COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of Slovakia Accompanying the document Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Slovakia
Date: 2021-06-21
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU aid, Slovakia, coronavirus disease, economic and social cohesion, economic recovery, economic reform, epidemic, investment, structural adjustment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 21.6.2021  SWD(2021) 161 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Analysis of the recovery and resilience plan of Slovakia Accompanying the document Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Slovakia {COM(2021) 339 final}  
 
 
Table of contents 
1. 

Executive summary ............................................................................................................................... 2 

2.  Recovery and resilience challenges: scene-setter ................................................................................ 5 

2.1.  Macroeconomic outlook and developments since the 2020 country report ............................... 5 

2.2. 
Challenges related to sustainable growth, cohesion, resilience and policies for the next 
generation ................................................................................................................................................. 8 

2.3. 

Challenges related to the green and digital transition ............................................................... 10 

Green dimension ................................................................................................................................. 10 

Digital dimension ................................................................................................................................ 15 

3.  Objectives, structure and governance of the plan.............................................................................. 21 

3.1.  Overall strategy of the plan ........................................................................................................ 21 

3.2. 

Implementation aspects of the plan ........................................................................................... 23 

4. 

Summary of the assessment of the plan ............................................................................................ 29 

4.1. 

Comprehensive and adequately balanced response to the economic and social situation ...... 29 

4.2. 

Link with country-specific recommendations and the European Semester ............................... 37 

4.3.  Growth potential, job creation, economic, institutional and social resilience,  European Pillar of 
Social Rights, mitigating the impact of the crisis, and social territorial cohesion and convergence ...... 47 

4.4. 

The principle of ‘do no significant harm’ .................................................................................... 60 

4.5.  Green transition .......................................................................................................................... 62 

4.6. 

Digital transition .......................................................................................................................... 66 

4.7. 

Lasting impact of the plan ........................................................................................................... 70 

4.8.  Milestones, targets, monitoring and implementation................................................................ 72 

4.9. 

Costing ........................................................................................................................................ 74 

4.10.  Controls and audit ....................................................................................................................... 78 

4.11.  Coherence ................................................................................................................................... 80 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
1.  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  

With  a  total  estimated  cost  of  EUR  6  575  000  000,  the  implementation  of  Slovakia’s 
recovery and resilience plan is expected to contribute significantly to the recovery from the 
COVID-19  crisis  and  economic,  social  and  territorial  cohesion.  The  pandemic  pushed 
Slovakia’s  economy  into  a  deep  recession  in  2020,  with  GDP  declining  by  4.8%  and  the 
unemployment  rate  rising  to  6.7%.  As  containment  measures  are  eased,  a  swift  recovery  is 
expected with 4.8% growth in 2021 and 5.2% growth in 2022, driven by both domestic spending 
and  foreign  demand.  Investments  and  reforms  set  out  in  the  plan  should  help  the  recovery, 
particularly  from  2022  onwards.  Fiscal  policy  is  expected  to  remain  supportive,  with  the 
government  budget  deficit  forecast  to  be  6.5%  in  2021.  The  plan  fully  uses  the  allocation  for 
non-repayable financial support of EUR 6 328 586 3591. Slovakia did not request any loans from 
the RRF. 

Slovakia has made fast progress in catching up with the EU average in many areas in the 
years  following  EU  accession,  but  population  ageing,  climate  change  and  the  digital 
transformation pose long-term structural challenges to the country’s economy and society. 
Maintaining  productivity  growth,  the  backbone  of  Slovakia’s  economic  convergence,  will 
require sustained structural reforms of education and of institutions, and targeted investment into 
infrastructure  and  research  and  innovation.  Moreover,  Slovakia  is  not  yet  sufficiently  prepared 
for the green and digital transitions. Technological change, such as the automation of production 
processes, is  likely to  impact  Slovakia’s economy more than the economies of other countries, 
given  the  exposure  of  its  large  manufacturing  sector,  including  automotive  production.  In 
addition,  the  pension  and  the  healthcare  systems  pose  long-term  sustainability  risks  to  public 
finances and the economy.  

The  plan  is  expected  to  contribute  to  effectively  addressing  a  significant  subset  of  the 
structural challenges identified in the country-specific recommendations of 2019 and 2020, 
and is consistent with the euro area recommendation.2 The plan’s strong focus on inclusive 
education,  public  governance  and  productivity-enhancing  investment  into  the  green  and  digital 
transition,  as  well  as  its  envisaged  contribution  to  decreasing  regional  divergences,  can  be 
considered  a  comprehensive  and  adequate  response  to  the  challenges  Slovakia  is  facing.  The 

1 This amount corresponds to the financial allocation after deduction of the Slovakia’s proportional share of the 
expenses of Article 6(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/241, calculated in accordance with the methodology of Article 11 
of that Regulation. 
2 Pending final adoption by the Council, after endorsement by the European Council. The text agreed by the 
Eurogroup on 16 December 2020 is available at: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14356-2020-
INIT/en/pdf 

2 

 
 
 
                                                           
challenge of accelerating the green and digital transition is tackled with determination and a wide 
range of measures.  Long-standing challenges  in  the area of education, childcare, healthcare, as 
well as research, development and innovation are also addressed with comprehensive measures 
designed to  tackle the most serious shortcomings, such as the low quality and inclusiveness  of 
education,  fragmented  RDI  policy  coordination,  insufficient  public-private  cooperation,  and 
weak RDI performance. Additional measures proposed in the plan to improve the justice system, 
public procurement and the fight against money laundering have the potential to address many of 
the  underlying  challenges,  if  adopted  and  implemented  in  line  with  EU  law  requirements  on 
proper safeguards and judicial independence and with due involvement of stakeholders. Lastly, 
several reforms are expected to improve the long-term sustainability of public finances. The plan 
thereby provides for ambitious reforms and investments across the euro area recommendations, 
particularly  as  regards  the  health  system,  the  green  and  digital  transition,  and  public 
administration,  and  is  moreover  geared  towards  further  improving  convergence  and  fostering 
economic growth. 

The  implementation  of  the  recovery  and  resilience  plan  is  expected  to  contribute 
significantly  to  economic  growth  and  job  creation  in  Slovakia,  while  strengthening 
economic,  social  and  institutional  resilience.  RRF-financed  fiscal  stimulus  is  expected  to 
provide  a  boost  to  aggregate  demand  in  the  short  to  medium  term,  improving  the  cyclical 
position  of  the  Slovak  economy,  and  thereby  mitigating  the  adverse  economic  effects  of  the 
COVID-19  crisis.  As  a  result,  GDP  is  estimated  to  be  higher  by  between  1.3%  and  1.8%  on 
average during the period of 2021-2026, relative to the counterfactual scenario without the RRF. 
The labour market is also expected to fare markedly better than it would in the absence of RRF. 
Potential growth is projected to be boosted significantly and in a long-lasting manner as a result 
of investments and productivity gains.  In the long run, structural reforms contained in the plan 
are expected to entail a sizeable GDP gain by 2040. Most of this impact is assumed to stem from 
human capital policies such as education, training, research, development and innovation, which 
improve the productivity of the Slovak economy. This would facilitate the country’s transition to 
an economic model more focused on high value-added activities, and which remains competitive 
amid automation and digital change. 

With 43% of its allocation dedicated to climate-related measures, Slovakia’s recovery and 
resilience plan has a strong focus on climate change mitigation, addressing adaptation and 
the protection of biodiversity and natural resources and intends to contribute to 2030 and 
2050 climate targets and zero pollution ambition of the European Green Deal. Investments 
in  renewable  energy  capacity  combined  with  a  set  of  reforms  aimed  notably  at  facilitating  the 
access to the grid of clean energy sources are to set Slovakia achieve its 2030 renewables target. 
A  wide  programme  of  building  renovations  will  decrease  their  impact  on  greenhouse  gas 
emissions  and  improve  air  quality.  A  distinct  set  of  measures  is  designed  to  support  industry 
decarbonisation.  In  transport,  a  comprehensive  package  of  reforms  and  investments  will  target 
electro-mobility,  inter-modality  and  public  modes  of  transportation.  The  plan  also  includes 
reforms and investments aimed at sustainable landscape, forest and water management. The plan 
includes a complete assessment of “do no significant harm” (DNSH) and all measures respect the 
DNSH principle. 

3 

 
 
With 21% of its allocation dedicated to digital measures, the plan is expected to contribute 
significantly to the digital transformation of the Slovak economy and society.  The plan puts 
strong  emphasis  on digitalisation of the public sector, both  as part of sectoral  reforms  (justice, 
police,  healthcare)  as  well  as  through  horizontal  measures  aiming  at  increasing  quality  and 
accessibility  of  eGovernment  solutions,  improving  the  efficiency  in  public  use  of  IT  resources 
and  strengthening  cybersecurity.  A  reform  of  the  governance  model  for  the  digital  economy, 
together with investments into top digital technologies and into digital capabilities of companies, 
in  particular  SMEs,  should  help  the  development  of  the  digital  ecosystem.  Development  of 
digital skills is one of the objectives of the proposed education reforms and of the investment in 
skills  of  seniors  and  disadvantaged  groups,  which  will  be  complemented  by  a  digital  skills 
strategy for persons in productive and post-productive age. 

Slovakia’s  recovery  and  resilience  plan  entails  structural  changes  to  institutions  and 
policies geared at addressing root causes of existing challenges and as such can be expected 
to achieve a lasting impact. Digitalisation efforts across a wide range of institutions and public 
administration are expected to structurally enhance efficiency and improve the quality of public 
services.  Reforms  of  the  governance  framework  of  the  judiciary  and  in  the  fight  against 
corruption  and  money  laundering  are  set  to  have  a  lasting  impact.  Investment  measures  – 
including  into  sustainable  transport,  building  renovation,  higher  education  infrastructure,  and 
healthcare  -  are  set  to  support  and  enhance  the  positive  impact  of  structural  reforms.  Climate 
adaptation  measures  more  broadly  contribute  to  mitigating  climate  change  related  risks  and 
improve future prosperity and well-being. Moreover, Slovakia has put emphasis on stakeholder 
involvement to ensure broad support for structural changes. 

The  plan  proposes  a  comprehensive  and  coherent  set  of  milestones  and  targets  that  are 
clear,  realistic  and  with  a  sufficient  level  of  ambition  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  each 
component.  Indicators  attributed  to  milestones  and  targets  are  relevant,  acceptable  and  robust. 
Slovakia is setting up a comprehensive implementation system with leading role of the National 
Implementation and Coordination Authority (NIKA) responsible for the monitoring and overall 
implementation  of  the  milestones  and  targets  and  submitting  payment  request  to  the  European 
Commission.  

