging in some Natura 2000 sites is 
due to forest management plans not conforming with the 
Habitats Directive. Furthermore, the logging limits set  in 
the  forest  management  plans  can  be  exceeded  in  the 
event  of  pest  outbreaks.  This  has  led  to  a  nearly  50 % 
decline  in  the  number  of  the  Capercaillie  (a  large  forest 
bird)  in  SPAs  since  200453.  The  Commission  opened 
infringement  proceedings  against  Slovakia  in  summer 
2018, with further steps at the beginning of 201954.  

Progress 
restoring 
in  maintaining  or 
conservation status of species and habitats 

favourable 

Considering that Member States report every 6 years on 
the  progress  made  under  both  directives55,56,  no  new 
information  is  available  on  the  state  of  natural  habitats 
and  species,  or  on  progress  made  in  improving  the 
conservation status of species and habitats in Slovakia, as 
compared to the 2017 EIR. 

Overall,  it  is  acknowledged  that  improvements  in  the 
status  of  species  and  habitats  have  recently  been 
reported in Slovakia. 

2019 priority actions 

 

  Move  towards  the  completion  of  the  Natura  2000 
designation  process  and  the  establishment  of 
conservation objectives and measures for all sites. 
Provide adequate resources and strengthen capacity 
to  implement  the  necessary  conservation  measures 
to  maintain  or  restore  habitats  and  species  of 
Community interest to a good conservation status. 
Integrate  biodiversity  considerations 
policies  and 
their  associated 
agriculture, forestry and infrastructure planning). 
Ensure sustainable forest management and promote 
the efficient use of biomass. 

into  other 
(notably 

funds 

 

 

Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and 
their services 

The EU biodiversity strategy aims to maintain and restore 
including  green 
ecosystems  and  their  services  by 
infrastructure  in  spatial  planning  and  restoring  at  least 
15 %  of  degraded  ecosystems  by  2020.  The  EU  green 
infrastructure  strategy  promotes  the  incorporation  of 
green infrastructure into related plans and programmes. 

53 Enviroportal. 
54 European Commission, Press release. 
55 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation 
status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive. 
According to the latest report, 56 % of habitats and 61 % of species 
were in unfavourable status. 
56 According to the latest report submitted under Article 12 of the Birds 
Directive, 76 % of the breeding species showed short-term increasing or 
stable population trends (for wintering species this figure was 69 %). 

11 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

The EU has provided guidance on the further deployment 
of  green  and  blue  infrastructure  in  Slovakia57  and  a 
country page on the Biodiversity Information  System for 
Europe  (BISE)58.  This  information  will  also  contribute  to 
the  final  evaluation  of  the  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  to 
2020. 

Slovakia has a range of policies and strategies in place to 
develop  and  improve  green  infrastructure.  The  Act  on 
Nature  and  Landscape  Protection  defines  a  coherent 
European network of protected areas and sets conditions 
for  the  management  and  protection  of  these  areas.  It 
sets out that the Territorial System of Ecological Stability 
(TSES)  is  a  spatial  structure  of  interrelated  ecosystems 
that  ensure  diverse  conditions  and  life  forms  in  the 
landscape.  Under  this  system,  documents  must  be 
prepared  at  regional 
level.  The  Slovak  Environment 
Agency has developed 22 of these documents in addition 
to  methodological 
TSES 
guidance 
development.  The  national  biodiversity  strategy  to  2020 
and  related  action  plan  set  green  infrastructure-related 
objectives.  However,  with  the  significant  delay  in  the 
adoption  of  the  Natura2000  management  plans,  the 
impact  of  other  tools  —  despite  benefiting  green 
infrastructure  —  is  marginal  as  they  have  no  formal 
status for actual landscape management. 

regional 

for 

Abandoned agricultural land is a separate issue and is not 
included in a green infrastructure approach. 

green 

There  are  no  specific  financial  tools  to  preserve  and 
develop 
green 
infrastructure. 
infrastructure  elements,  such  as  protected  areas  and 
Natura 2000 sites, are financed through the state budget 
and/or 
regional  authorities  and 
the  budgets  of 
complemented by various EU funds. 

Certain 

Estimating natural capital 

The  EU  biodiversity  strategy  calls  on  Member  States  to 
map  and  assess  the  state  of  ecosystems  and  their 
services59 in their national territories by 2014, assess the 
economic  value  of  such  services  and  integrate  these 
values  into  accounting  and  reporting  systems  at  EU  and 
national level by 2020. 

Activities related to MAES are under way in Slovakia and 
the  country  has  provided  new  information  on  its  MAES 
webpage  on  BISE  since  2015  on  its  work  to  map  and 
assess ecosystems and their services. 

Slovakia had planned to develop a methodology to assess 
ecosystem  services,  to  undertake  a  national  assessment 
in 2018 and to publish a national report in 201960. 

At  the  final  Esmeralda  workshop  and  MAES  Working 
Group  meeting  in  Brussels  in  September  2018,  Slovakia 
was shown to have made limited progress when it comes 
to the implementation of MAES (Figure 10). 

Figure 10: Implementation of MAES (September 2018) 

Business  and  biodiversity  platforms,  networks  and 
communities of practice are key tools for promoting and 
facilitating  natural  capital  assessments  among  business 
and  financial  service  providers,  for  instance  via  the 
Natural Capital Coalition’s Protocol61. Slovakia has not yet 
established such a platform. 

2019 priority action 

 

Strengthen  support  to the mapping and assessment 
of  ecosystems  and  their  services,  valuation  and 
development of natural capital accounting systems. 

57 European Commission, The recommendations of the green 
infrastructure strategy review report and the EU Guidance on a 
strategic framework for further supporting the deployment of EU-level 
green and blue infrastructure. 
58 Biodiversity Information System for Europe. 

59 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food, 
clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 
60 According to the Slovak authorities, the preparation of the national 
assessment is on-going. 
61 Natural Capital Coalition, Natural Capital Protocol 

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Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Invasive alien species 

Under  the  EU  biodiversity  strategy,  the  following  are  to 
be achieved by 2020:  
(i) invasive alien species identified;  
(ii) priority species controlled or eradicated; and  
(iii)  pathways  managed  to  prevent  new  invasive  species 
from disrupting European biodiversity.  
This  is  supported  by  the  Invasive  Alien  Species  (IAS) 
Regulation, which entered into force on 1 January 2015. 

The  report  on  the  baseline  distribution  of  invasive  alien 
species  (IAS)  (see  Figure  11),  for  which  Slovakia  did  not 
review its country or grid-level data, shows that of the 37 
species  on  the  first  EU  list,  eight  have  been  observed  in 
the environment. However, none of these eight seem to 
be  widely  distributed.  According  to  the  data,  Slovakia 
appears  to  have  fewer 
its  neighbouring 
countries,  but  this  could  be  due  to  poorer  data 
availability  as  the  listed  species  were  not  subject  to 
surveillance before the adoption of the first EU list62. 

IAS  than 

Figure  11:  Number  of  IAS  of  EU  concern,  based  on 
available georeferenced information for Slovakia63 

Between  the  entry  into  force  of  the  EU  list  and  18 May 
2018, Slovakia had not  notified any new appearances of 
IAS  of  EU  concern,  according  to  Article 16(2)  of  the  IAS 
Regulation. 

As,  according  to  the  baseline  distribution,  coypu 
(Myocastor coypu) seems to be in an early invasion stage, 

62 According to Slovak authorities, from 12 species on the second EU 
list, 5 have been observed and also widely distributed. Slovakia realises 
some measures for eradication of IAS. 
63 Tsiamis K; Gervasini E; Deriu I; D`amico F; Nunes A; Addamo A; De 
Jesus Cardoso A. Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union 
concern. Ispra (Italy): Publications Office of the European Union; 2017, 
EUR 28596 EN, doi:10.2760/772692. 

Slovakia  is  advised  to  try  to  eradicate  this  species  to 
avoid considerable long-term management costs. 

The  national  Act  setting  out  the  provisions  on  penalties 
for infringements, as required by Article 30(4) of the IAS 
Regulation, is still to be adopted. 

2019 priority actions 

 

 

Slovakia is urged to notify its provisions on penalties, 
as required by Article 30(4) of the IAS Regulation. 
Slovakia is urged to investigate the apparent  lack of 
data  on  invasive  alien  species  and  seek  ways  of 
improving its surveillance system. 

Soil protection 

The  EU  soil  thematic  strategy  underlines  the  need  to 
ensure a  sustainable use of soils.  This  entails preventing 
further  soil  degradation  and  preserving  its  functions,  as 
well as restoring degraded soils. The 2011 Roadmap to a 
Resource Efficient Europe states that by 2020, EU policies 
must  take  into  account  their  direct  and  indirect  impact 
on land use. 

Soil  is  a  finite  and  extremely  fragile  resource  and  it  is 
increasingly degrading in the EU. 

Slovakia  is  below  the  EU  average  for  artificial  land 
coverage  (2.9 %  vs  4.1 %).  The  population  density  is 
115.5/km2,  which  is  slightly  below  the  EU  average  of 
11864. 

Contamination  can  severely  reduce  soil  quality  and 
threaten  human  health  or  the  environment.  A  recent 
report  of  the  European  Commission65  estimated  that 
potentially  polluting  activities  have  taken  or  are  still 
taking place on approximately 2.8 million sites in the EU. 
At EU level,  650 000 of these sites have been registered 
in national or regional inventories. 65 500  contaminated 
sites  already  have  been  remediated.  Slovakia  has 
registered  1 758  sites  where  potentially  polluting 
activities have taken or are taking place, and already has 
remediated or applied aftercare measures on 678 sites. 

Soil erosion by water is a natural process, but this natural 
process can be aggravated by climate change and human 
activities  such  as  inappropriate  agricultural  practices, 
deforestation,  forest  fires  or  construction  work.  High 
levels  of  soil  erosion  can  reduce  productivity 
in 
agriculture  and  can  have  negative  and  transboundary 
impacts  on  biodiversity  and  ecosystem  services.  High 
levels  of  soil  erosion  can  also  have  negative  and 
lakes  (due  to 
transboundary  effects  on  rivers  and 
transport  of 
and 
increased 

sediment 

volumes 

64 Eurostat, Population density by NUTS 3 region. 
65 Ana Paya Perez, Natalia Rodriguez Eugenio (2018), Status of local soil 
contamination in Europe: Revision of the indicator “Progress in the 
management Contaminated Sites in Europe”. 

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Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

contaminants).  According  to  the  RUSLE2015  model66, 
Slovakia  has  an  average  soil  loss  rate  by  water  of  2.18 
tonnes per hectare per year (t ha−a yr−y) compared to the 
EU  mean  of  2.46  t ha−a yr−y.  This  indicates  that  soil 
erosion  in  Slovakia  is  medium  on  average.  Note  that 
these figures are the output of an EU-level model and can 
therefore  not  be  considered  as  locally  measured  values. 
The  actual  rate  of  soil  loss  can  vary  strongly  within  a 
Member State depending on local conditions.  
Figure 12: Proportion of artificial land cover, 2015 67 

Soil organic matter plays an important role in the carbon 
cycle and in climate change. Soils are the second largest 
carbon sink in the world after oceans. 

66 Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., 
Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, C., The new assessment of 
soil loss by water erosion in Europe, (2015) Environmental Science and 
Policy, 54, pp. 438-447. 
67 Eurostat, Land covered by artificial surfaces by NUTS 2 regions. 

14 

 
 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

3. Ensuring citizens’ health and quality of life 

Air quality 

EU clean air  policy  and legislation require the significant 
improvement  of  air  quality  in  the  EU,  moving  the  EU 
closer to the quality recommended by the World Health 
Organisation.  Air  pollution  and  its  impacts  on  human 
health,  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  EU  air  quality  legislation  and 
defining strategic targets and actions beyond 2020. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  body  of  air 
legislation68,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 
standards and objectives for a number of air pollutants. 

The  emissions  of  several  air  pollutants  has  decreased 
in  Slovakia69.  The  emission  reductions 
significantly 
between 1990 and 2014, mentioned in the previous EIR, 
continued between 2014 and 2016. Emissions of sulphur 
oxides (SOx) fell by 40.13 %, emissions of nitrogen oxides 
(NOx) fell by 16.28 %, emissions of ammonia (NH3) fell by 
2.93 %, emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) fell by 
6.47 %  and  emissions  of  volatile  organic  compounds 
(NMVOCs) fell by 2.91 % (see Figure 13 for the total PM2.5 
and NOx emissions per sector). 

Figure  13:  PM2.5  and  NOx  emissions  by  sector 
Slovakia70 

in 

Despite these reductions in emissions, Slovakia  needs to 
make  additional  efforts  to  meet  its  emission  reduction 
commitments  (compared  with  2005  emission  levels)  set 
by  the  new  National  Emissions  Ceilings  Directive71  for 
2020-2029 and for any year from 2030. 

Air  quality  in  Slovakia  is  still  a  cause  for  concern.  For 
2015, the European Environment  Agency estimated that 
about  5 200  premature  deaths  were  attributable  to  fine 
particulate  matter72  concentrations,  240  to  nitrogen 
dioxide concentrations and 210 to ozone concentration73 
74. Any significant improvement is unlikely since then. 
For  201775,  EU  air  quality  standards  were  reported  as 
being  exceeded  for  particulate  matter  (PM10)  in  five 
quality  zones  out  of  ten  (e.g.  Banskobystricky  kraj, 
Kosicky  kraj  and  Kosice)  and  for  fine  particulate  matter 
(PM2.5)  in  two  out  of  ten  (Banskobystricky  kraj  and 
In  addition,  target  values  for  ozone 
Zilinsky  kraj). 
concentrations were exceeded, as were target values for 
benzo(a)pyrene.  See  Figure  14  for  the  number  of  air 
quality zones exceeding NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 levels. 

Figure  14:  Air  quality  zones  exceeding  EU  air  quality 
standards in 201776  

The  persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  standards  (for 
PM10), which have severe negative effects on health and 
the environment, are being followed up by the European 
Commission  through 
in  all 
Member  States  concerned,  including  Slovakia.  Slovakia’s 

infringement  procedures 

71 Directive 2016/2284/EU. 
72 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. 
73 Low level ozone is produced by photochemical action on pollution. 
74 EEA, Air Quality in Europe – 2018 Report, p.64. Please see details in 
this report as regards the underpinning methodology. 
75 EEA, EIONET Central Data Repository. 
76 EEA, EIONET Central Data Repository. Data reflects the reporting 
situation as of 26 November 2018. 

68 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards. 
69 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 
viewer (NEC Directive). 
70 2016 NECD data submitted by Member State to the EEA. 

15 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

current  or  planned  measures  appear  to  be  able  to 
appropriately  tackle  the  identified  gaps,  if  correctly 
implemented.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  closely 
monitor  the  implementation  of  these  measures77  and 
their effectiveness in quickly redressing the situation. The 
aim  is  to  have  adequate  measures  in  place  to  bring  all 
zones into compliance. 

2019 priority actions 

 

Take,  in  the  context  of  the  National  Air  Pollution 
Control  Programme 
towards 
reducing the main emission sources - and meet all air 
quality standards. 

(NAPCP),  actions 

  Accelerate  the  reductions 

in  particulate  matter 
(PM2.5 and PM10) emissions and concentrations. This 
will require, for example, further reducing emissions 
from  energy  production  and  heat  generation  using 
solid  fuels,  or  promoting  efficient  and  clean  district 
heating and/or fiscal incentives. 

  Build  on  the  ‘Coal  regions  in  transition’  initiative  to 
reduce the use of coal for domestic heating to limit 
air pollutants emissions. 

  Upgrade  and  improve  the  air  quality  monitoring 
network  as  this  is  essential  for  public  information 
and planning. 

Industrial emissions 

The  main objectives of EU policy on industrial emissions 
are to: 
(i) protect air, water and soil; 
(ii) prevent and manage waste; 
(iii) improve energy and resource efficiency; and  
(iv) clean up contaminated sites.  
To  achieve  this,  the  EU  takes  an  integrated  approach  to 
the  prevention  and  control  of  routine  and  accidental 
industrial emissions. The cornerstone of the policy is the 
Industrial Emissions Directive78 (IED). 

The  below  overview  of  industrial  activities  regulated  by 
the  IED  is  based  on  the  ‘industrial  emissions  policy 
country profiles’ project79. 

In Slovakia, around 600 industrial installations must have 
a  permit  according  to  the  IED.  In  2015,  the  industrial 
sectors  in  Slovakia  with  the  most  IED  installations  were 
the  intensive  rearing  of  poultry  or  pigs  (21 %),  followed 
(22 %)  and 
by  non-hazardous  waste  management 

77 European Commission, Clean Air Dialogue between the Commission 
and Slovakia promotes actions for cleaner air  
78 Directive 2010/75/EU covers industrial activities carried out above 
certain thresholds. It covers energy industry, metal production, mineral 
and chemical industry and waste management, as well as a wide range 
of industrial and agricultural sectors (e.g. intensive rearing of pig and 
poultry, pulp and paper production, painting and cleaning). 
79 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – 
Slovakia.  

chemicals (14 %). 

Figure  15:  Number  of  IED  industrial  installations  by 
sector, Slovakia (2015)80 

(ii)  metal  production 

The industrial sectors identified as contributing the most 
emissions  to  air  in  Slovakia  are:  (i)  the  energy-power 
sector  for  sulphur  oxides  (SOx),  nitrogen  oxides  (NOx), 
cadmium  (Cd),  chromium  (Cr),  copper  (Cu),  lead  (Pb), 
mercury  (Hg),  nickel  (Ni),  zinc  (Zn)  and  polychlorinated 
and  polychlorinated  dibenzofurans 
dibenzodioxins 
for 
(PCDD/F); 
cadmium  (Cd),  arsenic  (As),  chromium  (Cr),  copper  (Cu), 
lead  (Pb),  nickel  (Ni)  and  zinc  (Zn);  (iii)  iron  and  steel 
production  for  nickel  (Ni);  (iv)  ‘other  activities’  (mostly 
the  intensive  rearing  of  poultry  or  pigs  and  surface 
treatment) for non-methane volatile organic compounds 
(NMVOCs)  and  ammonia  (NH3);  (v)  mineral  production 
for chromium (Cr); and (vi) the waste management sector 
for mercury (Hg). The breakdown is shown in Figure 16. 

(non-ferrous) 

‘Other  activities’,  chemicals,  iron  and  steel  production 
and  energy-refining  were 
identified  as  contributing 
to  environmentally  hazardous  water 
significantly 
followed  by  metal 
emissions.  Waste  management 
production and energy-refining are the main contributors 
to  hazardous  waste  generation  while  metal  production, 
waste  management,  energy-power  and  ‘other  activities’ 
sectors  are  the  main  contributors  to  non-hazardous 
waste generation. 

The enforcement approach under the IED creates strong 
rights for citizens to have access to relevant information 
and  to  participate  in  the  permitting  process  for  IED 
installations. This empowers NGOs and the general public 
to  ensure  that  permits  are  appropriately  granted  and 
their conditions respected. 

The best available techniques (BAT) reference documents 
and  BAT  conclusions  are  developed 
the 
information  between  Member  States, 
exchange  of 

through 

80 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – 
Slovakia. 

16 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
industrial  associations,  NGOs  and  the  Commission.  This 
ensures  a  good  collaboration  with  stakeholders  and  a 
better application of the IED rules. 

Figure 16: Emissions to air from IED sectors and all other 
national total air emissions, Slovakia (2015) 

Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 
limited  set  of  data83, 
in  the  EU82.  Based  on  a 
environmental  noise  causes  at  least  200  premature 
deaths per year in Slovakia and is responsible for around 
500 hospital admissions. Noise also disturbs the sleep of 
roughly 90 000 people in Slovakia. The implementation of 
the Environmental Noise Directive has been  significantly 
delayed.  According  to  the  latest  full  set  of  information 
that  could  be  analysed,  (i.e.  2012  for  noise  maps  and 
2013  for  action  plans)  noise  mapping  for  most  major 
roads  is  significantly  delayed  and  most  major  roads  and 
all major railways are still missing from the action plans. 
These  instruments,  adopted  after  a  public  consultation 
had  been  carried  out,  should  include  the  measures  to 
keep noise low or reduce it.  

relies  on  national 

competent 
The  Commission 
authorities’  efforts  to  apply  the  legally  binding  BAT 
conclusions  and  associated  BAT  emission 
in 
environmental  permits,  resulting  in  considerable  and 
continuous reduction of pollution. 

levels 

For  example,  by  applying  the  recently  adopted  BAT 
emission levels for large combustion plants, emissions of 
sulphur dioxide will be  cut  on average by between 25 % 
and 81 %, nitrogen oxide will be cut by between 8 % and 
56 %,  dust  by  between  31 %  and  78 %  and  mercury  by 
between  19 %  and  71 %  at  EU  level.  The  extent  of  the 
reduction depends on the situation in individual plants. 

The  challenges  identified  for  Slovakia  were  air  pollution 
from  the  lignite-fired  power  plants  and  steel  production 
and water pollution from the oil refining sector. 

2019 priority actions 

  Review permits to ensure that they comply with the 

 

newly adopted BAT conclusions. 
Strengthen  control  and  enforcement  to  ensure 
compliance with the BAT conclusions. 

  Address  air  pollution  from  the  lignite-fired  power 
plants  and  the  steel  sector.  Address  pollution  from 
oil refining as appropriate. 

Noise 
The  Environmental  Noise  Directive81  provides  for  a 
common  approach  to  avoiding,  preventing  and  reducing 
the harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise. 

Excessive noise from aircraft, railways and roads is one of 
the  main  causes  of  environmental  health-related  issues 

81 Directive 2002/49/EC. 

2019 priority actions 

  Complete  noise  action  plans  for  noise  management 

and use them in planning praxis 

  Complete  noise  mapping  and  use  them  in  planning 

praxis 

Water quality and management 

EU  legislation  and  policy  requires  that  the  impact  of 
pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh  waters 
(including  surface  and  ground  waters)  be  significantly 
reduced.  Achieving,  maintaining  or  enhancing  a  good 
status  of  water  bodies  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive  will  ensure that EU citizens benefit 
from good quality and safe drinking and bathing water. It 
will  further  ensure  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

The  existing  EU  water  legislation84  puts  in  place  a 
protective  framework  to  ensure  high  standards  for  all 
water  bodies  in  the  EU  and  addresses  specific  pollution 
sources  (for  example,  from  agriculture,  urban  areas  and 
industrial  activities).  It  also  requires  that  the  projected 
into  the 
impacts  of  climate  change  are 
corresponding  planning 
risk 
management  plans  and  river  basin  management  plans, 
including  programme  of  measures  which  include  the 
actions  that  Member  States  plan  to  take  in  order  to 
achieve the environmental objectives. 

instruments  e.g. flood 

integrated 

82 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, 
Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark. 
83 European Environment Agency, Noise Fact Sheets 2017. 
84 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC), the Urban 
Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) (on discharges of 
municipal and some industrial wastewaters), the Drinking Water 
Directive (98/83/EC) (on potable water quality), the Water Framework 
Directive (2000/60/EC) (on water resources management), the Nitrates 
Directive (91/676/EEC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC). 

17 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Water Framework Directive 

reported 

Framework  Directive  and 

Slovakia  has  adopted  and 
the  second 
generation  of  River  Basin  Management  Plans  under  the 
Water 
the  European 
the 
Commission  has  assessed 
development  since  the  adoption  of  the  first  River  Basin 
Management  Plans,  including  suggested  actions  in  the 
EIR report 2017. 

status  and 

the 

identified  for  the  water  bodies  that  are  not  monitored 
but assessed as being in good chemical status. 