Overall,  costing  information  and  supporting  documents  are  provided  to  a  relatively  high 
extent,  and  provide  a  good  basis  to  assess  the  reasonability  and  plausibility  of  cost 
estimates.  At  the  same  time,  for  certain  measures  information  and  supporting  documents  or 
other  comparable  data  have  been  provided  to  a  limited  extent,  which  hampers  the  degree  to 
which  these  specific  cost  estimates  can  be  considered  reasonable  and  plausible.  Overall, 
synergies with  other EU funding are  explained to  the extent possible at this stage.  For various 
measures, these synergies need to be carefully monitored during implementation at strategic and 
project levels.  

Provided the milestones mentioned below (on the entry into force of the RRF Act and on 
the repository of information) are met before the first payment request, the arrangements 
proposed in the recovery and resilience plan and the additional measures contained in the 
proposal for the Council implementing decision are adequate to prevent, detect and correct 

4 

 
 
corruption,  fraud  and  conflicts  of  interests,  and  the  arrangements  are  expected  to 
effectively avoid double funding. In general, identification of the actors responsible for controls 
and audit in Slovakia is well explained and the independence and segregation of functions of the 
audit authority  clearly set  out,  including how it is enshrined in  Slovak legislation. Measures to 
detect  and  avoid  double  funding  seem  to  be  comprehensively  included.  NIKA  will  work  to 
coordinate actors involved in implementing the RRF. At the same time, much of the legal basis 
rests on “Recovery and Resilience Facility Act” or “Act on RRF” which was still a draft at the 
time of submission of the plan.  A milestone shall therefore cover the entering into force of the 
Act on RRF, as well as the absence of any material difference between the content of the Act as 
described in the plan and the content of the final version that will enter into force. In addition, a 
repository  system  for  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  RRF  and  for  the  collection  and 
storage of all the data referred to in Article 22(2)(d) of the RRF regulation shall be put in place 
and  operational  by  the  time  of  the  first  payment  request.  A  milestone  shall  be  included  to  this 
end. 

The  plan  presents  a  consistent  and  comprehensive  package  of  reforms  and  investments 
mutually  reinforcing  each  other  with  a  strong  reform  drive.  The  plan’s  vision  of  a 
modernised Slovakia is centred on three interconnected pillars of an innovative, sustainable and 
healthy  country  and  five  key  policy  areas,  which  are  implemented  through  18  components. 
Synergies  are  ensured  in  thematic  components  (e.g.  education  components)  as  well  as 
horizontally across a number of components (e.g. when applying energy efficiency requirements 
for public buildings renovations or digital transition of the public administration). 

 (1)  
Balanced 
Response  
A   

(2)  
CSRs  

A  

(3)  
Growth, 
jobs…  
A  

(4)  
DNSH  

A  

(5)  
Green 
target  
A  

(6)  
Digital 
target  
A  

(7)  
Lasting 
impact  
A   

(8)  
M & T  

(9)  
Costing  

(10)  
Control Systems  

(11)  
Coherence  

A   

 B  

A  

A   

2.  RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE CHALLENGES: SCENE-SETTER 

2.1. Macroeconomic outlook and developments since the 2020 country report  

Slovak  economic  activity  was  hit  hard  by  the  Covid-19  pandemic  and  the  corresponding 
containment measures, resulting in a sharp fall in real output during the first half of 2020. 
As restrictions were lifted after the first wave of the pandemic, the Slovak economy experienced 
a sharp rebound in Q3-2020, but the recovery slowed down towards the end of the year amid the 
resurging second wave,  resulting in  a decline of  4.8% of annual  GDP for 2020. The downturn 

5 

 
 
 
 
was driven by a sharp fall in both foreign and domestic demand, with industry-heavy exports and 
imports as well as investment suffering relatively more than household consumption. The latter 
was supported by a resilient labour market (propped up by short-term work schemes) as well as 
by other fiscal support measures (e.g. nursing and sickness benefits)3. While this cushioned the 
fall in retail sales, the service sector (especially in hospitality) could not avoid larger losses amid 
the  restrictions.  Investment  and  construction  output  also  fell  sharply  due  to  increasing 
uncertainty about the future. Public support measures helped mitigate the impact of the crisis on 
the  labour  market.  Nevertheless,  after  years  of  strong  employment  growth,  the  unemployment 
rate  rose  from  a  record  low  of  5.8%  in  2019  to  6.7%  in  2020,  and  employment  fell  by  1.9%. 
Fiscal  support  measures  as  well  as  weaker  tax  revenues  have  considerably  increased  the 
government budget deficit to 6.2% of GDP in 2020, resulting in a sharp increase of the public 
debt-to-GDP ratio to 60.6% in 2020 from 48.2% in 2019. 

The  macroeconomic  scenario  of  the  Slovak  Ministry  of  Finance’s  Institute  for  Financial 
Policy (IFP)4 expects the pandemic to keep weighing on economic activity at the beginning 
of  2021,  mainly  due  to  weak  household  consumption  and  muted  private  investment. 
However, as gradual vaccination rollout facilitates the lifting of restrictions, a solid recovery is 
forecast  later  in  the  year,  also  aided  by  continued  fiscal  stimulus,  leading  to  a  projected  GDP 
growth of 3.3% in 2021. Thereafter, the IFP forecasts robust output growth of 6.3% in 2022 and 
2.8% in 2023, helped by public investments to be supported under the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility  (RRF),  and  by  the  drawing  of  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (MFF)  funds,  which 
can  compensate  for  the  effects  of  the  planned  gradual  fiscal  consolidation  (1pp  of  GDP  from 
2023 onwards). The output gap is estimated to remain negative in 2021, and be closed by 2022 
with output slightly above potential thereafter. The 2019 GDP level is projected to be reached by 
2022. 

Aided by short-term work schemes, employment proved to be rather resilient in the face of 
the  crisis.  However,  its  recovery  is  projected  to  be  somewhat  delayed  as  working  hours  are 
increased  first  and  firms  remain  cautious  about  posting  new  vacancies.  Despite  the  economic 
rebound later on, due to the weaker first half of the year the IFP expects employment in 2021 to 
be 0.4% lower on average, before gradually recovering from 2022 onwards. The unemployment 
rate  is  forecast  to  rise  to  7.1%  in  2021,  and  to  start  slowly  decreasing  from  2022  onwards. 
Inflation is projected to slow down during 2021, mainly due to a fall in regulated energy prices, 
but then it should rise gradually as the cyclical position of the economy improves. 

3  According  to  estimates  by  the  Commission’s  Joint  Research  Centre,  in  2020  the  Slovak  tax-benefit  system, 
including emergency policy measures to protect incomes, cushioned about 84% of the shock on households’ income, 
with more than half of the effect due to the monetary compensation schemes (JRC Working Papers on Taxation and 
Structural Reforms, 02/2021 [forthcoming], and 06/2020 [https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/jrcsh/files/jrc121598.pdf]). 
4 Slovakia’s RRP refers to the official macroeconomic forecast of IFP, updated in March 2021. 

6 

 
 
                                                           
In terms of social developments, income inequality in Slovakia remains low relative to the 
EU-27  average.  According  to  the  latest  2019  statistics,  the  S80/S20  ratio5  stood  at  3.34  for 
disposable  income  (vs  4.99  in  the  EU)  and  the  Gini-coefficient  was  22.8%  (vs  30.2%  for  the 
EU). However, this is due to a low wage dispersion rather than strong redistribution by the state. 
Similarly, the proportion of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE) is relatively 
low,  at  just  16.4%  (vs  20.9%  for  the  EU).  However,  behind  this  average  there  are  large 
disparities,  with  some  regions  (particularly  South-Center  and  Eastern  Slovakia)  and  groups 
remaining particularly vulnerable, e.g. marginalised Roma communities. Also, for children with 
low skilled parents the AROPE ratio is a very high 89.3% (vs 59.6% in the EU), suggesting low 
social  mobility.  Low-skilled  and  young  people  face  considerable  disadvantages  in  the  labour 
market. Young people not in employment, education and training (NEET) comprised 14.5% of 
the  population  in  2019,  similar  to  the  EU  average  (12.5%),  but  in  Q3-2020  long  term 
unemployment  among  young  people  was  very  high  at  6.55%  (vs  3.71%  in  the  EU).  The 
unemployment rate for low skilled  youth  (53.2%) is  more than twice the EU  average (21.1%), 
while unemployment for all low-skilled workers is 30.9% (vs 13.3% for the EU). 

According to the plan, fiscal policy is projected to remain supportive in the near term, with 
the  budget  deficit  forecast  to  reach  9.9%  of  GDP  in  2021.  Along  with  the  subsequent 
recovery,  the  government  projects  a  gradual  fiscal  consolidation  from  2023  onwards,  as  the 
structural  deficit  is  reduced  by  1  pp.  each  year  until  the  medium-term  budgetary  objective 
(MTO) of 0.5% structural surplus is reached in 2028. As a result of continued primary deficits, 
the public debt-to-GDP  ratio is  expected to  keep rising in  the medium  term, however, its pace 
should be contained by low interest rates and robust nominal growth. 

Compared  with  the  latest  Commission  forecast,  the  macroeconomic  scenario  of  the  plan 
and  the  2021  stability programme  is  slightly more  pessimistic  for  2021  (see  Table  1).  The 
Commission 2021 Spring Forecast expects annual growth of 4.8% in 2021, although followed by 
a  slower  expansion  of  5.2%  in  2022.  The  Commission  therefore  expects  the  recovery  to 
materialize  sooner,  mainly  due  to  a  sharper  rebound  in  domestic  spending,  but  also  to  the 
inclusion  of  the  spillover  effect  of  the  US  fiscal  stimulus  on  exports.  Related  to  this  different 
pattern in  aggregate demand recovery, the Commission’s inflation forecast  is  somewhat  higher 
for  2021,  and  lower  for  2022.  In  terms  of  the  labour  market,  the  Commission’s  outlook  is 
broadly  in  line  with  that  of  the  IFP.  The  Commission’s  forecast  for  fiscal  indicators  follows  a 
more favourable trajectory than that projected by the Slovak government, as the Spring Forecast 
could not yet incorporate the latest information from the authorities. 

Table 1 Comparison of macroeconomic developments and forecasts 

5 The S80/S20 ratio compares the mass of disposable income flowing to the richest 20% of households versus that 
flowing to the poorest 20%. 

7 

 
 
                                                           
There  are  several  risks  around  the  macroeconomic  scenario  outlined  above.  The 
macroeconomic  and  fiscal  outlook  continue  to  be  affected  by  high  uncertainty  related  to  the 
COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences. According to the IFP, the main downside 
risk in the short run is a deterioration of the pandemic situation, which would necessitate more 
prolonged  restrictions,  harming  and  delaying  the  recovery.  In  addition,  with  the  eventual 
withdrawal  of  policy  support  measures,  unemployment  and  bankruptcies  could  rise.  In  the 
medium term, this would raise the risk of labour market scarring from sustained unemployment 
spells, and of persistent damage to potential growth. Upside risks include spillover effects from 
the recent US fiscal stimulus, which have not been incorporated to the IFP’s forecast, and could 
boost  Slovakia’s  export  performance.  A  similar  positive  risk  concerns  spillover  effects  from 
European trading partners as they implement their own RRP. 