Figure 17: Ecological status or potential of surface water 
bodies in Slovakia85 

The  most  significant  pressures  on  surface  water  are 
diffuse  agriculture  (33%  of  surface  water  bodies), 
physical  alteration  of  channel/bed/riparian  area/shore 
related to flood protection (29%) and physical alteration 
of channel/bed/riparian area/shore related to agriculture 
(14%).  For  groundwater  bodies  the  most  significant 
pressure  were  discharges  not  connected  to  sewerage 
network  affecting  8%  of  groundwater  bodies,  urban 
waste  water  pressures  (7%  of  groundwater  bodies)  and 
waste disposal sites (7%). 

Altered  habitats  due  to  morphological  changes  was  the 
most  significant  impact  on  all  surface  water  categories 
(35% of river water bodies), followed by organic pollution 
(27%),  nutrient  pollution  (13%)  and  chemical  pollution 
(6%). 
In  the  Danube  River  Basin  District  chemical 
pollution  impacted  11%  of  groundwaters  and  in  3% 
abstraction  exceeded  available  groundwater  resource  of 
groundwater body. 

Overall there appears to have been a significant increase 
(50%)  in  the  numbers  of  sites  used  for  surveillance 
monitoring  from  the  first  to  the  second  River  Basin 
Management  Plans.  Conversely  there  was  a  significant 
decrease  (54%) 
in  the  number  of  sites  used  for 
operational monitoring.  

As regards the ecological status in surface water bodies, 
56%  of  water  bodies  are  in  at  least  good  ecological 
status/potential  as  illustrated  in  figure  17.  This  shows 
that  Slovakia  still  has  a  long  way  to  go  to  achieve  the 
good  status/potential  objectives  set  down  in  the  Water 
Framework Directive. 

Between  the  first  and  second  River  Basin  Management 
Plans  there  appears  to  be  a  net  decrease  in  monitoring 
sites and surface water bodies monitored for operational 
purposes with regard to the chemical status.  

Since  the  first  River  Basin  Management  Plans,  Slovakia 
has  carried  out  some  limited  monitoring  of  selected 
Priority  Substances  in  sediment  and  biota.  There  was  a 
small  increase  in  the  proportion  of  river  water  bodies 
with  good  chemical  status  from  95%  to  98%.  Expert 
judgement  has  been  used  to  classify  74%  of  the  river 
water  bodies  but  the  approach 
is  not  clear.  The 
inventories  of  emissions  are  incomplete  and  do  not 
include all (groups of) priority substances. It is therefore 
unclear  whether  all  relevant  pressures  have  been 

The  groundwater  monitoring  situation  did  slightly 
improve,  but  28%  of  the  groundwater  bodies  remain 
unmonitored.  The  status  situation  has  improved  as  well 
from  5.4%  of  the  total  groundwater  body  area  failing 
good  quantitative  status 
in  the  first  River  Basin 
Management  Plans  to  2.8%  in  the  second  River  Basin 
Management Plans. 

Progress  has  been  made  in  identifying  pressures  in  the 
River  Basin  Management  Plans  and  addressed  by 
measures  (Key  type  of  measures).  Some  measures  are 
completed  since  the  first  Programme  of  Measures  but 
lack  of  finance  have  been  an  obstacle  in  relation  to  the 
implementation of the measures.  

Gap  analyses  have  been  performed  for  most  significant 
pressures for 2015 and 2021 (not for 2027), but progress 
anticipated by 2021 is modest. 

Where  environmental  objectives  are  not  yet  achieved 
exemptions  can  be  applied 
in  case  the  respective 
conditions  are  met  and  the  required  justifications  are 
explained  in  the  River  Basin  Management  Plans.  The 
exemption regarding new projects, which potentially can 

85 EEA, WISE dashboard. 

18 

 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

affect the status of water bodies, are not yet in place in 
the management plan of the Danube and Vistula RBD. 

Slovakia therefore need to ensure that the requirements 
in  the  Water  Framework  Directive  (Article  4(7))  is  meet, 
in particular make an assessment of whether the project 
is of overriding public interest  and whether the benefits 
to society outweigh the environmental degradation, and 
the  absence  of  alternatives  that  would  be  a  better 
environmental  option.  Furthermore,  these  projects  may 
only  be  carried  out  when  all  practicable  steps  are  taken 
to mitigate the adverse impact on the status/potential of 
the  water  bodies.  Respective 
information  on  the 
application  of  Article  4(7)  needs  to  be  reported  in  the 
RBMPs. 

Bathing Water Directive 

Figure 18 shows that in 2017, out of Slovakia’s 32 bathing 
waters, 59.4 % were of excellent quality, 28.1 % were of 
good  quality  and  0 %  were  of  sufficient  quality 
(compared  to  63.6 %,  24.2 %  and  0 %  respectively  in 
2016).  Only  one  body  of  bathing  water  was  of  poor 
quality89.  Detailed 
information  on  Slovakia’s  bathing 
waters  is  available  on  a  national  portal90  and  on  an 
interactive  map  viewer  designed  and  hosted  by  the 
European Environment Agency91. 
Figure 18: Bathing water quality 2014–2017 92 

in 

the 

Hydro  power  stations  can  for  example  lead  to  new 
changes 
(hydromorpological) 
physical 
characteristics  of  the  surface  water  bodies.  As  regards 
newly permitted projects, an amendment to the national 
Water Act is in force as of March 2018. It introduces new, 
two-steps  procedure  to  address  the  requirements  of 
Article 4(7) of the Water FD. The new act was not a part 
of  the  assessment  of  the  RBMPs.  As  regards  SHPs86, 
Slovakia committed to analyse various options on how to 
nullify the unlawful  consequences of the  failure to carry 
out environmental impact assessment including the need 
to carry out ex post assessments and the implementation 
of additional measures  which would mitigate impacts of 
implemented projects87.  

Nitrates Directive 

The  method  for  identifying  nitrate  vulnerable  zones 
(NVZ) has been revised and the designation is now based 
on water quality data (and no longer only on maps). The 
designation has been assessed by the Commission. Some 
zones seem to have pollution levels close to those of NVZ 
but are not designated as NVZ. These zones are mostly in 
the  border  regions  with  Austria  and  Czech  Republic  and 
are calculated to be within the NVZ limits88. 

86 Slovakia updated in 2017 Concept of utilising the hydro-energetic 
potential of watercourses by 2030. As a result of the update, it does not 
specify SHPs to be constructed but rather identifies profiles where 
constructions is possible once all legislative requirements are met.  
87 Specific condition is included in the programming documents for ESIF 
funds 2014-2020. In the case of SHP a prerequisite for the 
implementation of a project are measures to mitigate negative impacts 
on the environment, including measures to limit interference with the 
flow continuity of the water stream and creating barriers, arising from 
the process of environmental impact assessment (according to the Act 
on environmental impact assessment) with an emphasis on the 
assessment of cumulative impact of the constructions on the given 
water body and compliance with the requirements of Article 4, 
Paragraph 7, 8 and 9 of the WFD. This is due the transposition and 
application gap of the provisions of several EU legislation, SEA, EIA and 
Water FD. It is a subject to an infringement proceedings followed by the 
Commission. 
88 The 2016 Court of Auditors report ‘Danube river basin II: Quality of 
water’ stated there is a lack of ambition in the Member States 

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive  

On  the  implementation  of  the  Urban  Waste  Water 
Treatment  Directive,  Slovakia  had  a  final  deadline 
31 December 2015 to comply with the rules (as set in its 
Accession  Treaty).  So  far,  the  Commission  has  checked 
Slovakia’s  compliance  with  the  Accession  Treaty’s 
intermediate deadlines of 2004, 2008 and 2010, but  not 
yet  that of 2015. According to  the latest  data, 99.6 % of 
waste  water  is  collected  in  Slovakia93.  Of  this,  97.9 % 
undergoes  secondary  treatment 
(240  out  of  262 
agglomerations)  and  57.2 %  undergoes  more  stringent 
treatment (52 out of 79 agglomerations with compliance 
obligations). 

concerned including Slovakia to address causes of pollution. It stated 
that Member States are not using all the possibilities offered by the 
Nitrates Directive: European Court Of Auditors, Special report no 
23/2015: Water quality in the Danube river basin: progress in 
implementing the water framework directive but still some way to go. 
89 European Environment Agency, 2017. European bathing water quality 
in 2016, p. 17. 
90 Slovak national portal, bathing water quality. 
91 EEA, State of bathing waters. 
92 European Environment Agency, 2018. European bathing water quality 
in 2017, p. 21. 
93 The data refers to the agglomerations above 2000 p.e. according to 
the UWWTD. According to the Slovak authorities, connection rate in 
Slovakia was less than 67.72 % of total numbers of inhabitants in 2017. 

19 

                                                                 
 
 
                                                                                                        
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Therefore,  the  Commission  found  that  a  number  of 
agglomerations  did  not  comply  with  the  collection  and 
treatment requirements of the Directive by the Accession 
Treaty’s 
intermediate  deadlines  and  consequently 
launched an infringement procedure in 2016. 

An investment of around EUR 1 200 million is needed to 
ensure that waste water in the remaining agglomerations 
is properly collected and treated94. According to the 2017 
EIR,  the  planned  projects  are  not  sufficient  for  reaching 
full  compliance  with  the  Directive,  as  there  are  many 
more  agglomerations  in  breach  of  the  rules  than  there 
are projects. The results of the last projects are expected 
by  2021-2022,  far  beyond  the  2015  deadline  set  in 
Slovakia’s Accession Treaty. 

Floods Directive 

The  Floods  Directive  established  a  framework  for  the 
assessment and management of flood risks, aiming at the 
reduction  of  the  adverse  consequences  associated  with 
significant floods. 

Slovakia  has  adopted  and  reported  its  first  Flood  Risk 
Management Plans under the Directive and the European 
Commission conducted an assessment. 

The  Commission’s  assessment  found  that  good  efforts 
were made with positive results in setting objectives and 
devising  measures  focusing  on  prevention,  protection 
and  preparedness.  The  assessment  also  showed  that,  as 
was  the  case  for  other  Member  States,  Slovakia’s  Flood 
Risk  Management  Plans  do  not  yet  include  concrete 
enough measures and a baseline to monitor the progress 
achieved  in  implementing  the  measures  (by  extension 
the  objectives  too).  In  addition,  there  is  scope  for 
reinforcing  the  aspect  of  public  participation  and  the 
active  involvement  of  stakeholders  in  relation  to  the 
Flood Risk Management Plan. 
2019 priority actions95 

 

 

 

 

future  delay 

Ensure that projects, which potentially can affect the 
status of water bodies, are  thoroughly assessed and 
justified  in  line  with  the  requirements  in  the  Water 
Framework Directive (Article 4(7)). 
Implement  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  that 
there  will  be  no 
regarding  all 
agglomerations  that  are  in  breach  of  the  Urban 
Waste Water Treatment Directive. 
Follow-up  possible  nitrate  polluted  waters  close  to 
the border with The Czech Republic and Austria.  
Take  steps  to  reinforce  the  aspect  of  public 
involvement  of 
the  active 
participation  and 
stakeholders 
the  Flood  Risk 
to 
Management Plan. 

relation 

in 

94 (COM(2017) 749) and (SWD(2017)445). 
95 2019 Priority Actions are based on the EC assessment of 2nd round of 
RBMPs. 

20 

Chemicals 

The  EU  seeks  to  ensure  that  by  2020  chemicals  are 
produced and used in ways that minimise any significant 
adverse  effects  on  human  health  and  the  environment. 
An  EU  strategy  for  a  non-toxic  environment  that  is 
conducive  to  innovation  and  to  developing  sustainable 
substitutes,  including  non-chemical  options,  is  being 
prepared. 

legislation96  provides  baseline 
The  EU’s  chemicals 
protection for human health and the environment. It also 
ensures  stability  and  predictability 
for  businesses 
operating within the internal market. 

In  2016,  the  European  Chemicals  Agency 
(ECHA) 
published  a  report  on  REACH  and  the  CLP  Regulation97 
that showed that enforcement activities are still evolving. 
Member  States  cooperate  closely  within  the  Forum  for 
Information  on  Enforcement98.  This 
Exchange  of 
cooperation  has  shown  that  there  is  scope  to  increase 
the  effectiveness  of  enforcement  activities,  particularly 
for registration obligations and safety data sheets where 
the level of non-compliance is still relatively high. 

While progress has been made, there is room to further 
improve and harmonise enforcement activities across the 
EU,  including  controls  on  imported  goods.  Enforcement 
remains  weak  in  some  Member  States,  particularly  for 
controls  on  imports  and  supply  chain  obligations.  The 
in  most  EU 
enforcement  architecture 
countries and enforcement projects reveal differences in 
compliance between Member States. 

is  complex 

A  2015  Commission  study  already  emphasised  the 
importance  of  harmonised  market  surveillance  and 
enforcement  when  implementing  REACH  at  Member 
State  level,  deeming  it  to  be  a  critical  success  factor  in 
the operation of a harmonised single market99. 

In March 2018, the Commission published an evaluation 
of  REACH100.  The  evaluation  concludes  that  REACH 
delivers  on  its  objectives,  but  that  progress  made  is 
slower  than  anticipated.  In  addition,  the  registration 
dossiers often are incomplete. The evaluation underlines 
the need to enhance enforcement by all actors, including 
registrants,  downstream  users  and 
in  particular  for 
importers,  to  ensure  a  level  playing  field,  meet  the 

96 Principally for chemicals: REACH (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p.1.); for 
Classification, Labelling and Packaging, the CLP Regulation (: OJ L 252, 
31.12.2006, p.1.), together with legislation on biocidal products and 
plant protection products. 
97 European Chemicals Agency, Report on the Operation of REACH and 
CLP 2016. 
98 ECHA, on the basis of the projects REF-1, REF-2 and REF-3. 
99 European Commission (2015), Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs. Brussels: European 
Commission. 
100 COM(2018) 116.  

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

objectives  of  REACH  and  ensure  consistency  with  the 
actions envisaged to improve environmental compliance 
and  governance.  Consistent  reporting  of  Member  State 
enforcement activities  was considered  important  in that 
respect. 

regional capital cities. 

Participation in EU urban initiatives and networks 

Slovak  municipalities  are  generally  less  involved  in  EU 
initiatives than municipalities in other EU countries. 

Inspection  bodies  carry  out  official  controls  of  REACH. 
The  objectives  of  their  inspections  depend  on  each 
authority’s  area  of  responsibility  and  are  specified  by 
their respective ‘competency acts’ 101. 

However, Slovakia’s cities are involved in initiatives such 
as Eurocities and the EU Covenant of Mayors. As of June 
2018,  28  Slovakian  cities  were  signed  up  to  the  EU 
Covenant of Mayors. 

In general, REACH inspectors in Slovakia are entitled to: 

- 

- 

- 

order corrective measures to be taken; 

impose  fines  in  administrative  proceedings  if  they 
reveal  non-compliance  with  duties 
imposed  by 
REACH; and 

impose  a  disciplinary  fine  if  a  duty  holder  obstructs 
inspectors in the course of their duty. 

Other  authorities  offer  assistance  to  REACH  enforcers. 
For  example,  the  Centre  for  Chemical  Substances  and 
Preparations  provides  advice  and  the  Ministry  of  the 
Economy  organises 
coordinates 
inspection activities. 

conferences  and 

Making cities more sustainable 

EU policy on the urban environment encourages cities to 
put  policies  in  place  for  sustainable  urban  planning  and 
design.  These  should  include  innovative  approaches  to 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation. 

transport  and  mobility, 

living 

in  Europe 

in  urban  areas 

The  population 
is 
projected to rise to just over 80% by 2050102. Urban areas 
pose  particular  challenges  for  the  environment  and 
human  health,  but  they  also  provide  opportunities  for 
using  resources  more  efficiently.  The  EU  encourages 
municipalities to become greener through initiatives such 
as  the  Green  Capital  Award103,  the  Green  Leaf  Award104 
and the Green City Tool105. 

Financing greener cities 

In  accordance  with  the  Partnership  Agreement  for 
Slovakia, attention is given to the territorial dimension of 
urban development measures in the programming period 
2014-2020.  At  least  5 %  of  the  ERDF  allocation  will  be 
invested  in  sustainable  urban  development  actions  that 
implemented  with  the  support  of 
will  mainly  be 
in  the  country’s 
integrated  territorial 

investments 

Given that in 2017,  11.9 % of Slovak population living  in 
cities  considered  that  their  neighbourhood  was  affected 
by  pollution,  grime  or  other  environmental  problems 
(down  from  16.1 %  in  2014106),  all  urban  initiatives  and 
networks  contributing  to  achieve  a  better  urban 
environment should be encouraged. 

With  the  exception  of  Zilina  city’s  involvement  in  the 
CIVITAS  network  and  Hnusta  city’s  involvement  in  the 
‘ReNewTown’  network,  Slovak  cities’  involvement  in  EU 
urban networks is low. 

Slovak  municipalities  traditionally  take  part  in  national 
networks  or  awards,  for  example  the  ‘Village  Renewal 
its  ‘village  of  the  year’  award107. 
programme’  with 
Although almost 90 % of Slovak villages took part in this 
initiative since 1997, the financial contribution for urban 
development projects is limited. 

Nature and cities 

Around  19 %  of  Slovakia’s  Natura  2000  network  is  in 
functional  urban  areas108,  slightly  above  the  EU  average 
of  15 %  (see  Figure  19).  Urban  sprawl  puts  pressure  on 
urban Natura2000 sites, such as those in Bratislava. 

101 ECHA, National Inspectorates - Slovakia. 
102 European Commission, Eurostat, Urban Europe, 2016, p.9. 
103European Commission, European Green Capital Award. 
104 European Commission, European Greenleaf. 
105 European Commission,Green City Tool. 

106 European Commission, Eurostat, Pollution, grime or other 
environmental problems by degree of urbanisation. 
107 SK, Program obnovy dediny. 
108 European Commission, Definition of Functional Urban Areas. 

21 

                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Figure  19:  Proportion  of  Natura  2000  network 
Functional Urban Areas (FUA)109 

in 

Urban sprawl 

According  to  the  European  Environment  Agency’s  study 
on urban sprawl110, between the mid-1950s and the end 
of  the  1990s  Bratislava’s  industrial,  commercial  and 
transport  areas  have  grown  at  a  significant  rate  and  its 
residential areas at a moderate rate. Bratislava is among 
the  cities  that  were  affected  by  the  strong  centralised 
planning  regimes  that  prevailed  during  the  communist 
era and that are now facing the same rapid urban sprawl 
as other European cities. 

Traffic congestion and urban mobility 

The  number  of  passenger  cars  per  inhabitants  has  been 
growing  rapidly  between  2005  (242  cars  per  1000 
inhabitants)  and  2016  (390  cars  per  1000  inhabitants), 
although  still  below  the  EU  average  (505  cars  per  1000 
inhabitants)111. 

Around 8% of all passenger cars registered in Slovakia in 
2016  were  powered  by  diesel  engines,  which  is  low 
compare to the EU average (42%)112. 

The average number of hours spent in traffic congestion 
annually rose from 23.03 in 2014 to 23.68 in 2016113. 

Traffic intensity and congestion differs widely per region. 
The  highest  traffic  intensity  is  in  the  Bratislava  capital 
region. Key transport infrastructure (e.g. the D1 highway) 
needs  to  be  completed  as  do  major  urban  by-passes 
(such  as  Bratislava’s  D4)  or  important  public  transport 
projects  (like  tram  network  in  Bratislava  or  Kosice). 
Investment  in  more  environmentally-friendly  means  of 
transport is still low. 

109 European Commission, The 7th Report on Economic, Social and 
Territorial Cohesion, 2017, p. 121. 
110 Sprawl threatens the very culture of Europe, as it creates 
environmental, social and economic impacts for both the cities and 
countryside of Europe. Moreover, it seriously undermines efforts to 
meet the global challenge of climate change. European Environment 
Agency, Urban sprawl in Europe. 
111 European Commission, Eurostat, Passenger cars in the EU. 
112 EEA, Size of the vehicle fleet.  
113 European Commission, Hours spent in road congestion annually.  

Bratislava  and  Kosice’s  congestion  levels  are  above  the 
EU  average  but  not  the  highest  in  the  EU  (being  below 
30 %)114.  Nevertheless,  congestion  could  potentially 
in  Bratislava  as  a  number  of 
increase  significantly 
residential projects are planned to be built in the coming 
years and the public transport system is underdeveloped. 
Both cities have projects (supported by EU funds) under 
way to extend their tram networks115.  

114 Tomtom traffic index. 
115 European Commission, Press release 1 , Press release 2, Press release 
3. 

22 

 
                                                                 
 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Part II: Enabling framework: implementation tools 

4. Green taxation, green public procurement, environmental 

funding and investments 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful 
subsidies 

incentives, 

Financial 
taxation  and  other  economic 
instruments  are  effective  and  efficient  ways  to  meet 
environmental  policy  objectives.  The  circular  economy 
action  plan  encourages  their  use.  Environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  are  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  the  energy  union  governance 
process. 

Slovakia’s  revenue 
from  environment-related  taxes 
remains  below  the  EU  average.  Environmental  taxes 
accounted  for  1.76 %  of  GDP  in  2017  (EU-28  average 
2.4 %)  (see  Figure  20)  and  energy  taxes  accounted  for 
1.57 % of GDP (EU average 1.84 %)116. In the same year, 
environmental  tax  revenues  were  5.32 %  of  total 
revenues  from  taxes  and  social  security  contributions 
(lower than the EU 28 average of 5.97 %). 

Slovakia’s  tax  structure  results 
in  a  proportion  of 
revenues  from  labour  tax  in  total  tax  revenues  that  is 
higher than the EU average. Slovakia’s tax revenues were 
53.4 %  in  2016,  while  the  implicit  tax  burden  on  labour 
was  36.5 %117.  Consumption  taxes  remained  relatively 
low  (31.3 %,  18th  in  EU28),  showing  that  there  is  some 
potential  for  shifting  taxes  from  labour  to  consumption, 
particularly to environmental taxes. 

Under  the  European  Semester,  the  Commission  has 
repeatedly  noted  in  Slovakia’s  country  report  that  its 
revenue  from  environmental  taxes  is  among  the  lowest 
in  the  EU118.  The  2018  country  report  said  that  tax  and 
fee-based  tools  to  improve  waste  management  are 
underused. Some fiscal incentives have been introduced 
in  the  course  of  2018,  their  impact  is  yet  to  be  seen 
(please refer to the waste chapter of this report). 

Slovakia has some examples of sound fiscal measures for 
the  environment.  One  is  its  air  pollution  fees  that  have 
been in place since 1967. Experts are currently discussing 

the need for a new amendment to these fees (as the last 
one dates from 2008)119. 

Figure  20:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  %  of  GDP 
(2017) 120 

fuel 

fossil 

Meanwhile, 
subsidies  and  exemptions 
increased  slightly  in  the  past  decade,  mainly  due  to  the 
support  for  electricity  produced  by  lignite.  In  2016,  tax 
exemptions  were  still  in  place  for  the  use  of  coal  and 
natural  gas.  These  exemptions  added  up  to  EUR 121 
million  in  2016,  while  the  subsidies  amounted  to  over 
EUR 95 million121. 