Overall, the plan’s macroeconomic assumptions are plausible and broadly in line with the 
Commission’s own forecasts. 

2.2. Challenges  related  to  sustainable  growth,  cohesion,  resilience  and  policies  for  the 

next generation  

Slovakia has made fast progress in catching up with the EU average in many areas in the 
years  following  EU  accession,  driven  by  export-based  industrial  production  based  on 
attractive  labour  costs,  in  particular  the  automotive  industry.  This  period  of  swift 
convergence  was  based  on  industrial  specialisation  –  achieved  with  the  help  of  foreign  direct 
investment with high shares of goods exported to the single market. Manufacturing accounted for 
20% of GDP in 2018, compared to 14.6% in the EU. 

In the past years preceding the crisis, Slovakia’s progress in catching up has slowed down. 
It is now lagging behind that of regional peers in Central and Eastern Europe. GDP per person in 

8 

20192023202420252026COMCOMRRPCOMRRPCOMRRPRRPRRPRRPRRPReal GDP (% change)2.5-4.8-5.24.83.35.26.32.80.3Employment (% change)1.0-1.9-1.9-0.6-0.40.80.91.20.3Unemployment rate (%)5.86.76.77.47.16.66.55.44.7HICP inflation (% change)2.82.02.01.51.11.92.22.52.3General government balance (% of GDP)-1.3-6.2-6.2-6.5-9.9-4.1-5.1Gross debt ratio (% of GDP)48.260.660.659.564.159.0Source: [Commission Spring Forecast 2021] (COM); Recovery and resilience plan (RRP)202020212022 
 
 
 
purchasing power standards has stood around 75% of the EU average since 2010. This is partly 
linked  to  the  persisting  labour  productivity  gap  vis-à-vis  the  EU  average.  With  domestic  unit 
labour  costs  increasing,  further  convergence  will  hinge  on  Slovakia’s  ability  to  increase 
competitiveness and productivity, and to diversify the economy. This calls for stronger diffusion 
of  new  technologies  and  innovations  to  domestic  and  smaller  companies  –  supported  by 
increased  investment  in  R&D  and  in  upskilling,  and  development  of  economic  sectors.  There 
remains  scope  to  improve  public  sector  performance  and  governance  effectiveness  in  view  of 
fostering growth and investment. A significant economic and social developmental gap between 
Slovakia’s capital and its other regions further hampers economic progress. Regional disparities, 
especially  between  Eastern  and  Western  Slovakia,  constitute  an  important  challenge,  as 
infrastructure gaps and weak urban-rural linkages mark pronounced economic differences.  

The  quality  of  Slovakia’s  education  and  training  system  and  the  inequalities  within  it 
prevent  the  country  from  fulfilling  its  economic  potential.  There  are  skills  mismatches 
between  current  skillsets  and  future  labour  market  needs,  including  digital  skills.  Students’ 
performance  in  basic  skills  remains  low  and  pronounced  educational  inequalities  persist,  with 
socioeconomic  background  having  a  significant  impact  on  educational  and  employment 
outcomes. These inequalities have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 outbreak. Participation in 
early childhood education and care (ECEC) is among the lowest in the EU, in particular among 
vulnerable  groups (notably the Roma minority).  The quality,  relevance and internationalisation 
of  higher  education  is  low,  affected  by  the  fragmentation  of  the  system.  Investment  in  high-
quality  and  inclusive  education  (including  the  teaching  profession)  and  training  remains 
insufficient,  affecting  educational  outcomes  across  all  levels,  including  vocational  training  and 
schemes  for  upskilling  and  reskilling  of  workers,  which  will  be  essential  for  an  inclusive 
recovery  and  to  successfully  manage  the  twin  transition.  Digital  illiteracy  features  among  top 
barriers for jobseekers indicated by employers.  

Slovakia has a strong labour market, but structural challenges and disparities persist. The 
gender gaps in both employment and wages remain. Long-term unemployment remains high in 
particular in eastern Slovakia, also due to lack of integrated employment and social services for 
the  vulnerable  groups.  The  proportion  of  people  at  risk  of  poverty  or  social  exclusion  is  low 
overall,  but  severe  material  deprivation  is  among  the  highest  in  the  EU  and  there  are  strong 
disparities between groups and regions. A large part of the Roma population lives in poverty or 
in poor housing conditions, and their access to social and basic services is hampered by missing 
infrastructure.  For the Roma children living in concentrated residential areas, the probability of 
becoming unemployed or earning less than the minimum wage in irregular work is high. Access 
to healthcare for marginalized populations (such as ethnic minorities and those living in deprived 
areas) remains relatively poor and characterized by sizeable geographic disparities, reflecting the 
uneven distribution of healthcare staff across the country. Although some steps have been taken 
in recent years to alleviate this issue, the age composition of the current health workforce raises 
concerns about their future supply.  

An underperforming public administration is a bottleneck for public investment, while low 
trust  in  the  justice  system  undermines  business  confidence  and  private  investment.  The 
overall effectiveness of Slovakia’s public institutions, administration and regulatory environment 

9 

 
 
remains low, hampering the business  environment.  Despite efforts,  specific concerns regarding 
the  independence  and  integrity  of  the  justice  system  remain.  There  is  scope  to  improve  the 
corruption  prevention  framework  and  to  carry  out  planned  reforms.  Public  procurement 
procedures  need  to  be  simplified  and  accelerated,  but  proper  safeguards  and  transparency 
ensured.  Moreover,  quality-related  and  lifecycle  cost  criteria  are  insufficiently  used  in  public 
purchases thus limiting their strategic use. Strengthening governance capacities, performance of 
civil  service  and  coordination  particularly  at  local  and  regional  level  could  bolster  the 
implementation  of  reforms  and  investment.  A  stronger  role  of  expenditure  reviews  and  the 
introduction  of  multiannual  expenditure  ceilings  could  further  improve  spending  efficiency. 
Specific but important shortcomings such as lengthy processes to get construction permits or to 
resolve insolvency hinder economic efficiency, and the high frequency and low predictability of 
changes in the regulatory framework hamper investment. In addition, late payments represent a 
risk to liquidity of companies and a barrier to investment. Moreover, the anti-money laundering 
framework and related capacities exhibit important weaknesses. 

Population  ageing,  recent  pension  reforms  and  the  healthcare  system  pose  long-term 
sustainability  risks  to  public  finances  and  the  economy.  The  demographic  old-age 
dependency ratio in Slovakia is projected to increase significantly due to sustained increases in 
life expectancy and low fertility rates. Moreover, recent reforms capping the retirement age and 
raising  minimum  pensions  heighten  long-term  fiscal  sustainability  risks.  Excessive  reliance  on 
hospitals  to  provide  care  services  hinders  the  efficiency  of  the  healthcare  system,  while  the 
current  Slovak  long-term  care  system  is  not  ready  to  face  the  challenges  posed  by  rapid 
population ageing. The tax system does not promote growth and fiscal sustainability: Property, 
consumption and environmental taxes play a limited role; the VAT compliance gap remains high 
despite  improvements;  and  the  tax  wedge  for  low-income  earners  is  high  and  hampers  social 
inclusion through employment. 

Technological changes are likely to impact Slovakia’s economy more than the economies of 
other countries. Yet, both public and private R&D investment remain low. The low quality of 
public  research  and  limited  cooperation  of  universities  and  research  organisations  with 
businesses,  partly  explained  by  inefficiencies  related  to  a  fragmented  governance  system, 
constrain the development and sharing of knowledge and skills. 

2.3. Challenges related to the green and digital transition  

Green dimension 

The recovery and resilience plan should contribute to the green transition and at least 37% 
of the plan´s total allocation needs to contribute to climate objectives. The measures in the 
plan shall contribute to achieving the 2050 climate neutrality objective, and the 2030 energy and 
climate targets, taking into account the Slovak National Energy and Climate Plan. They should 
also contribute to meeting environmental targets for waste, water, pollution control, sustainable 
mobility,  biodiversity  protection  and  restoration,  marine  and  water  resources,  and  support  the 
transition  to  sustainable  food  systems  as  well  as  to  a  circular  economy  as  appropriate,  while 
ensuring that nobody is left behind.  

10 

 
 
Slovakia is not yet sufficiently prepared for the green transition, and investment is lacking 
in many areas. Investments in the green transition are particularly challenging due to a limited 
absorption  capacity of funds, and most government  plans are only in  an initial  phase. Progress 
and  levels  of  existing  funding  vary  widely  across  the  various  policy  areas  that  are  part  of  the 
green  transition  and  Cohesion  Policy  funds  and  public  finance  remain  the  major  source  of 
funding.  In 2014-2020, the Cohesion Policy funds for Slovakia have allocated EUR 1.99 billion 
for environment  protection and  resource efficiency, EUR 1.24 billion for low-carbon  economy 
(energy efficiency: approx. EUR 920 million, renewables: approx. EUR 315 million) and EUR 
552 million for climate change adaptation and risk prevention.  

The  main  priorities  in  energy  policy  include  supporting  energy  efficiency  solutions,  in 
particular for households, and investing into renewable energy. These priorities are reflected 
in Slovakia’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), which estimates total investment needs 
to  reach  the  19.2%  renewable  energy  contribution  by  2030  at  around  EUR  4.3  billion  and  the 
cost of energy efficiency measures at EUR 2.2 billion per year. Energy policy is a key lever to 
mitigating  climate  change,  as  Slovakia  is  lagging  behind  on  related  targets.  However,  the 
decarbonisation models on which Slovak NECP is built is considered outdated and revaluation as 
well as reflection on new emission targets would be needed. 

GHG emissions 

Slovakia has set an ambitious emissions target, but this ambition is not always reflected in 
the  underpinning  policy  measures.    For  sectors  outside  of  the  Emissions  Trading  Scheme 
Slovakia  has  set  a  target  of  -20%  by  2030  compared  to  2005.  It  is  however  unclear  if  the 
measures included in the National Energy and Climate Pan (NECP), would allow to achieve that 
objective.  The existing measures projections imply a reduction of just 12% by 2030 compared to 
2005, likely requiring significant additional effort for those sectors.  

Adapting to climate impacts 

Slovakia  has  adopted  its  National  Adaptation  Strategy,  but  mainstreaming  of  climate 
adaptation  into  sectoral  policies  is  not  yet  sufficient  and  its  implementation  requires  strong 
commitment,  financial  support  and  systemic  approach.  Overall,  there  is  a  lack  of  uptake  of 
nature-based solutions. 