The  support  still  given  in  Slovakia  for  the  production  of 

116 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, 2018. 
117 European Commission, Taxation Trends Report, 2018. 
118 European Commission, European Semester Country Report 2018, p. 
16. 

119 Institute for European Environmental Policy, Case Studies on 
Environmental Fiscal Reform, Air Pollution fees in Slovakia. 
120 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, 2018. 
121 OECD, Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels, 2018. 

Environmental Implementation Review 2019 — Slovakia 

 
 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

in 

right  direction, 

electricity  from  low  quality  brown  coal  is  a  striking 
example  of  an  environmentally  harmful  subsidy122.  The 
Horna Nitra region in Slovakia was one of the EU Platform 
for Coal Regions in Transition’s pilot regions123. Although 
the  platform  has  the  potential  to  steer  Slovakia’s 
transition  process 
some 
the 
stakeholders  fear  that  this  opportunity  might  be  lost124. 
First 
to  phase  out 
environmentally  harmful  subsidies  of  high-emissions 
electricity generation from lignite, advancing it from 2030 
to  2023,  according  to  the  Government  decision  from 
2018,  although  the  exploitation  and  using  of  domestic 
coal  can  continue  beyond125.  Addressing  this  problem  is 
of  key  importance  for  improving  the  resource  efficiency 
of the Slovak economy126. 

steps  have  been 

taken 

No  progress  has  been  made  on  reducing  the  ‘diesel 
differential’  (difference  in  the  price  of  diesel  versus 
petrol)  since  2005.  In  2016  there  was  a  40 %  gap 
between  petrol  and  diesel  tax  rates,  while  in  2005  the 
gap was only 7 %127. Excise tax rates levied on petrol and 
diesel  in  2016  remained  constant  since  2015  (EUR 0.55 
per litre for petrol and EUR 0.39 for diesel)128. 

Tax treatment for company cars is a cause for concern in 
Slovakia129.  However,  fiscal  measures  were  introduced 
for this type of car in 2018. For example, a programme to 
support  the  purchase  of  electric  cars  that  was  put  in 
place in 2017 has been extended130. 

CO2-based  motor  vehicle  taxes  are  not  in  place  in  the 
country.  However,  some  highways  fees  for  the  use  of 
specified  sections  are  based  on  emissions131.  Incentives 
to  encourage  people  to  buy  cars  with 
lower  CO2 
emissions were put in place in 2016. These were linked to 
annual  circulation  taxes  and  subsidies,  road  tolls, 
congestion  or  low  emission  zone  charges  and  also  to 
buying  cleaner  vehicles132.  New  vehicles  bought 
in 
Slovakia are among the least environmentally friendly in 

122 The production of electricity from domestically produced lignite from 
Novaky´s mine is subsidised in Slovakia by electricity consumers in form 
of feed-in tariff. Novaky power plant, fuelled by this lignite, is the 
second biggest emitter of GHG in Slovakia. 
123 European Commission, No region left behind: launch of the Platform 
for Coal Regions in Transition. 
124 Bankwatch, The European Commission’s platform for coal regions in 
transition: case studies highlight tilt toward coal companies  
125 The Government of the Slovak Republic. 
126 OECD, Policy Paper: Making the Slovak Republic a more resource 
efficient economy. 
127 European Environment Agency 2017, Environmental taxation and EU 
environmental policies, p. 27. 
128 European Commission, Taxes in Europe Database, 2018. 
129 European Commission, Taxation of commercial cars in Belgium, 
2017, p. 3. 
130 FleetEurope, Major changes to company car taxation in Europe 
[accessed 10 July 2018]. 
131 ACEA, CO2 based motor vehicle taxes in Europe [accessed 10 July 
2018]. 
132 European Environmental Agency, Appropriate taxes and incentives 
do affect purchases of new cars, 18 May 2018. 

24 

the  EU,  with  average  CO2  emissions  of  124.8  grams  per 
kilometre  (EU  average  118  grams  per  kilometre 
in 
2016)133. 

The use of alternative fuels in new passenger cars sold in 
Slovakia  has  decreased  considerably  over  the  past  few 
years.  In  2016,  the  proportion  of  new  passenger  cars 
using  alternative  fuels  was  only  15 %  of  that  in  2013134. 
Most  of  the  country’s  vehicles  that  use  alternative  fuels 
are compressed natural gas vehicles. 

Green public procurement 

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member  States  to  take  further  steps  to  apply  green 
procurement  criteria  to  at  least  50 %  of  public  tenders. 
The European Commission is helping to increase the use 
of  public  procurement  as  a  strategic  tool  to  support 
environmental protection. 

The purchasing power of public procurement amounts to 
around  EUR 1.8  trillion  in  the  EU  (approximately  14%  of 
GDP).  A  substantial  proportion  of  this  money  goes  to 
sectors  with  a  high  environmental 
impact  such  as 
construction  or  transport.  Therefore,  green  public 
procurement  (GPP)  can  help  to  significantly  lower  the 
negative  impact  of  public  spending  on  the  environment 
and  can  help  support  sustainable  innovative  businesses. 
The Commission has proposed EU GPP criteria135. 

Slovakia’s  national  action  plan  (NAP)  for  GPP  was 
adopted  in  2011.  The  government  adopted  the  NAP’s 
third update (for 2016-2020) in December 2016. This sets 
a  target  of  50 %  of  GPP  at  central  government  level. 
There  is  no  obligation  to  use  GPP  in  Slovakia.  However, 
the EU GPP criteria are 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 
devices, garden products and services, and construction. 

According  to  information  on  the  implementation  of  the 
NAP,  GPP  was  only  applied  in  3.5 %  of  procedures  in 
terms of their number and 7.9 % in terms of their value in 
2016136, 137.  A  study  by  the  European  Parliament  shows 

133 European Environment Agency, Average CO2 emissions from new 
passenger cars sold in EU-28 Member States plus Norway, Iceland and 
Switzerland in 2016. 
134 European Commission, Transport in the European Union Current 
Trends and Issues, 2018, pp.27-28. 
135 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. 
136 The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Green Public 
Procurement  

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

expected to: (i) increase the surface area of rehabilitated 
land  by  452144  hectares;  (ii)  increase  the  surface  area  of 
habitats  that  receive  support  to  attain  a  better 
conservation status by 20 131 hectares; (iii) increase the 
waste  recycling  capacity  by  197 466  tonnes/year;  (iv) 
increase  the  waste  recovery  capacity  by  329 676 
tonnes/year; (v) increase the number of people served by 
improved wastewater treatment by 220 705145; (vi) carry 
out  390  green  infrastructure  elements;  and  (vii)  help 
reduce PM emissions by 6 960 tonnes/year and selected 
pollutant emissions by 38 083 tonnes/year. 

It is too early to draw conclusions on the use and results 
of  ESIF  for  2014-2020.  Nevertheless,  according  to  the 
2017  annual  implementation  report146  for  the  OP,  the 
biggest  challenge  is  the  implementation  of  investments 
that address old environmental burdens. 

Figure  21:  ESIF  2014-2020  –  EU  allocation  by  theme, 
Slovakia (EUR billion)147 

that  Slovakia  has  only  partly  implemented  its  NAP  on 
GPP138.  According 
for 
the 
Environmental Policy’s analysis, more effective processes 
and  knowledge  on  GPP  are 
full 
implementation of the NAP139. 

required 

Institute 

Slovak 

for 

to 

Environmental funding and investments 

European  Structural  and  Investment  Fund  (ESIF)  rules 
include  environment  and 
oblige  Member  States  to 
funding  strategies  and 
climate  objectives 
programmes 
territorial 
cohesion, rural development and maritime policy. 

in  their 
for  economic, 

social  and 

Achieving  sustainability  involves  mobilising  public  and 
private  financing  sources140.  Use  of  the  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (ESIFs)141  is  essential  if 
countries  are  to  achieve  their  environmental  goals  and 
integrate 
into  other  policy  areas.  Other 
instruments such as Horizon 2020, the LIFE programme142 
and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)143 
may also support the implementation and spread of good 
practices. 

these 

According  to  the  2017  Special  Eurobarometer  468  on 
attitudes of EU citizens towards the environment, 85 % of 
Slovaks  support greater EU investment in environmental 
protection (in line with EU-28 average of 85 %). 

European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 

Through nine national and regional programmes, Slovakia 
has been allocated EUR 15.32 billion from ESIF funds  for 
2014-2020. This means that with its national contribution 
of EUR 4.72 billion, Slovakia has a total budget of EUR 20 
billion to invest in various areas, such as creating jobs and 
growth,  supporting  sustainable  transport  and  protecting 
research  and 
the  environment,  and 
innovation.  Public 
the 
in 
environment sector, depend heavily on EU funds. 

investing 
investments, 

in 
including 

The  country’s  main  programme 
implementing 
environmental  policies  is  the  Quality  of  Environment 
is 
Operational  Programme 

(OP).  The  programme 

for 

137 According to the Slovak authorities, based on the monitoring 
progress of GPP in 2017, GPP was applied in 3.25 % of procedures in 
terms of their number and 6.43 % in terms of their value 
138 European Parliament, Green Public Procurement and the Action Plan 
for the Circular Economy, 2017, pp. 79-80. 
139The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Green Public 
Procurement. 
140 COM(2018) 97.  
141 i.e. the European Regional Development Fund (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 are referred to as 
the ‘cohesion policy funds’. 
142 European Commission, LIFE programme. 
143 European Investment Bank, European Fund for Strategic 
Investments, 2016. 

Cohesion policy 

Current  data  suggests  that  the  EU  funds  for  2007-2013 
were almost fully  spent  (95 %)148. Furthermore, in  2007-

144 351 ha after the programme modification. 
145 Additional population of 7 365 p.e. is served under the Integrated 
Regional OP and Rural Development Programme has a measure for this 
kind of investments as well. 
146 The Government of the Slovak Republic, 2017 annual 
implementation report. 
147 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 
Data By Country 

25 

                                                                                                        
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

2013  (2008  and  2016  data  comparison)  there  was  no 
change in the overall direct environmental investment in 
Slovakia’s  OPs  (EUR 1.8  billion)149.  However,  there  were 
reallocations  between  areas  of  investment.  The  biggest 
decreases were recorded in drinking water investments (-
57 %), land rehabilitation (-45 %) and waste investments 
(-20 %).  By  contrast,  investment  in  climate  change  and 
risk  prevention  increased  by  more  than  100 %.  This  was 
due  to  the  programme  being  modified  to  enable  the 
purchase of civil protection equipment, while the Slovak 
authorities made the commitment to support equally the 
strengthening  of  the  ecosystems’  capacity  to  cope  with 
the climate change in 2014-2020 period. 

Rural development 

The EAFRD allocated EUR 1 560 million to Slovakia for its 
national  rural  development  programme.  Slovakia  opted 
to transfer part of the Pillar II budget to Pillar I for direct 
payments (this transfer  was  for 21.3 % of allocations for 
every budgetary year between 2015 and 2020, subject to 
amendments).  This  reallocation  has  limited  the  budget 
available for rural development. 

The  budget  available  for  agri-environmental-climate 
measures  is  EUR 105.7  million,  or  6.8 %  of  the  total 
EAFRD — one of the lowest proportions in the EU. This is 
despite the fact that Priority 4 (ecosystems) accounts for 
42.7 % of the total budget. The reason is that a significant 
amount  (EUR 360  million  or  23 %  of  the  total  budget)  is 
spent  on  areas  with  natural  constraints,  which  also  fall 
under  Priority  4.  Organic  farming  only  accounts  for 
EUR 68 million (4 % of the total budget). 

the  Rural 
It  would  be  appropriate 
Development  Programme’s  contribution  to 
improve 
existing  measures  or  introduce  new  ones.  In  particular, 
rural  development  funds  could  be  used  to  pay  for 

increase 

to 

148European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 
Data. 
149 European Commission, Integration of environmental concerns in 
Cohesion Policy Funds  

26 

environmentally-friendly land management practices and 
other  environmental  measures.  Carrying  out  ‘1st  Pillar 
greening’  in  an  environmentally  ambitious  way  would 
clearly  help  to  improve  the  environment  in  areas  not 
covered by rural development. 