Renewable share  

Slovakia's target of 19.2% renewables share is well below the 24% share calculated in line 
with the formula in Annex II of the  Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 (Governance Regulation), 
but  even  that  will  require  significant  additional  policy  effort.  It  is  planned  to  achieve  this 
target  notably  through  a  significant  increase  in  onshore  wind  capacity  and  photovoltaics  and  a 
modest  increase  of  renewable  energy  in  heating  and  transport,  based  to  a  large  extent  on 
bioenergy  and  biofuels.  However,  recent  modification  in  reporting  of  renewables  needs  to  be 
taken  into  account  in  interpretation  of  the  trends  in  energy  sector.  In  particular,  a  higher 
statistical  coverage  of  the  use  of  bioenergy  in  households  implied  a  significant  increase  in  the 

11 

 
 
reported uptake of renewables and requires assessing of further support of bioenergy with focus 
on LULUCF carbon sinks, biodiversity and air quality.   

In order to tap  the potential of renewables, Slovakia  should accelerate implementation  of 
relevant  measures.  It  should  relaunch  the  auctions  to  support  large-scale  renewable  energy 
installations, promoting market-based direct contracts (PPAs) and reducing investors’ risk by re-
installing the right to grid connection. In other sectors, additional reforms and investments for e-
mobility  and  for  upgrading  district  heating  and  cooling  could  allow  for  more  ambition  beyond 
the NECP trajectory.   

The  NECP  estimates  total  investment  needs  to  reach  the  19.2%  renewable  energy 
contribution  (proposed  by  Slovakia  for  2030)  at  around  EUR  4.3  billion.  The  investment 
costs for electricity generation are EUR 180 million and for heat generation EUR 250 million per 
year.  Reforms  in  late  2018  and  2019  introduced  auctions  and  regulated  how  consumers  can 
participate in producing renewable energy (Renewable Energy Act). However, auctions for large 
scale  sources  of  renewable  energies  have  still  not  been  re-launched,  and  there  is  a  lack  of 
investment certainty.  

The Action Plan for the transition of the Upper Nitra region contributes to phasing out of 
coal  mining  and  coal-fired  electricity  generation  by  2023.  The  solution  for  district  heating 
system (now coal-based) in Nováky is being developed. The national hydrogen strategy is also 
being finalised and should be adopted in 2021.  

Energy and resource efficiency  

The 2030 objectives that Slovakia has fixed itself for energy efficiency are modest. But even 
against that benchmark there may be a need to significantly scale up measures listed in the NECP 
and  ensure  a  proper  implementation.  Existing  investment  support  measures  should  be 
streamlined  with  due  regard  to  energy  poverty  and  ensure  that  the  energy  efficiency  first 
principle applies  at  system  level.    Investments  needs in  energy  efficiency  are significant,  but  a 
number of non-financial barriers need to be addressed at the first place.  

The  NECP  estimates  that  by  2030,  EUR  3  billion  are  needed  to  renovate  non-residential 
buildings, out of which EUR 1.2 billion are needed for public buildings6. Slovakia has been 
pursuing  an  ambitious  renovation  programme  for  multi-apartment  and  public  buildings.  In 
addition,  following  Eurostat’s  new  rules,  Slovakia  has  embraced  the  energy  performance 
contracts  and  prepared  enabling  legislation  and  model  contract  to  be  followed  by  all  public 
bodies.  However,  building  owners’  low  income,  low  awareness  about  energy  renovation  and  a 

6  Economidou,  M.,  et  al.,  2020,  National  Energy  and  Climate  Plans  for  2021-2030  under  the  EU  Energy  Union: 
Assessment  of  the  Energy  Efficiency  Dimension,  EUR  30487  EN,  Publications  Office  of  theEuropean  Union, 
Luxembourg, 2020, 978-92-76-27013-3, doi:10.2760/678371, JRC122862 

12 

 
 
                                                           
lack  of  advisory  services  are  among  Slovakia’s  barriers  to  change.  It  is  estimated  that  around 
120,000 boilers are inefficient. Following an average annual renovation rate of 2.6% at the cost 
optimal level, the primary energy saving potential in Slovakia, by 2050, is 20.4 TWh. Over the 
period of 2021-2050 this is expected to generate more than 0.73 million of full time equivalent 
jobs7. 

Despite  resource  efficiency  gains,  and  a  relative  decoupling  of  raw  material  use  and 
economic growth, natural resources use remain at an environmentally unsustainable level. 
Slovakia´s secondary raw material use rate is well below EU average, with almost no progress 
since 2010. Moving to a circular economy, e.g. by promoting reuse, recyclability and secondary 
raw  materials  markets,  can  boost  Slovakia´s  resource  productivity  and  efficient  use  of  natural 
resources, generate cost savings and create jobs. However, fundamental changes in core systems 
of  production  and  consumption  which  are  prerequisite  for  the  transition  towards  sustainability 
are even more challenging in Slovakia due to its existing economy model.  

Transport 

Transport  systems  need  to  be  made  more  sustainable  while  serving  key  needs  to  connect 
regions  and  people.  This  requires  shifting  towards  zero  and  lower  emission  transport  –  using 
low-emission technologies, changing modal shares and setting better incentives – which can also 
reduce (locally) congestion and high levels of air pollution. 

Transport networks already receive large amounts of funding, though investments could be 
tailored  to  be  more  sustainable.  The  Operational  Programme  Integrated  Infrastructure  is 
funding many measures amounting to an allocation of EUR 3.88 billion, also in complementarity 
with Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). However, as regards the future programming period  it 
can  be  assumed  that  the  available  funding  for  transport  may  not  be  sufficient  to  cover  all  the 
needs.  

The existing investment gaps are mostly linked to the infrastructure quality and standards, 
in  particular  the  infrastructure  requirements  defined  in  TEN-T  Regulation.  The  NECP 
estimates  total  investment  needs  for  transport  by  2030  at  EUR  64,8  billion  with  rail  passenger 
transport, freight  inland transport and public transport representing EUR 4,15 billion; EUR 1,3 
billion and EUR 97 million. Rail freight transport comes with a tag of EUR 1,8 billion.  

Funding  for  transport  is  also  provided  by  the  CEF  that  focuses  on  cross-border  projects 
and  bridging  missing  links  in  various  sections  of  the  TEN-T  Core  Network  and  on  the 

7  Zangheri  P.,  et  al.,  2020,  Building  energy  renovation  for  decarbonisation  and  Covid-19  recovery.  A  snapshot  at 
regional  level,  EUR  30433  EN,  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg,  2020,  ISBN  978-92-76-
24766-1, doi:10.2760/08629, JRC122143. 

13 

 
 
                                                           
Comprehensive Network, as well as for horizontal priorities such as traffic management systems 
and installation of ERTMS.  

Nearly  EUR  120  million  have  been  allocated  in  the  current  programming  period  (2014  – 
2020) for the construction of cycling track and around 150 projects are in implementation 
Many regions and cities have developed a masterplan for cycle tracks, thus addressing the call 
for  sustainable  mobility.  However,  a  number  of  other  measures  to  address  sustainable  urban 
mobility, such as integration of low emissions zones, are insufficiently taking up. 

Nature and environment 

A more comprehensive actions on protection of — forests, soil, water, air and biodiversity 
—  to  mitigate  the  effects  of  climate  change  are  needed.  Slovakia  identified  water,  energy, 
forestry,  and  soil  as  priority  areas  to  address  drought  and  water  scarcity.  The  Environmental 
Strategy 2030 should provide a guidance for smart and sustainable development, but the actual 
implementation of Slovakia´s environmental agenda continues to face several challenges.  

To improve environmental protection and move towards the circular economy, a number 
of  priority  policy  axes  should  be  pursued.  These  include  improving  the  waste  management 
system  with  innovative  collection  and  treatment  solutions,  improving  water  efficiency  across 
sectors, completing drinking water and sewage networks to address sanitary problems, as well as 
investing into natural capital by protecting and restoring forests, wetlands, and soils.  

An  insufficient  performance  on  waste  management  with  low  recycling  rates  and  a  strong 
dependence  on  landfilling,  stagnating  at  around  60%  remains  one  of  the  main  concerns. 
Slovakia  is  among  Member  States  of  being  at  risk  of  not  meeting  the  2020  target  of  50% 
preparation  for  re-use/recycling  for  municipal  waste.  Some  important  legislative  changes  were 
made  but  the  necessary  change  in  the  waste  management  performance  would  depend  on  their 
effective  implementation,  in  particular  with  respect  to  the  obligation  for  biodegradable  waste 
separation well as fiscal incentives, including the newly established deposit system for single use 
beverage packaging.  

Slovakia is among Members States where the air quality is a particularly challenging policy 
area,  especially  due  to  the  exceedances  of  particulate  matter  concentrations  with  a 
significant  health  impact.  The  air  sector  still  needs  to  reduce  emissions  from  the  burning  of 
solid fuel in homes and from agriculture transport and industry.  

Assessment of second generation of River Basins Management Plans shows that Slovakia is 
lagging  behind  in  achieving  the  good  status  for  water  bodies.  This  is  mainly  due  to   
morphological  alterations  related  to  flood  infrastructure  and  pressures  from  other  sectors  (e.g. 
agriculture) as well as insufficiencies in the water management policy, including the application 
of the legislation (e.g. small hydro power installations). Despite the support for investments with 
EU Funds, the wastewater and drinking water networks are not completed yet and Slovakia has 
the highest rate of waste water load addressed outside of collection systems in the EU.  

Preserving and restoring natural capital is a wide policy area with heterogeneous progress. 
Overall  (public  and  private)  investment  in  environmental  protection  has  been  low  (0.35%  of 

14 

 
 
GDP) and on a declining trend since 2008. Cohesion  Policy  funds (2014  – 2020) for Slovakia 
have  allocated  EUR  1.99  billion  for  environment  protection  and  resource  efficiency,  and  EUR 
552 million for climate change adaptation and risk prevention.  

With nearly 30% of its territory within Natura 2000 sites, Slovakia belongs to the Member 
States with the highest coverage while around 48% of the country’s forests are protected. 
However,  this  situation  is  subject  to  several  pressures,  mainly  logging,  resulting  in  the  critical 
situation  of  the  Capercaillie,  a  large  forest  bird.  Although  some  progress  has  been  made, 
significant  gaps  remain  in  the  in  the  completion  of  the  Natura  2000  network  and  in  setting  of 
conservation objectives and measures in the management plans for Natura 2000 sites.    

Table 2.  Overview of Slovakia objectives, targets and contributions under Regulation (EU) 
2018/1999  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  December  2018  on  the 
Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action. 

National targets and contributions  

Binding target for greenhouse gas 
emissions compared to 2005 under the 
Effort Sharing Regulation (%) 

National target/contribution for 
renewable energy: Share of energy from 
renewable sources in gross final 
consumption of 
energy (%) 

Latest 
available 
data 

2020 

2030 

Assessment of 2030 
ambition level 

 -5 

13 

-20%  Ambitious 

16.9 

14 

19.2 

Unambitious (24% 
is the result of the 
RES formula) 

National contribution for energy efficiency: 

Primary energy consumption (Mtoe) 

16.0 

16.4 

15.7 

Low ambition 

Final energy consumption (Mtoe) 

11.2 

10.4 

10.3 

Low ambition 

Level of electricity interconnectivity (%) 

43 

59 

52 

NA 

Source: Assessment of the final national energy and climate plan of Slovakia, SWD (2020) 926 
final (Note: updated with Eurostat data, where available). 

Digital dimension 

The  recovery  and  resilience  plan  should  contribute  to  the  digital  transition  and  at  least 
20% of the plan´s total allocation needs to contribute to digital objectives. The measures in 
the  plan  should,  inter  alia,  contribute  to  the  digital  transformation  of  the  economic  and  social 
sectors (including public administration, public services, and the justice and health systems). The 
objective of the measures in the plan should be to improve not only the competitiveness, but also 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the  resilience,  agility  and  security  of  companies  and  public  actors,  all  while  ensuring 
inclusiveness.  

Despite  having  achieved  some  progress,  Slovakia’s  performance  in  the  digital  area  has 
slowed  in  comparison  to  other  EU  countries,  hampering  its  potential  for  sustainable 
economic growth and resilience. Slovakia currently ranks 22nd amongst EU Member States in 
the  Digital  Economy  and  Society  Index  (DESI)  2020.  The  Covid-19  pandemic  made  existing 
weaknesses even more visible including in the areas of connectivity, digital skills attainment and 
digitalisation  of  schools,  households,  companies  and  in  digital  public  services.  Although  the 
overall performance has improved over time, the gap between Slovakia and the EU average has 
not  decreased  given  that  Slovakia  is  experiencing  a  stagnating  take-up  of  mobile  and  fixed 
broadband connections, underdeveloped digital public services, whereas businesses are not fully 
participating in the Digital Single Market. Digitalisation of education is low, as schools, teachers 
and  pupils  often  lack  the  necessary  skills  and  tools,  and  new  technologies  are  not  efficiently 
integrated in teaching and learning. 

Expanding  broadband  coverage  and  speed,  and  robust  investments  in  the  deployment  of 
5G  should  allow  for  equal  and  improved  access  to  the  internet,  and  coverage  of  ‘white 
spots’. Slovakia ranks  21st in the connectivity dimension of 2020 DESI.  In 2019, only 45% of 
rural households were covered by fast broadband internet access, compared to 76% in Slovakia 
overall.  The  Covid-19  outbreak,  revealed  that  many  pupils  and  teachers  do  not  have  access  to 
internet  and  digital  equipment  at  home,  especially  in  Eastern  Slovakia,  which  contributes  to 
deepening socio-economic inequalities and to a growing digital divine in education. After some 
initial delays the national broadband plan for 2021 – 2025 was adopted by the Government on 17 
March  2021,  opening  the  way  for  the  implementation  of  broadband  objectives.  Although 
Slovakia intends to cover 95% of households with ultra-fast internet connections by 2030, there 
appears  to  be  a  significant  investment  gap,  reflected  also  in  the  insufficient  capacity  of  the 
Broadband Office.  

5G  auctions  took  place  in  2020  after  several  delays,  but  investments  currently  appear  to 
rely on private operators only, risking insufficient coverage, particularly in market failure 
areas.  In  December  2020,  the  regulatory  authority  allocated  to  participating  operators 
frequencies in the 700MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. The percentage of total harmonised 
5G  spectrum  assignation  increased  from  33%  in  2020  to  67%  in  2021.  Additional  allocations 
should  take  place  in  2022.  Investments  are  needed  for  the  deployment  of  5G  throughout  the 
country,  including  the  network  of  base  stations  and  the  construction  of  cross-border  corridors. 
Operators are mandated to cover at least 95% of the territory of each regional city by the end of 
2025, 70% of the entire population by the end of 2027, and 95% by 2030. Further increasing the 
population coverage may not be possible without public investments.  In addition, Slovakia has 
set the objective to cover all sections of motorways/expressways and railway corridors with 5G 
networks by 2025.  

16 

 
 
in  society,  economy  and  public  administration 

Investments in digital skills and tools are essential as the overall low digital human capital 
performance 
is  a  bottleneck  for 
development. Slovakia ranks 20th in the human capital dimension of the 2020 DESI. Only 54% 
of Slovaks have at least basic digital skills, with only 27% above basic digital skills, and digital 
illiteracy  features  among  the  top  barriers  for  jobseekers.  Opportunities  to  develop  digital  skills 
should therefore be available to the entire population, including teachers and civil servants, and 
should also be linked to existing research and innovation challenges. Schools lack sufficient and 
adequate  digital  equipment  (only  17%  of  Slovak  primary  school  students  attend  digitally 
equipped  and  connected  schools),  whereas  educators  often  lack  the  necessary  skills  to  provide 
effective  online  learning.  The  availability  of  quality  educational  resources,  virtual  learning 
environments,  and  adjusted  school  curricula  is  quite  limited.    The  pronounced  regional 
differences result in an educational digital divide. This is detrimental to economic development 
and territorial cohesion. 

Slovakia’s public administration is underperforming, and the low level of digitalisation of 
the  public  administration  and  of  public  services  is  a  key  bottleneck  for  the  business 
environment  and  an  unnecessary  drag  on  economic  growth.  Digital  public  services  are  the 
weakest  dimension  in  the  2020  DESI  for  Slovakia,  which  ranks  26th.  The  percentage  of 
individuals who used the internet in the last 12 months, for interaction with public authorities has 
also marginally decreased from 69% in 2019 to 68% in 2020. Investments are therefore needed 
to  improve  the  efficiency  and  user-friendliness  of  public  services,  eliminate  any  unnecessary 
administrative  requirements,  thereby  improving  the  overall  business  environment.  Public 
Procurement  of  IT  equipment  should  be  complemented  with  reforms  to  facilitate  the  effective 
integration of digital methods and processes in the public administration. 

Investments  are  needed  to  improve  efficiency  of  the  public  administration,  reduce 
administrative  burden  and  improve  the  business  environment.  The  focus  should  be  in 
particular on user-friendliness in order to make investments effective. Public Procurement of IT-
purchases requires reforms and investments to make them more efficient. 

Technological changes are likely to impact Slovakia’s economy more than the economies of 
other countries, but both public and private R&D investment remain low. Slovakia’s ability 
to  increase  competitiveness  and  productivity  requires  innovation  and  diversification  of  the 
economy, but the low quality of public research and limited cooperation with businesses, partly 
explained  by  inefficiencies  related  to  a  fragmented  governance  system,  constrain  the 
development and sharing of knowledge and skills. Reforms and investments in R&I and higher 
education are essential for sustained economic growth and competitiveness.  Efforts to reinforce 
and expand the current  R&I ecosystem are needed in  close cooperation  and synergies between 
research organisations, universities and companies.  

Investments that support the integration of digital technology in businesses are needed to 
improve their capacity to keep up with market developments and modernise the economy. 

17 

 
 
The integration of digital technology dimension in the 2020 DESI ranks Slovakia 21st in the EU 
Investments  in  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  can  play  a  major  role  in  supporting  companies  in 
Slovakia (especially SMEs) in the digital transformation by providing services to businesses and 
the  uptake  of  new  technologies.  Investments  in  the  development  and  deployment  of  advanced 
technologies  are  also  lagging  behind  in  Slovakia.  Existing  infrastructure  for  development  of 
supercomputers  needs  to  be  strengthened  and  extended,  based  on  existing  technology  financed 
from  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  (2014  -2020)  at  the  Slovak  Academy  of 
Science.  Moreover,  there  is  potential  for  investments  in  quantum  encrypted  communication 
technology  and  infrastructure  as  well  as  in  block  chain  technology  and  artificial  intelligence, 
where the National Research Centre plays a key role.  

Graph  1.  Digital  Economy  and  Society  Index 2020  –  relative  performance  of  Slovakia  by 
dimension. 

Slovakia’s ranking in the Digital Economy and Society Index 2020. https://ec.europa.eu/digital-
single-market/en/scoreboard/slovakia  

Note: EU aggregate corresponds to EU28, based on 2020 DESI report 

Box: Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals 

Graph 2. Sustainable Development Goals and the four dimensions underpinning the recovery 
and resilience plans. 

Sustainable Development Goals and the four dimensions underpinning the Annual Sustainable 
Growth Strategy. 

18 

 
 
 
 
The objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated in the European 
Semester since the 2020 cycle. This  provides  a strong  commitment towards sustainability in 
coordination  of  economic  and  employment  policies  in  the  EU.  In  that  respect,  this  section 
outlines  Slovakia’s  performance  with  respect  to  SDGs  with  particular  relevance  for  the  four 
dimensions  underpinning  the  2021  Annual  Sustainable  Growth  Strategy  and  of  relevance  to 
the  recovery  and  resilience  plans  (green  transition,  fairness,  digital  transformation  and 
productivity,  and  macroeconomic  stability),  indicating  possible  areas  where  investments  and 
reforms are in line with the objectives of the Facility could further accelerate progress on the 
SDGs. 

Green Transition  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In recent years Slovakia has made significant progress with respect to SDG 7 (Affordable and 
clean energy).Its greenhouse gas emissions intensity of energy consumption is now below the 
EU  average.  Although,  at  16.9%,  the  share  of  renewable  energy  consumption  in  gross  final 
energy  consumption  was  in  2019  below  the  EU  average  (19.7%)  this  difference  decreased 
significantly  as  compared  to  2014.  At  the  same  time  the  share  of  population  unable  to  keep 
their homes adequately warm increased from 6.1% in 2014 to 7.8% in 2019. A negative trend 
can also be observed in transport, where average CO2 emissions per km from new passenger 
cars increased from 131.7 in 2014 to 133.4 in 2019, The share of forest area is above the EU 
average and has been stable between 2015 and 2018. While the quality of water in rivers has 
been improving, this has not been the case for land degradation.  