The 
the 
rural  development  programme  supports 
reconstruction  of  drainage  channels  which  can  be 
questionable  from  the  environmental  point  of  view. 
However, safeguard measures have been introduced. The 
programme  also 
forest  prevention 
measures. 

supports 

fire 

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 

The  CEF  is  a  key  EU  funding  instrument  developed 
specifically  to  direct 
investment  towards  European 
transport,  energy  and  digital  infrastructure  to  address 
identified  missing  links  and  bottlenecks  and  promote 
sustainability.  By  the  end  of  2017,  Slovakia  had  signed 
agreements  for  EUR  704  million  for  projects  under  the 
Connecting Europe Facility150. 

Among  the  projects,  focus  on  renewable  transport  and 
rehabilitation  of  old  infrastructures  and  landscapes  are 
worth mentioning151.  

Horizon 2020 

Slovakia  has  benefited  from  Horizon  2020  funding  since 
the programme started in 2014. As of January 2019, 148 
participants  have  been  granted  a  maximum  amount  of 
EUR 38.1 million for projects from the Societal Challenges 
work 
environmental 
issues152 153.  

dealing  with 

programmes 

In  addition  to  the  abovementioned  work  programmes, 
climate and biodiversity expenditure is present across the 
entire  Horizon  2020.  In  Slovakia,  projects  accepted  for 
funding  in  all  Horizon  2020  working  programmes  until 
December  2018  included  EUR  43  million  destined  to 
climate  action  (48.3 %  of  the  total  Horizon  2020 
contribution  to  the  country)  and  EUR  3.5  million  for 
biodiversity-related  actions  (3.9 %  of  the  Horizon  2020 
contribution to the country)154. 

One  of  the  projects  under  way  that  involves  Slovak 
partners  is  the  SIMRA  project.  This  project  focuses  on 

150 European Commission, European Semester 2018 Country Report 
Slovakia, p. 14.  
151 European Commission, EU investments in transport in Slovakia.  
152 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA (COmmon 
Research DAta Warehouse). A maximum grant amount is the maximum 
grant amount decided by the Commission. It normally corresponds to 
the requested grant, but it may be lower. 
153 i.e. (ii) Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine 
and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy; (iii) 
Secure, clean and efficient energy; (iv) Smart, green and integrated 
transport; and (v) Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and 
raw materials. 
154 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA (COmmon 
Research DAta Warehouse). 

 
                                                                                                        
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

community-led social innovation initiatives in Europe and 
across the Mediterranean region with a particular impact 
on agriculture, forestry and rural development. 

LIFE programme 

Since  its  launch  in  1992,  the  LIFE  programme  has  co-
financed a total of 32 projects in Slovakia. Of these, eight 
innovation,  22  on  nature 
focus  on  environmental 
and 
information 
conservation 
communication.  These  projects  have  received  a  total 
investment  of  EUR 63  million,  of  which  EUR 33  million 
has been contributed by the EU155. 

two 

and 

on 

For  2014-2017  EUR 9  million  was  allocated  to  Slovak 
projects by the EU156. The Slovak project entitled ‘Danube 
birds  conservation  —  conservation  of  endangered  bird 
species  populations  in  natural  habitats  of  the  Danube 
inland delta’, run by the local NGO ‘Regional Association 
for  Nature  Conservation  and  Sustainable  Development’ 
was selected as among the EU’s best LIFE Natura projects 
in 2016-2017157. 

European Investment Bank 

In 2013-2018, EIB loans to Slovakia amounted to around 
EUR 3.7  billion158.  The  EIB  Group159 
loaned  Slovak 
businesses  and  public  institutions  more  than  EUR 630 
million  in  2018,  as  shown  in  Figure  22,  from  which 
around  EUR 20  million  (3.1 %)  were  directly  invested  in 
environment-related projects. 
Figure 22 EIB loans to Slovakia in 2018 160 

around  EUR 537  million  in  the  country.  This  is  expected 
to trigger a total private and public investment of EUR 1.2 
billion.  European  Investment  Fund  financing  enabled  by 
the  EFSI  amounts  to  EUR 25  million.  This  is  expected  to 
mobilise  around  EUR 211  million  in  total  investment. 
Transport has received the highest level of investment161. 

National environmental financing 

(the 

annual 

average 

percentage 

Slovakia  spent  EUR 534.5  million  on  environmental 
protection  in  2016,  a  32 %  decrease  from  2015162.  56 % 
of these payments were allocated to waste management 
activities 
of 
environmental spending allocated to waste management 
in  the  EU  is  49.7 %).  EUR 66.3  million  was  allocated  to 
wastewater  management  (12 %  of  total)  and  EUR 31 
million  to  pollution  abatement  (6 %  of  total).  7 %  of 
environmental  spending  was  to  protect  biodiversity  and 
the  landscape  (EUR 37.1  million).  Between  2012  and 
2016, the general government funding for environmental 
protection amounted to EUR 3.2 billion 163. 

The  most  relevant  national  fund  is  the  Environmental 
fund164,  set  up  in  2005.  This  fund  provides  grants  and 
loans to projects that  follow  the national environmental 
strategy.  The  main  fund’s  income  is  the  auctioning  of 
allowances  within  the  EU  emissions  trading  system, 
environmental  fees  and  contribution  from  the  state 
budget165. 

2019 priority action: 

• 

Improve  the  capacity  to  use  EU  funds  for  the 
environment effectively, including to prepare for the 
next financing period 2021-2027. 

European Fund for Strategic Investments 

The  EFSI  in  an  initiative  to  help  overcome  the  current 
investment  gap  in  the  EU.  Slovakia  is  making  better  use 
of  EFSI  and  as  of  January  2019  the  EFSI  had  mobilised 

155 European Commission, LIFE by country: Slovakia. 
156 Commission services based on data provided by EASME. 
157 European Commission, LIFE programme, best LIFE Natura projects in 
2016-2017 , Bratislavské regionálne ochranárske združenie, LIFE project. 
158 European Investment Bank, Delivering impact in finance in the 
Netherlands, 2017. 
159 The EIB Group includes EIB and EFSI investments and loans. 
160 European Investment Bank, The European Investment Bank in 
Slovakia, 2018. 

161 European Commission, European semester country report Slovakia, 
2018. 
162 Eurostat, General Government Expenditure by function, 2018. 
163 Eurostat, General Government Expenditure by function, 2018. 
164 Slovak Environmental fund. 
165 The actual income in 2017 was approx. EUR 130 million.  

27 

 
                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 
5. Strengthening environmental governance 

Information, public participation and access to 
justice 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they  can  rely  on  the  three  ‘pillars’  of  the  Aarhus 
Convention:  
(i) access to information;  
(ii) public participation in decision making; and  
(iii) access to justice in environmental matters.  

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and  business  that  environmental  information  is  shared 
efficiently  and  effectively166.  Public  participation  allows 
authorities  to  make  decisions  that  take  public  concerns 
into account. Access to justice is a set of guarantees that 
allows  citizens  and  NGOs  to  use  national  courts  to 
protect the environment167. It includes the right to bring 
legal challenges (‘legal standing’)168. 

Environmental information 

Information  governance  in  Slovakia  is  a  mixed  picture, 
although  most  of  the  main  policy  areas  are  accessible 
from  the  national  web  portal  on  the  environment169 
which 
links  to  the  other  specialised  environmental 
information systems’ portals170. 

Slovakia’s implementation of the INSPIRE Directive leaves 
room  for  improvement.  The  accessibility  of  spatial  data 
through  view  and  download  services  is  poor.  Slovakia’s 
performance  has  been  reviewed  based  on  its  2016 
implementation report171 and its most recent monitoring 
data  from  2017172.  Slovakia  has  made  good  progress  in 
data identification and documentation. Additional efforts 
are needed to make the data accessible through services 
and  to  improve  the  conditions  for  data  reuse.  Slovakia 
also  needs  to  make  additional  efforts  to  prioritise 
implementation  of 
environmental  datasets 
in 
it  needs  to 
legislation.  In  particular, 
environmental 

the 

166 The Aarhus Convention, the Access to Environmental Information 
Directive 2003/4/EC and the INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC together 
create a legal foundation for the sharing of environmental information 
between public authorities and with the public. This EIR focuses on 
INSPIRE. 
167 The guarantees are explained in Commission Notice on access to 
justice in environmental matters, OJL 275, 18.8.2017 and a related 
Citizen’s Guide. 
168 This EIR looks at how well Member States explain access to justice 
rights to the public, and at legal standing and other major barriers to 
bringing cases on nature and air pollution. 
169 National web portal on the environment. 
170 Specialised environmental information systems’ portals. 
171 INSPIRE SK country sheet 2017. 
172 INSPIRE monitoring dashboard. 

prioritise  data  sets  identified  as  high-value  spatial  data 
sets173. 

Figure  23:  Access  to  spatial  data  through  view  and 
download services in Slovakia (2017)  

Public participation 

In  Slovakia,  public  participation 
is  mainly  regulated 
through  Act  no.  24/2006  Coll.  on  Environmental  Impact 
Assessment  and  through  Act  No.  39/2013  Coll.  on 
Integrated  Prevention  and  Control  of  Environmental 
Pollution.  A  Methodological  Guidance  of  the  Ministry  of 
the  Environment  covering  both  the  EIA  and  the  SEA 
process  was  issued  in  2017174.  The  guidance  includes  a 
description  on  the  roles  of  different  actors  in  the  EIA 
process, including the role of the public. 
There is little to no information on how Slovakia ensures 
public  participation  in  practice  in  the  decision  making 
procedures  and  whether  it  covers  all  environmental 
policies. 

The Eurobarometer  figures  from 2017  show that people 
in  Slovakia  agree  strongly  (83 %  of  respondents)  that  an 
individual can play a role  in protecting the environment. 
This has not changed since 2014. 

Access to justice 

The Ministry of the Environment’s website has a  section 
on the Aarhus Convention where it provides information 
on access to justice in environmental matters. However, 
the information provided is very general and there is no 
clear explanation of how people can exercise their rights. 

173 European Commission, List of high value spatial data sets. 
174 The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, 
Methodological Guidance covering both the EIA and the SEA 
proceeding. 

28 

 
 
                                                                 
 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

A  transparent  and  user-friendly  manual  on  the  public’s 
right to access to justice in environmental matters and on 
how  to  exercise  this  right  is  available  on  an  NGO’s  ‘Via 
Iuris’ website175. However, this cannot replace structured 
from  public 
and  user-friendly  online 
authorities. 

information 

Previously  in  Slovakia,  the  lack  of  legal  standing  for  the 
public  (including  for  environmental  NGOs)  was  a  major 
challenge  in  bringing  environmental  cases  before  the 
Court.  This  was  mainly  because  legal  standing  could  not 
be  admitted  as  part  of  the  administrative  procedure 
necessary  for  taking  a  court  action.  Judgments  of  the 
Court  of  Justice of the European Union (ECJ) of 8 March 
2011  and  8 November  2016, 
in  cases  C-240/09 
(Lesoochranárske 
zoskupenie  VLK)  and  C-243/15 
respectively,  in  which  the  preliminary  reference  was 
submitted by the Slovak Supreme Court, set an important 
guidance  also  for  the  legal  standing  of  environmental 
NGOs  useful  in  the  EU  context  as  they  gave  a  coherent 
interpretation of EU law.  

According to its civil procedure code, Slovakia applies the 
‘loser  pays’  principle  civil  procedures.  However, 
in 
specific  circumstances,  the  court  may  compensate  the 
winner’s  proceedings  costs  in  full  or  in  part.  The  ´loser 
pays’  principle  does  not  apply  in  administrative  justice 
and the public authority is not entitled to reimbursement 
of the costs, even when it was successful176. 