Fairness  

Slovakia  has  made  progress  towards  achieving  SDGs  in  the  area  of  fairness,  but  challenges 
remain.  Slovakia  performs  better  than  the  EU  average  in  various  social  SDGs.  It  made 
progress towards SDG 1 (no poverty), for instance by bringing the share of population at risk 
of  poverty  and  social  exclusion  down  from  18.4%  to  16.4%,  which  is  well  below  the  EU 
average of 20.9%. At the same time, the share of severely materially deprived people has also 
been brought down from 9.9% to 7.9%, but is still higher than the EU average of 5.5%. The 
share of overcrowding in the area of housing was with 34.1% still significantly higher than the 
EU average of 17.1%. 
Although  inequalities  are  overall  still  higher  than  the  EU  average,  Slovakia  performed 
relatively  better  in  reducing  inequalities  (SDG  10).  Worrying  are  for  instance  the  increased 
urban-rural gap for risk of poverty or social exclusion (from 5.8% to 7.5%; EU average 1.1%). 
Moreover, the adjusted gross disposable income per-capita went down from 73 to 68 towards 
2019  (with  EU-index  being  100),  showing  increased  inequality  within  the  EU.  Slovakia 
performed better than the EU average in reducing zero hunger indicators (SDG 2). 
While  still  lagging  behind  EU  average,  progress  is  visible  in  quality  education  (SDG4). 
Participation  in  early  childhood  education  and  tertiary  education  achievement  increased 
significantly.  However,  whereas  the  share  of  early  leavers  from  education  and  training 
decreased in the EU as a whole between 2015 and 2020, in Slovakia this increased from 6.9% 
to 7.6%. A negative trend is also visible in adult participation in learning.  
Slovakia  has  made  progress  in  good  health  and  well-being  (SDG3)  e.g.  with  a  decreased 
obesity rate, but smoking prevalence of the population over 15  years increased from 21% to 
25%  between  2014  and  2020  (also  the  EU  average).  Also,  the  self-reported  unmet  need  for 
medical care increased from 2.1% to 2.7% (EU average 1.7%). 
Regarding gender equality (SDG 5), Slovakia showed significant progress between 2015 and 
2020 in reducing the gender employment gap and significantly increasing the share of women 
in senior management positions (from 12.7% to 31.4%, now above the EU average of 29.5%). 
At the same time, challenges remain e.g. in the gender gap for tertiary education attainment, 
which increased from 16.1% to 19.9%, largely above the EU average of 10.8%. 

Digital transition and productivity  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
Slovakia is lagging behind the EU average in most targets related to the digital transition and 
productivity dimension reported under SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) and SDG 
9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure). Slovak investment expenditure as a share of GDP 
has  decreased  between  2015  and  2020,  falling  below  the  EU  average,  which  increased 
somewhat over the same period. R&D expenditure, R&D personnel and R&D output remain 
well  below  the  EU  average  and  the  gap  has  increased  over  the  five-year  period  covered  by 
data.  

Macroeconomic stability  

The performance of Slovakia with respect to SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) has 
been somewhat mixed in recent years. Real GDP per capita in 2020 was only slightly higher 
than in  2015, while it declined relative to  the  EU average (from  78.3%  to 70.2% in  2019 at 
purchasing  power  standards),  signalling  a  disruption  in  Slovakia’s  convergence  process. 
Investment  as  a  share  of  GDP  has  also  decreased  from  23.7%  in  2015  to  19.5%  in  2020, 
adversely  affecting  capital  accumulation  and  future  growth  potential.  In  contrast,  labour 
market  developments  have  been  rather  favourable  with  the  employment  rate  increasing  to 
72.5% and catching up with the EU average, and long term unemployment falling from 7.6% 
to 3.2% between 2015 and 2020. Regarding the external balance of the Slovak economy, the 
country  has  been  running  moderate  current  account  deficits  since  2015,  but  its  net 
international investment position is only slightly negative (-14.1% of GDP in 2019), while net 
external  liabilities  are  also  at  a  relatively  safe  level  (31.7%  of  GDP  in  2020).  Prior  to  the 
pandemic public debt stayed below the Maastricht threshold, and even after the crisis it only 
slightly  exceeds  60%  of  GDP,  being  significantly  lower  than  the  EU  average,  which  affects 
fiscal sustainability positively. 

3.  OBJECTIVES, STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE OF THE PLAN 

3.1. Overall strategy of the plan  

The recovery and resilience plan of the Slovak Republic presents a comprehensive response 
to the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as to the main challenges and systemic 
weaknesses of the Slovak economy. It builds on Slovakia’s global development vision based on 
the following three pillars: 

  an  innovative  economy  that  drives  sustainable  economic  growth  and  guarantees 

successful management of the green and digital transitions;,  
  a modern state providing quality public services to citizens  
  a healthy country that paves the way for the full use of human and natural capital. 

The Slovak recovery and resilience plan comprises 18 components in five areas: the green 
economy,  education,  research  and 
innovation,  health,  and  public  administration 
/digitalisation. The total amount of the estimated costs of the plan of EUR 6.58 billion is slightly 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
above the maximum non-repayable financial support of EUR 6.33 billion. Proposed reforms of 
the  education  system  at  all  levels  can  enhance  skills  (including  digital),  while  also  supporting 
social  inclusion.  Reformed  research  and  innovation  governance  and  funding  can  mobilize 
investment and cooperation of researchers with the private sector, trigger innovation and help the 
manufacturing-centred  economy  to  diversify.  By  removing  barriers  for  foreign  workers  and 
students  while  offering  scholarship  schemes,  Slovakia  can  better  attract  and  retain  talents.  The 
emphasis  on healthcare is expected to  address  systemic weaknesses particularly of the hospital 
network  and  should  lead  to  tangible  improvements.  Investments  in  care  facilities  (both  pre-
primary and long-term) contributes to labour force participation, especially of women. Various 
important  investments  are  geared  towards  the  green  transition,  notably  renewables,  building 
renovation,  industry  decarbonisation  scheme  and  sustainable  transport.  Measures  addressing 
digital  connectivity  challenges  are  financed  outside  of  the  Recovery  Resilience  Facility,  while 
the  part  financed  under  the  facility  includes  significant  investments  in  digitalisation  of  public 
services.  Reforms  of  the  judiciary  and  anti-money  laundering  framework  should  address  long-
standing concerns. 

Table 3. Components and associated costs. 

Component 
Green economy 
C1 Renewable energy sources and energy infrastructure 
C2 Building renovation 
C3 Sustainable transport 
C4 Decarbonisation of industry 
C5 Adaptation to climate change 
Education 

C6 Accessibility, development and quality of inclusive education at all levels 

C7 Education for the 21st century 
C8 Improving the performance of Slovak universities 
Science, research, innovation 
C9 More efficient governance and strengthening funding for science, research and 
innovation 
C10 Attracting and retaining talent 
Health 
C11 Modern and accessible healthcare 
C12 Human, modern and accessible mental health care 
C13 Accessible and high-quality long-term socio-health care 
Efficient public administration and digitization 
C14 Improve the business environment 

22 

Cost 
(EUR 
millio
n) 
2301 
232 
741 
801 
368 
159 
892 

210 

469 
213 
793 

633 

106 
1533 
1163 
105 
265 
1110 
11 

 
 
C15 Judicial reform 
C16 Fight against corruption and money laundering, security and protection of the 
population 
C17 Digital Slovakia (state in mobile, cybersecurity, fast internet for everyone, 
digital economy) 
C18 Sound, sustainable and competitive public finances 
Total  

255 

229 

615 

0 
6575 

3.2. Implementation aspects of the plan  

Consistency with other programmes 

The  plan  describes  consistency  with  the  other  main  European  and  national  programmes 
and planning documents.  

The plan outlines complementarities with the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), 
which serves as both an analytical basis and a reference framework for the proposed plan´s  
reforms  and  investments.  The  plan  explains  how  the  five  green  components  are  in  line  and 
contribute to the objectives of the NECP. The plan mirrors the strong emphasis of the NECP on 
decarbonisation  of  industry,  transport  and  buildings,  and  complements  these  with  measures 
fostering  climate  adaptation.  The  measures  are  designed  to  contribute  to  ambitious  targets  to 
achieve carbon neutrality in the EU by 2050 and to the objective of reducing GHG emissions by 
2030 by 55% compared to 1990.  

  Industry:  according  to  the  NECP,  industrial  production  and  use  of  fossil  fuels  by 
industry are the source of 41% of all emissions produced in Slovakia, the highest share of 
EU  countries.  This  is  expected  to  be  addressed  by  the  component  (4)  on  industry 
decarbonisation  with  the  objective  of  driving  innovation,  the  increased  use  of  Best 
Available Technologies (BAT) standards, as well as by the modernisation of energy and 
material  intensive  installations  and  the  transition  to  cleaner  energy  and  product 
production processes.  

  Transport:    is  recognised  in  the  NECP  as  a  sector  with  the  fastest-growing  GHG 
emissions  among all areas of the economy.  In response, the transport component (3) of 
the  plan  aims  at  increasing  the  share  of  public  passenger  transport,  in  particular  rail 
transport and improving urban micro-mobility – cycling, thus contributing to priorities of 
the Slovak Strategic Transport Development Plan 2030.  

  Renewable Energy Sources (RES): the NECP priorities of achieving an optimal energy 
mix and promoting the use of RES are reflected in the RES component (1), which aims at 
modernising the existing RES as well as increasing the new RES capacities.  

  Buildings:  to  achieve  energy  efficiency  targets,  the  NECP  emphasises  the  need  to 
renovate the national  stock of residential  and non-residential  buildings, both  public and 
private,  which  is  reflected  in  the  component  of  buildings  renovation  (2)  pursuing  the 
objective of at least 30% of the primary energy savings.   

23 

 
 
 
The plan summarises the complementarities of the Just Transition Fund’s main priorities 
with  the  plan´s  components.  Under  the  new  Cohesion  Policy  programming  period  (2021  – 
2027), the Just Transition Fund (JTF) should be a key tool to mitigate the negative impacts of the 
decarbonisation  on  the  selected  most  affected  regions  by  financing  the  diversification  and 
modernisation of local economy. The plan explains that the JTF will be implemented through the 
Programme  Slovakia  and  on  the  basis  of  to-be-developed  territorial  just  transition  plans. 
Assistance from JTF should cover Slovak regions that are most affected by the decarbonisation 
process and face many structural and economic challenges. JTF measures should be synergetic 
and  complementary  to  measures  financed  by  both  RRF  and  Cohesion  policy  funds  and  the 
implementation will require close cooperation between national, regional and local authorities.  

The  plan  is  designed  to  be  complementary  to  the  Union  Funds  both  in  the  current 
programming period (2014 – 2020) as well as to the new programming period (2021-2027). 
As  the  draft  Partnership  Agreement  (PA)  and  the  Programme  are  still  pending  finalisation  and 
approval,  the  plan  indicates  preliminary  synergies  and  complementarities  at  the  strategic  level 
(between  priority  areas  of  the  Cohesion  Policy  funds  and  RRP  components),  which  are  also 
elaborated in individual components. This is without prejudice to programming of the Cohesion 
Policy measures in respective thematic areas.   