According to the Act on court fees, environmental NGOs, 
municipalities  and  regions’  self-governing  units  are 
exempted from these fees when they act on matters that 
benefit  the  public.  Environmental  NGOs  have  to  prove 
their  mission  by  submitting  their  statutes  to  the  Court. 
Proceedings  concerning  inactivity  of  public  authority, 
protection  against  the  unlawful  conduct  of  a  public 
authority or claiming damages for an unlawful decision or 
conduct of a public authority are relieved of a court fee. 

2019 priority actions 

 

Improve  access  to  spatial  data  and  services  by 
making  stronger  links  between  the  central  INSPIRE 
website and regional portals. Identify and document 
all  spatial  datasets  required  for  the  implementation 
of  environmental  law177  and  make  the  data  and 
documentation  at  least  accessible  ‘as  is’  to  other 
public  authorities  and  the  public  through  the  digital 
services set out in the INSPIRE Directive. 

175 Via Iuris web portal. The manual describes how the public can 
protect the environmental rights before the court in cases where these 
rights have been violated by an unlawful decision by a public authority. 
It deals in particular with the description of the rights of the public 
under the Act. No 162/2015 Coll. (of access to court in environmental 
matters). 
176 The European e-Justice Portal, Access to justice in environmental 
matters - Slovakia. 
177 European Commission, INSPIRE. 

  Better inform the public about their access to justice 

rights. 

Compliance assurance 

to  ensure 

Environmental compliance assurance covers all the work 
undertaken  by  public  authorities 
that 
industries,  farmers  and  others  fulfil  their  obligations  to 
protect  water,  air  and  nature,  and  manage  waste178.  It 
includes  support  measures  provided  by  the  authorities, 
such as:  
(i) compliance promotion179;  
(ii) inspections and other checks that they carry out, i.e. 
compliance monitoring180; and  
(iii)  the  steps  that  they  take  to  stop  breaches,  impose 
sanctions  and  require  damage  to  be  remedied,  i.e. 
enforcement181.  
Citizen  science  and  complaints  enable  authorities  to 
liability182 
focus  their  efforts  better.  Environmental 
ensures that the polluter pays to remedy any damage. 

Compliance promotion and monitoring 

is  an 

information 

Online information is given to farmers on how to comply 
with  obligations  on  nitrates  and  nature.  The  quality  of 
this 
indicator  of  how  actively 
authorities  promote  compliance  in  areas  with  serious 
implementation  gaps.  In  Slovakia,  information  on  the 
Nitrates  Directive  is  available  on  the  National  Food  and 
Agricultural  Centre’s  information  portal183.  The  portal 
runs  the  national  farm  advisory  system,  although  this 
the  relevant  EU 
only 
laws 
legislation184.  A  code  of  appropriate 
land  use  and 
protection  of  waters185  and  a  harmonised  registration-
information system (HRIS)186 (a tool to monitor nitrates in 
the  forbidden  period  defined  in  the  Nitrates  Directive), 
are  publicly 
State  Nature 
Conservancy  body187  publishes  general  information  on 
the Natura 2000 areas on its website188. However, it does 
not list any specific obligations for landowners to fulfil. 

transposing 

Slovakia’s 

available. 

lists 

the 

178 The concept is explained in detail in the Communication on ‘EU 
actions to improve environmental compliance and governance’ 
COM(2018)10 and the related Commission Staff Working Document, 
SWD(2018)10. 
179 This EIR focuses on the help given to farmers to comply with nature 
and nitrates legislation. 
180 This EIR focuses on inspections of major industrial installations. 
181This EIR focuses on the availability of enforcement data and co-
ordination between authorities to tackle environmental crime. 
182 The Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC, creates the 
framework. 
183 National Food and Agricultural Centre’s information portal. 
184 National Food and Agricultural Centre’s information portal, relevant 
legislation. 
185 A code of appropriate land use and protection of waters. 
186 Harmonised registration-information system. 
187 Slovakia’s State Nature Conservancy body. 
188Slovakia’s State Nature Conservancy body, Natura 2000 areas  

29 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Major  industrial  installations  can  be  a  serious  pollution 
risk. Public authorities must have plans in place to inspect 
these  installations  and  to  make  individual  inspection 
reports  available  to  the  public189.  The 
integrated 
Pollution  Prevention  and  Control’s  online  information 
system190  provides  information  on  inspection  results191. 
Its  filter  menu  (http://enviroportal.sk/ipkz)  provides 
information  on  the  type  of  inspection,  the  date,  the 
results of the inspection and measures taken. The Slovak 
Environmental  Inspectorate192  publishes  annual  activity 
reports  and  reports  on  individual  inspections.  However, 
information on inspection plans is not publicly available. 

Citizen science and complaint handling 

Engaging  the  general  public  through  citizen  science  can 
increase knowledge about the environment and help the 
individuals’ 
in  their  work.  The  value  of 
authorities 
involvement is recognised in Slovakia, but the authorities 
often  approach  citizens’  initiatives  in  a  very  formal  way. 
One  of  the  most  visible  environmental  initiatives  is  ‘We 
are  the  forest’  —  a  citizens’  initiative193  to  fight  against 
deforestation in protected areas. 

The availability of clear online information about how to 
make a  complaint  shows how responsive authorities are 
to complaints from the public. The Slovak Environmental 
Inspectorate  does  not  publish  any  detailed  information 
on  how  to  submit  a  complaint  about  an  environmental 
nuisance  or  environmental  damage  —  it  only  provides 
alleged 
contact 
maladministration by an environmental authority can be 
submitted  to  the  Ministry  of  the  Environment  by  mail. 
Information on how to do so is provided on the Ministry’s 
website195. 

details194. 

Complaints 

about 

Enforcement 

When  monitoring 
identifies  problems,  a  range  of 
responses  may  be  appropriate.  The  Department  of 
Hazardous Materials Detection and Environmental Crime 
of  the  Criminal  Police  Office,  at  the  Police  Presidium196 
publishes  data  on  environmental  crimes.  According  to 
2017  data197,  of  all  environmental  crimes  in  Slovakia, 
about 51 % relate to the theft of wood, 31 % are wildlife 

189 Article 23, Industrial Emissions Directive, 2010/75/EU. 
190 The integrated Pollution Prevention and Control’s online information 
system. 
191The integrated Pollution Prevention and Control’s online information 
system, information on inspection results. 
 192 Slovakia’s State Nature Conservancy body. 
193’We are the forest’ — a citizens’ initiative. 
194 The Slovak Environmental Inspectorate. 
195 Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Access to 
information. 
196 Ministry of interior of the Slovak Republic, data on environmental 
crimes, 2017. 
197 Slovak Police Force, Environmental crime rate In Slovak republic. 

crimes, in particular poaching, 10 % are plant and animal 
protection violations and about 9 % are ‘other crimes’198. 

However,  no  published  information  is  available  on  the 
sanctions  applied  or  on  compliance  after  the  follow-up 
measures  and  enforcement  action  have  been  taken. 
Information 
lacking  on  responses  to  cross-
compliance breaches on nitrates and nature. 

is  also 

is  especially  challenging. 

Tackling  waste,  wildlife  crimes  and  other  environmental 
offences 
It  requires  close 
cooperation  between  inspectors,  customs  authorities, 
police  and  prosecutors.  In  Slovakia,  there  is  no  publicly 
available  information  on  cooperation  agreements  or 
mechanisms. 

Environmental liability 

The  Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  establishes  a 
framework  based  on  the  ‘polluter  pays’  principle  to 
prevent  and  remedy  environmental  damage.  The  2017 
EIR 
information  on 
financial  security  and 
environmental  damage,  on 
guidance.  The  Commission  is  still  collecting  evidence  on 
the progress made. 

focused  on  gathering  better 

2019 priority actions: 

  Better 

on 

inform 

information 

the  public  about 

compliance 
promotion,  monitoring  and  enforcement.  At  a 
minimum this should involve: (i) ensuring that online 
information is available to farmers on how to comply 
with  obligations  on  nature;  and  (ii)  providing  more 
online information on inspection plans. 
of 
Publish 
follow-up  to 
enforcement  action  and  on  the 
detected cross-compliance breaches on nitrates and 
nature. 
Ensure  that  more  information  is  available  on  how 
professionals dealing with environmental crime work 
together. 
Improve  financial  security  for  liabilities  and  ELD-
guidance  and  publish  information  on  environmental 
damage. 

outcomes 

the 

 

 

 

198 As regards the waste crime, there has been an increase in detected 
crimes reported over the period 2011 to 2016 from about 100 to 200. 
However, there was a significant decrease in the clarification rate from 
about 25 % to less than 5 % in this period. On the other side, wildlife 
crime has significantly decreased over the period from 2011 to 2016 
from about 650 to 280 detected crimes; the clarification rate is about 
70 %. 

30 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

Effectiveness of environmental 
administrations 

in 

involved 

implementing 

environmental 
Those 
legislation at EU, national, regional and local levels need 
to have the knowledge, tools and capacity to ensure that 
the  legislation  and  the  governance  of  the  enforcement 
process bring about the intended benefits. 

Administrative capacity and quality 

Central, regional and local administrations must have the 
ability  to  carry  out  their  own  tasks  and  work  effectively 
with  each  other,  within  a  system  of  multi-level 
governance. 

In general, administrative capacities remain insufficient in 
impact  on  the 
Slovakia  and  this  has  a  negative 
enforcement of the environmental laws and policies. The 
most affected sectors are water management and nature 
protection.  Regional  offices  are  still  badly  affected  by  a 
high turn-over of staff. 

The Ministry of the Environment has kept up the positive 
momentum  created  during  the  Slovak  Presidency  in  the 
second  half  of  2016.  The  new  2030  national 
environmental strategy is one of its flagship initiatives. 

As  already  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  the  public  in 
Slovakia has lately become more active and vocal when it 
comes  to  its  reactions  to  issues  related  to  environment. 
Despite their limited resources (financial and human) the 
environmental NGOs in Slovakia play an important role in 
this  respect  and  can  have  a  great  impact  on  attracting 
attention  of  general  public  to  such  problems.  Certain 
negative  practices  observed  towards  civil  society  in 
recent  months  merit  attention  and  should  be  properly 
addressed,  where  unjustified199.  Stronger  environmental 
governance  should  be  encouraged  in  order  to  balance 
the different interests and needs throughout society, for 
example  through  putting 
in  place  transparent  and 
efficient development consent and SEA/EIA processes200.  

Although  environmental  legislation  is  relatively  strict, 
enforcement is low. 

Slovakia has an average number of infringement cases for 
non-conformity  with  and  bad-application  of  EU 
environmental  law  (mainly  affecting  the  water,  nature 
and  waste  sectors).  A  few  cases  are  addressed  to  the 
national  courts  that  oversee  environmental  matters  and 

the 

Commission.  Nevertheless, 

Slovak 
to 
Constitutional Court has sought guidance from the ECJ on 
several occasions in recent years. 

the 

The 
infringement  procedures  under  way  for  non-
compliance with nature legislation are due to insufficient 
designation  of  new  NATURA  2000  sites  and  poor 
management  of  existing 
including  missing 
management  plans.  Specific  problem  relates  to  forest 
management  plans  and  activities  such  as  logging  in 
protected  areas,  affecting  the  target  species, 
like 
Capercaillie.  

sites 

Infringement  procedures  in  the  waste  sector  are  due  to 
the  poor  application  of  EU  landfill  legislation.  The  fact 
that  Slovakia  has  not  been  able  to  regularise  the 
Považský  Chlmec  landfill  since  2013  -  for  which  the 
judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU) was issued  - 
shows that the ability to effectively enforce EU legislation 
still needs to be improved. A number of landfills are in a 
similar  situation  to  Považský  Chlmec  and  need  to  be 
closed or re-permitted.  