The  plan  recognises  important  synergies  with  the  Cohesion  Policy  and  stresses  that 
complementarities  and  potential  overlaps  will  be  systematically  and  continuously  assessed  at 
different  levels  of  the  implementation  (e.g.  strategic,  programme  and  project  levels)  including 
through  a  dedicated  mechanism  to  avoid  “double  funding”.  The  plan  clarifies  that  when 
prioritising  investments  for  the  RRF  funding,  the  following  criteria  were  used:  i)  meeting  the 
RRF  criteria  (e.g.  green  and  digital  targets,  CSRs),  ii)  selecting  measures  advanced  in  the 
preparation,  iii)  selecting  reforms,  which  create  a  precondition  for  the  delivery  of  Cohesion 
Policy investment, and iv) targeting projects for regions with less Cohesion Policy funding (e.g. 
Bratislava  region).  The  plan  demonstrates  complementarities  by  presenting  an  indicative 
overview  tables  of  sectors,  where  synergies  between  RRF  and  Cohesion  Policy  funds  are 
envisaged. The tables are based on information available at the time of the drafting of the plan 
and are included in the Annex. 

The  plan  outlines  its  contribution  to  Youth  Guarantee  initiative  and  considers  that  the 
highest contribution to youth employment is provided by the education components. The school-
to-work  transition  of  future  generations  is  likely  to  be  positively  impacted  by  reforms  and 
investments  in  the  component  6.  These  measures  should  help  to  improve  the  performance  of 
disadvantaged  learners,  in  particular  from  marginalised  Roma  communities  and  thus  improve 
equal  chances  for  graduates  to  enter  the  labour  market.  While  the  component  is  designed  to 
support  inclusive  measures  to  prevent  any  form  of  discrimination  with  a  prospective  wider 
impact on more vulnerable groups, such as young people with disabilities or young people living 
in rural areas. The component 7, which aims at increasing pupils´ literacy and the skills, critical 
thinking  as  well  as  the  components  on  higher  education  (component  8)  and  talent  retention 
(component  10)  are  designed  to  create  a  supportive  ecosystem  to  improve  the  labour  market 
perspectives of the high skilled youth employment.  

24 

 
 
The  plan  is  consistent  with  the  challenges  and  priorities  identified  for  the  euro  area 
recommendation. 8  The draft Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area 
recommended to  euro area Member States to  take action, including through  their recovery and 
resilience plans, to, inter alia, ensure a policy stance which supports the recovery, including by 
improving the coverage, adequacy and sustainability of their respective healthcare system. It also 
recommended  to,  inter  alia,  further  improve  convergence,  resilience  and  sustainable  and 
inclusive growth, notably  towards the  green and digital  transition,  as well as by improving the 
functioning  of  public  administration.  The  Slovak  plan  provides  for  ambitious  reforms  and 
investments  across  these  policy  areas,  particularly  as  regards  the  health  system,  the  green  and 
digital  transition,  and  public  administration.  The  plan  is  moreover  geared  towards  further 
improving convergence and fostering economic growth. 

Administrative organisation of the RRP    

To ensure effective implementation, the plan outlines administrative arrangement.  It plans 
the  creation  of  a  dedicated  RRP  implementation  structure  to  be  supervised  by  the  Slovak 
government as the steering committee. The implementation body will be composed of: 

 

the  National  Implementation  and  Coordination  Authority  (NIKA)  tasked  with  the  main 
implementation and coordination responsibilities,  
implementing bodies (e.g. individual ministries and central government authorities), 
intermediaries and  

 
 
  beneficiaries.  

The  NIKA  should  be  assigned  with  the  overall  responsibility  for  the  coordination  and 
implementation  of  the  plan.  It  will  coordinate  and  guide  other  actors,  monitor  and  assess 
outcomes of the implementation, coordinate the financial flow, including submission of payment 
requests. It will function as the single point of contact for the Commission services.  

Tasks and competences will be detailed in a specific Act on the RRP, which  should enter 
into  force  by  31  December  2021  and  no  later  than  the  submission  of  the  first  payment 
request. The RRP Section, which has carried out the role of NIKA and had been set up in the 
Ministry of Finance will be transferred to the Government Office in the implementation phase. 
Administrative capacity will gradually increase in the second half of 2021 by both creating new 
structures (e.g. hospital.sk within the Ministry of Health, etc.) and strengthening existing ones.  

8 Pending final adoption by the Council, after endorsement by the European Council. The text agreed by the 
Eurogroup on 16 December 2020 is available at: https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14356-2020-
INIT/en/pdf 

25 

 
 
 
                                                           
The  Government  Council  for  the  RRP  shall  be  set  up  as  a  new  advisory  body  to  the 
Government  in  the  implementation  phase.  The  purpose  of  this  measure  is  ensuring  the  full 
involvement  of  professional  public  as  well  as  of  maintaining  the  structured  dialogue  with  key 
stakeholders and social partners.  

The plan indicates  that an assistance from the Technical  Support  Instrument  was requested  for 
the overall implementation and communication on the plan.  The Technical Support Instrument 
(TSI)    already  provides  expertise  in  building  capacities  to  implement  the  plan  in  a  number  of 
areas  covered such as  healthcare,  education, talent  attraction, energy,  green transition,  research 
and  innovation,  insolvency,  anti-money-laundering  and  public  spending,  as  well  as  for  the 
overall  implementation  of  the  plan.      In  addition,  it  is  expected  that  the  design  and 
implementation of some reforms under R&I component (9) will be supported by a project of the 
Horizon Policy Support Facility currently in preparation. 

Gender equality and equal opportunities for all  

The plan describes existing national challenges in gender equality and equal opportunities 
and outlines which reforms and investments are expected to contribute to these aims across 
the different components. It foresees an early warning system for the prevention of early school 
leaving,  including  mentoring  and  tutoring  opportunities.  To  address  the  low  availability  of 
kindergarten  facilities  and  its  impact  on  women’s  participation  in  the  labour  market  and  on 
children´s  performance  later  in  school,  a  legal  entitlement  to  a  place  in  a  kindergarten  for 
children  from  the  age  of  three  should  be  introduced.  Gender  equality  considerations  are  also 
integrated  in  some  other  sections  of  the  plan,  such  as  those  related  to  curriculum  reform 
(component  7).  The  plan  addresses  the  quality  of  inclusive  mainstream  education  by  including 
reforms and investments to establish a system of educational support measures for students with 
special educational needs, to modernise the teacher training programmes, to reduce segregation 
in  education  and  promoting  early  care  services  in  marginalised  Roma  communities,  and  by 
improving  access  to  higher  education  for  disadvantaged  students.  The  whole  education 
component  (6)  is  strongly  focusing  on  the  right  to  quality  and  inclusive  mainstream  education 
and ensuring availability of quality pre-school education.  

The situation and needs of people with disabilities are addressed in several parts of the plan 
including in relation to the buildings´ renovation plan, sustainable transport, digitalisation, 
and  social  and  healthcare  services.    Improving  accessibility  to  buildings  renovated  through 
plan´s financing and addressing energy poverty are additional measures to address the needs of 
socially  disadvantaged  and  disabled  groups.  The  challenges  faced  by  older  people  are  also 
covered in particular through supporting their digital skills development and improving the long-
term social and healthcare systems. To respond to these challenges, the plan intends to introduce 
a  mechanism  to  mainstream  aspects  of  gender  equality  based  on  experiences  from  the 
implementation of European Structural and Investment Funds (2014 – 2020).  

Stakeholder consultation 

26 

 
 
The Slovak authorities engaged in a wide range of consultation activities in the preparation 
phase of the recovery and resilience plan.  The consultation  has  been heavily affected by the 
second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and the meetings were largely organised online. The plan’s 
preparations started in summer 2020, with the elaboration of the National Integrated Reform Plan 
(published in October 2020) providing the analytical basis for the Slovak recovery and resilience 
plan.  

At a later stage, RRP drafts were consulted with a wider range of stakeholders and general 
public.  The  different  forms  of  activities,  besides  standard  inter-ministerial  consultation 
procedures,  included  working  meetings  both  at  technical  and  political  level,  dedicated  debates 
for the general public, and six thematic round tables involving a wide range of professional and 
public stakeholders. In addition, a website (www.planobnovy.sk) and a dedicated e-mail contact 
for  proposals  by  the  public  were  made  available.  The  roundtable  discussions  brought  together 
representatives  of  over  100  stakeholders,  including  municipalities,  social  partners,  national  as 
well  as  regional  associations,  entrepreneurs  and  NGOs.  The  inter-ministerial  consultation 
received nearly 2,500 comments.  

Most  comments  in  the  consultation  process  were  related  to  environmental  protection, 
biodiversity,  climate  change,  and  cycling  infrastructure.  A  number  of  comments  from  the 
public and stakeholders have been incorporated into the plan’s measures during its preparatory 
phase. This included for instance a new component on climate change adaptation, extending the 
focus on urban cycling, actions in so-called “soft tourism” and measures addressing the inclusion 
of the social economy actors.      

Security self-assessment 

Slovakia  indicated  that  a  security  self-assessment  of  investments  into  digital  capacities 
funded  by  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  will  be  performed  as  part  of  the 
implementation stage. Assessment of security will be an integral part of the analysis and design 
in development of new IT systems. Strategic measures mentioned in the security self-assessment 
would  need  to  be  closely  monitored  during  the  implementation  of  the  plan.  Regarding  the 
investments  related  to  the  development  and  extension  of  a  governmental  cloud,  information 
about the type of security measures or safeguards would be expected during the implementation. 
In this respect, it would be of relevance to explicitly identify the potential risks and associated 
specific mitigation measures against data security if the use of third-country providers subject to 
extra-territoriality  laws  is  foreseen.  Slovakia  intends  to  fund  digital  connectivity  investments 
from Cohesion Policy funds. According to the national broadband plan adopted in March 2021, a 
security self-assessment will be done as part of the follow-up feasibility study. 

Cross-border and multi-country projects 

The  plan  proposes  several  cross-border  projects,  in  particular  in  the  digital  area  under 
component  17.  It  includes  participation  in  a  network  of  European  Digital  Innovation 
Hubs/Digital Innovation Hubs to support Slovak SMEs with digitalisation and the investment in 
the  High  Performance  Computer  (HPC)  allowing  participation  in  the  EuroHPC  Joint 

27 

 
 
Undertaking. This initiative will benefit from European processors as well as other technologies 
developed under a potential IPCEI for Microelectronics Joint Initiative. Two other multi-country 
projects  should  be  supported  by  the  RRF  from  a  predefined  list  of  digital  projects,  which 
includes  participation  in  the  European  blockchain  and  quantum  communication  infrastructure 
(QCI). Quantum communication nodes will be part of the EuroQCI European initiative to build a 
quantum  communication  infrastructure  across  the  EU,  preparing  for  further  cross-border 
connections  (Bratislava-Vienna,  and  future  connections  of  Komarno-Budapest,  Žilina-Warsaw, 
Bratislava-Brno).  Strengthening  of  electricity  connection  in  the  profile  between  Slovakia  and 
Hungary  shall  allow  for  an  increase  in  the  capacity  in  the  Slovak  transmission  system  and 
facilitate connection of more renewable sources into the electricity grid. 