Infringement procedure in water sector also pointed on, 
among  others,  gaps  in  legislation  enforcement  (please 
see previous chapters of the report).  

Coordination and integration 

As  mentioned  in  the  2017  EIR,  the  transposition  of  the 
revised  EIA  Directive201  provides  an  opportunity  for 
countries  to  streamline  their  regulatory  framework  on 
environmental  assessments.  Slovakia  transposed  the 
Directive by the deadline of May 2017.  

the 

streamlining  of 
The  Commission  encourages 
environmental  assessments  to  reduce  duplication  and 
avoid  overlaps 
for 
projects.  Streamlining  helps  to  reduce  unnecessary 
administrative  burden. 
It  also  accelerates  decision 
making,  without  compromising  the  quality  of  the 
environmental assessment procedure202. 

in  environmental  assessments 

Slovakia  already  integrated  the  EIA  and  Natura  2000 
assessments  into  the  EIA  process  before  the  revision  of 
the  EIA  Directive.  However,  it  has  not  integrated  other 
assessments  such  as  those  under  the  Water  Framework 
Directive  or  the  Industrial  Emissions  Directive  in  the 
process.  An  amendment  to  the  national  Water  Act  in 
force  as  of  March  2018  introduces  new,  separate,  two-

199 The Slovak Spectator, news. 
200 Similarly as other authorities, environmental authorities are subject 
to numerous pressures and corruption cases were reported. The 
corruption level and its trend, including the public administration, is of 
concern in Slovakia. There was no progress in stepping up the fight 
against corruption and tackling corruption remain one of the Country 
Specific Recommendations 2018 (since 2014). 

201 Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of 
the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. 
202 The Commission issued a guidance document in 2016 regarding the 
setting up of coordinated and/or joint procedures that are 
simultaneously subject to assessments under the EIA Directive, Habitats 
Directive, Water Framework Directive, and the Industrial Emissions 
Directive, OJ C 273, 27.7.2016, p. 1. 

31 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

steps  procedure  to  address  the  requirements  of  Article 
4(7) of the Water FD. 

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. Since 2015, 
the  EIA  process 
is  completed  by  the  binding  and 
appealable  EIA  Statement.  The  reform  of  permitting 
system,  (based  on  1976  Construction  Act,  amended  for 
is  still  pending.  The 
numerous  times  since  then), 
infrastructure  projects  (mainly  transport  sector)  have 
long  preparation  period  and  projects  with  old/pre-
accession EIAs are still in a pipeline for EU co-financing in 
programming period 2014-2020. For some of the project 
new EIAs were carried out and compliance check is done 
by  specific  Compliance  check  unit  at  the  Ministry  of 
Environment.  For  number  of  projects,  screening  of  the 
changes which have occurred since old EIAs was seen as 
a general solution, however such an approach should not 
result 
in  circumventing  the  obligations  of  the  EIA 
Directive to carry-out full EIA203. 

Adaptability, 
(eGovernment) 

reform 

dynamics 

and 

innovation 

Although  Slovak  public  authorities  are 
increasingly 
adopting  and  using  electronic  services  that  enable  them 
to interact with the public online, the country performed 
below  the  EU  average  in  2018204.  For  Digital  Public 
Services,  the  country  has  a  score  of  0.50/1  based  on 
Europe's  Digital  Progress  Report  2018,  lower  than  the 
EU28  average  (0.57/1)205.  However,  the  situation  has 
considerably  improved  since  the  year  2016,  mainly  in 
terms of open data.  

In October 2017, the “Detailed Action Plan on Digitisation 
of  Public  Administration”  was  published.  The  aim  of  the 
action plan is to develop an eGovernment system that is 
useful for  citizens, public administration, businesses and 
academia.  

Slovakia  is  taking  steps  towards  modernising  its  public 
administration.  Neverheless,  an  adequate 
level  of 
coordination  between  different  public  administrative 
authorities 
successful 
implementation of the action plan. 

achieve 

needed 

to 

is 

Enabling financing and effective use of funds 

The  country  receives  significant  EU  support,  which  is 
regional  development. 
mainly  devoted 

foster 

to 

However,  the  use  of  EU  funds  during  the  2007–2013 
programming  period  has  been  delayed206.  The 
implementation rate has scaled-up at the very end of the 
previous 
sometimes 
environmental  projects  suffer  delays  and  funding  is 
finally allocated to other domains. 

programming 

period 

but 

2019 priority actions 

 

further 

environmental 
Improve 
governance 
citizen 
engagement,  compliance  and  enforcement,  as  well 
as administrative capacity and coordination). 

overall 
transparency, 

the 
as 

(such 

  Continue in the reform of the state administration in 
order to improve the situation in the Slovak forest. 

International agreements 

The  EU  Treaties  require  the  EU  environmental  policy  to 
promote  measures  at  international  level  to  deal  with 
regional or worldwide environmental problems. 

The EU is committed to strengthening environmental law 
and its implementation globally. It therefore continues to 
support  the  Global  Pact  for  the  Environment  process, 
which  was  launched  by  the  United  Nations  General 
Assembly  in  May  2018207.  The  EIR  is  one  of  the  tools  to 
ensure  that  the  Member  States  set  a  good  example  by 
respecting  European  Union  environmental  policies  and 
laws and international agreements.  

 Slovakia  has  signed  and  ratified  almost  all  multilateral 
environmental  agreements.  It  has  signed  but  not  yet 
ratified  the  MARPOL  Annex  VI  on  the  prevention  of  air 
pollution from ships. 

Forests:  EU  Timber  Regulation  (EUTR)208/  Forest  Law 
Enforcement,  Governance 
(FLEGT) 
Regulation209 

Trade 

and 

In accordance with the EUTR, which prohibits the placing 
illegally  harvested  timber, 
on  the  EU  market  of 
competent  authorities 
in  EU  Member  States  must 
conduct  regular  checks  on  operators  and  traders,  and 
apply penalties in case of non-compliance. 

Between March 2015 and February 2017, Slovakia carried 
out 1328 checks on operators of domestic timber. This is 
above  the  number  of  checks  Slovakia  had  planned  for 
that period210. However, it is hard to assess the relevance 
of  this  number  as  Slovakia  was  not  able  to  provide  an 

203 National court ruled out in December 2018 that a full EIA is needed 
instead of about 30 separate screenings to assess the changes in the 
project D4/R7 highway Bratislava. 
204 European Commission, DESI country profile Slovakia, 2018, p. 9. 
205 European Commission, Europe's Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 2017 
Country Profile Slovakia, p.Europe's Digital Progress Report (EDPR) 2017 
Country Profile Slovakia, p. 10 and European Commission, DESI country 
profile Slovakia, 2018, p. 9. 

206 International Monetary Fund, Slovak Republic: EU funds, enhancing 
absorption to reduce regional disparities, 2017, pp. 3-7. 
207 UN General Assembly Resolution 72/277 and Organizational session 
of the ad hoc open-ended working group.  
208 Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 . 
209 Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005 of 20 December 2005 on the 
establishment of a FLEGT licensing scheme for imports of timber into 
the European Community. 
210 1200 checks were planned for the biennial period. 

32 

                                                                 
                                                                 
Environmental Implementation Report 2019 — Slovakia 

estimate  of  the  total  number  of  operators.  Of  the 
penalties  issues,  Slovakia  reported  issuing  the  highest 
number  to  operators  (294)  of  timber,  primarily  of 
domestic timber. 

On cooperation (Article 12 of the EUTR), Slovakia reports 
to have collaborated with various national governmental 
bodies and with other EU competent authorities, mainly 
through the FLEGT/EUTR expert group meetings and the 
ad hoc expert group on FLEGT. 

Genetic  resources:  Nagoya  Protocol  on  Access  to 
Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of 
Benefits Arising (ABS)211  

In  accordance  with  the  EU  ABS  Regulation,  which 
transposes the required compliance measures under the 
Nagoya  Protocol  into  EU  law,  Slovakia  has  appointed 
for 
competent  authorities  and  applied 
infringements  of  the  Regulation.  However,  Slovakia  has 
not  submitted  a  due  diligence  declaration  to  date,  nor 
has  it  applied  any  penalties.  Slovakia  submitted  its  first 
the 
implementation 
EBS  Regulation 
Commission at the end of 2017. 

sanctions 

report 

to 

International  wildlife 
the  Convention  on 
trade: 
International  Trade  in  Endangered  Species  of  Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES)212 

In  line  with  the  obligations  laid  down  in  the  Basic 
Regulation213  which  transposes  the  major  obligations  of 
the  Convention  on  International  Trade  in  Endangered 
Species  of  Wild  Fauna  and  Flora  (CITES)  into  EU  law, 
Slovakia has established relevant national authorities and 
regularly  processes  requests  for  import,  re-export  and 
intra-EU trade documents on a regular basis. 

Reports  on  seizures  of  illegal  wildlife  shipments  (in 
particular  those  reported  every  6  months  to  TRAFFIC 
under  its  contract  with  the  Commission  and  those 
exchanged  through  the  EU-TWIX  platform),  show  the 
extent of the customs authorities’ activity. 

2019 priority action 

 

Increase  efforts  to  be  party  to  relevant  multilateral 
environmental  agreements,  by  signing  and  ratifying 
the remaining agreements 

211 Regulation (EU) No 511/2014. 
212 The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 
213 Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of 
wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (the Basic Regulation). 

33 

Sustainable 
implementation of the UN SDGs 

development 

and 

the 

Sustainable development links environmental, social and 
economic policies in a coherent framework and therefore 
helps  to 
legislation  and 
policies. 

implement  environmental 

Resolution 

no 95/2016. 

The  Slovak  Republic  has  started  to  implement  the  2030 
Agenda  in  accordance  with  the  document  entitled  ‘The 
Basis  of 
Implementation  of  the  Agenda  2030  for 
Sustainable  Development’,  which  was  approved  by 
National 
Government 
implementation  of  the  2030  Agenda  will  be  under  the 
responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak 
Republic  for  Investment  and  Informatics’  office.  The 
external dimension is covered by the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs  and  European  Affairs.  However,  sustainable 
development  can  only  be  ensured  through  its  synergies 
and by integrating it in all public policies. The Ministry of 
the Environment will therefore be closely involved in the 
implementation  of  the  2030  Agenda  and  in  putting 
mainly environmental SDGs into practice. 

The 2030 Agenda will revive sector-specific strategies and 
activities  developed  previously  to  reach  the  2030 
environmental targets, in particular the 2001 strategy for 
sustainable  development.  In  the  domestic  sphere,  the 
environment sector takes a long-term approach to topics 
that are part of the SDGs. In this context, the Ministry of 
the  Environment  monitors  six  primary  objectives  and 
plans to cooperate more with all stakeholders by setting 
up a joint working group. 

The Ministry of the Environment is currently preparing a 
new environmental policy strategy, which  will align with 
the  2030  Agenda  objectives214.  It  is  very  important  for 
Slovakia  to  set  up  a  sound  funding  mechanism  for  the 
implementation  of  the  2030  Agenda  2030,  given  the 
financial difficulty of this task and the likely changes in EU 
funding  beyond  2020.  (After  2020,  the  EU  cohesion 
fund’s rules are expected to require a  higher rate of co-
financing by Member States and the fund is not expected 
to cover major infrastructure projects.) 

The  draft  2030  Agenda  sets  a  two-year  monitoring 
framework.  Given  that  the  national  framework  to 
implementation  the  2030  Agenda  is  still  being  prepared 
it  will  be  completed  by  the  Vision  and 
and  that 
Development  Strategy 
the  Government 
Resolution  proposes  to  extend  the  deadline  of  the  first 
report  to  the  end  of  June  2020.  This  is  in  line  with  the 
two-year cycle proposed originally. Slovakia submitted its 
voluntary  national  review  on  the  implementation  of  the 
SDGs to the UN in 2018. 

to  2030, 

214 Ministry of Environment, Slovak Republic, new env. strategy.