 Communication strategy 

The plan outlines communication effort specifying that some communication activities have 
been  already  launched  by  the  authorities  during  the  preparatory  phase  of  the  Slovak 
recovery and resilience plan. The activities were mainly centred on raising the awareness and 
positive perception of the plan. It included several dedicated debates with stakeholders, a number 
of online public events as well as targeted public thematic discussions on thematic pillars with 
the line Ministers. 

The  main  objective  of  the  communication  strategy  of  the  Slovak  authorities  is  to  raise 
awareness about the RRP´s priorities. It should also highlight the overall benefits of the plan , 
show  the  benefits  of  the  green  and  digital  transition,  ensure  visibility  of  the  EU  financing  and 
improving the overall image of the EU. The communication should also  address  the impact  of 
specific  reforms  and  investments,  contributing  to  understanding  of  public  about  the  need  for 
reforms.  The  plan  builds  upon  the  strategic  importance  of  key  reform  and  investments  for  the 
success  of  RRP  and  includes  dedicated  actions  around  the  selected  topics:  green  transition 
(buildings´ renovation, climate adaptation), digital transformation (“state in the mobile”), quality 
and  inclusive  education  (e.g.  accessible  kindergartens,  competitive  universities),  excellent 
science,  research  and  innovation,  quality  and  modern  health  and  sustainable  and  reliable 
transport. 

The  communication  tools  and  activities  are  designed  to  run  in  two  streams,  the 
communication on benefits of the plan and information on main reforms and investments. 
A wide range of social networks, newsletters and webpages are planned to be used in the roll-out 
of  communication  activities.  The  overall  communication  strategy  shall  be  further  detailed  in 
annual  action  plans,  allowing  for  sufficient  flexibility  in  view  of  changing  circumstances.  The 
synergies with the cohesion policy communication should be explored in order to maximise the 
use  of  existing  tools,  experiences  and  projects  examples  to  strengthen  the  key  messages  on 
benefits  of  EU  financing.  The  plan  envisages  setting  up  an  RRP  network  of  communication 
coordinators  in  relevant  line  ministries  and  intend  strengthening  the  cooperation  with  the 
European Commission Representation and European Parliament Information Office in Slovakia.    

State aid  

State  aid  and  competition  rules  fully  apply  to  the  measures  funded  by  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience Facility. Union funds channelled through the authorities of Member States, like the 

28 

 
 
RRF funds, become State resources and can constitute State aid if all the other criteria of Article 
107(1)  TFEU  are  met.  When  this  is  the  case  and  State  aid  is  present,  these  measures  must  be 
notified and approved by the Commission before Member States can grant the aid, unless those 
measures are covered by an existing aid  scheme or comply  with  the applicable conditions  of a 
block  exemption  regulation,  in  particular  the  General  Block  Exemption  Regulation  (GBER) 
declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 
107 and 108 TFEU9. When State aid is present and it requires notification, it is the duty of the 
Member  State  to  notify  State  aid  measures  to  the  Commission  before  granting  them,  in 
compliance  with  Article  108(3)  TFEU.  In  this  respect,  the  State  aid  analysis  carried  out  by 
Slovakia in the recovery and resilience plan cannot be deemed a State aid notification. In as far 
as Slovakia considers that a specific measure contained in the recovery and resilience plan entails 
de  minimis  aid  or  aid  exempted  from  the  notification  requirement,  it  is  the  responsibility  of 
Slovakia to ensure full compliance with the applicable rules.” 

Irrespective of whether they comply with the EU’s State aid regime, measures taken under this 
framework  should  be  compatible  with  the  EU’s  international  obligations,  in  particular  under 
World Trade Organization rules. 

4.  SUMMARY OF THE ASSESSMENT OF THE PLAN 

4.1. Comprehensive  and  adequately  balanced  response  to  the  economic  and  social 

situation  

The Slovak recovery and resilience plan aims at a comprehensive and balanced response to 
the consequences  of the pandemic  crisis, while tackling the  main systemic socio-economic 
challenges (as detailed in section 4.3 of this document). As such, it makes an explicit reference 
to  six  fundamental  pillars  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  pursuant  to  Article  3  of  the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  Regulation.  It  presents  a  global  vision  of  an  innovative 
economy,  supporting  economic  growth  through  green  and  digital  transitions.  The  overarching 
objective  of  the  plan  is  to  re-launch  sustainable  growth  and  increase  the  quality  of  life  in 
Slovakia. The focus is  on five key public policy areas:  green economy,  education, science and 
R&D, health, public administration with digitalization. 

Table 4: Coverage of the six pillars of the Facility by the MS RRP components 
Health, and 
economic, 
social and 
institutional 
resilience 

Smart, 
sustainable & 
inclusive 
growth 

Social and 
territorial 
cohesion 

Digital 
transformation 

Green 
transition 

Policies for 
the next 
generation 

9 Commission Regulation 651/2014, OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, p. 1 

29 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

C1 - Renewable 
energy sources and 
energy 
infrastructure 
C2 – Building 
renovation 
C3 - Sustainable 
transport 
C4 - Decarbonisation 
of industry 
C5 - Adapting to 
climate change 
C6 - Accessibility, 
development and 
quality of inclusive 
education 
C7 - Education for 21 
Century 

● 

C8 - Increase in the 
performance of 
Slovak higher 
education 
institutions 
C9 - More efficient 
governance and 
strengthening RDI  
funding 
C10 - Attracting and 
retaining talent 
C11 - Modern and 
accessible 
healthcare 
C12 - Human, 
modern and 
accessible mental 
health care 
C13 - Accessible and 
high-quality long-
term socio-health 
care 
C14 - Improve the 
business 
environment 
C15 - Judicial reform  ○ 
○ 
C16 - Fight against 
corruption and 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 
○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

● 

● 

○ 

● 

○ 
○ 

30 

 ○ 

● 

● 

● 

 ○ 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

● 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

 ○ 

○ 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 
● 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
money laundering, 
security and 
protection of the 
population 
C17 - Digital 
Slovakia 
C18 - Sound, 
sustainable and 
competitive public 
finances 

● 

○ 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

○ 

Key: “●” investments and reforms of the component significantly contribute to the pillar; “○” the component 
partially contributes to the pillar 

Green transition 

The  Slovak  recovery  and  resilience  plan  identifies  key  challenges  of  Slovakia  related  to 
climate and environment. It underlines the contribution of reforms and investments contained 
in  the  plan  to  achieving  the  EU’s  carbon  neutrality  target  EU  by  2050.  Slovakia  is  a  highly 
industrialized economy, with energy and industrial processes contribution to overall greenhouse 
gas  emissions  of  just  above  70%.  Slovakia  ranks  among  the  Member  States  with  the  highest 
average  air  concentrations  of  dust  particles  in  the  EU,  resulting  largely  from  aging  industrial 
technologies  and  burning  of  solid  fuels  in  households.  The  plan  also  recognizes  the  need  for 
increasing  resilience  of  ecosystems  amid  the  deteriorating  conditions  due  to  changing  climate 
patterns.  

Given  the amplitude of green challenges  in Slovakia,  the high share of 43% of the plan´s 
total grant allocation attributed to climate-related actions appears appropriate. Slovakia’s 
ambition  is  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from  industrial  processes,  including  in  energy 
production.  The  ambitious  industry  decarbonisation  auction  scheme  is  projected  to  contribute 
significantly  to  greenhouse  gas  emission  reductions,  also  in  view  of  meeting  the  EU’s  climate 
2030 target. Supporting investments in renewable energy capacities, including modernisation of 
existing  installations,  is  expected  to  boost  Slovakia’s  green  installed  capacity  by  total  of  220 
MW,  supporting  the  EU’s  32%  share  of  renewables  target  by  2030.  The  construction  of  new 
green buildings, in  particular hospitals  and schools,  and the renovation of existing buildings at 
low emission standards (including 30,000 of single-family houses and indicatively 100 historic 
public buildings) shall also  on balance help  in  decarbonising of the country.  Energy efficiency 
measures are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The plan will also 
promote circular economy processes through a reform of the construction waste management.  

The strategic planning and substantial investments is expected to contribute to greening of 
transport.  Transport  is  one  of  the  sectors  with  the  highest  emissions  growth  in  Slovakia.  The 
transport infrastructure networks will benefit from an upgrade of railways and newly constructed 
cycle  paths.  The  new  measures  will  also  increase  the  volumes  of  goods  transported  in  cleaner 
intermodal transport. The new investments will support the roll-out of the charging stations for 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
alternative fuels vehicles, which is important especially for Slovakia exhibiting a high share of 
automotive sector in the economy. 

The  recovery  plan  is  expected  to  contribute  to  the  long-term  resilience  of  ecosystems  to 
climate  change.  The  reforms  and  investments  will  create  a  framework  for  more  efficient 
management of watercourses and increasing the landscape’s water retention capacity. A number 
of measures will ensure more resilient forest ecosystems, also contributing to greater biodiversity 
and  climate  change  mitigation.    In  national  parks  Muránska  Planina  and  Poloniny,  the  nature 
conservation  measures  are  expected  to  be  accompanied  by  complementary  development  plans 
which  will  enable  regions  to  be  transformed  from  intensive  use  of  natural  resources  to  a  more 
diversified, local economy. 

Digital transformation 

The  plan’s  diagnosis  of  Slovakia’s  challenges  in  the  area  of  digital  transformation  is 
relevant  and  accurate  (see  also  section  2.3).  Slovakia  particularly  lags  behind  in  terms  of 
digitalisation of public services, standing close to the end of EU Member States’ ranking in this 
area.  The  plan  also  rightly  identifies  the  need  for  developing  the  digital  skills  of  citizens  and 
creating an innovative environment.  

The  Slovak  recovery  plan  assigns  to  digital  challenges  21%  of  the  plan´s  total  grant 
allocation.  The  outlined  actions  particularly  aim  at  supporting  faster  and  more  efficient  e-
government.  This  should  be  particularly  achieved  through  making  better  use  of  technological 
innovations  for  communication  with  the  state  and  strengthening  digital  processes  in  the 
administration. The user-friendly information systems should reduce the time and financial costs 
of  communicating  with  the  state  and  improve  the  wide  range  of  public  services  –  including 
police, firefighting, rescue systems as well as the justice system.  

The  reforms  and  investments  are  rightly  targeting  the  improvements  in  digital  skills  and 
expanding  the  opportunities  for  teleworking  and  learning.  Increasing  digital  skills  is 
perceived as a key prerequisite for digitalizing the economy. The reforms and investments aim at 
creation  of  a  broader  digital  learning  ecosystem.  The  investment  in  digital  infrastructure  and 
equipment  at  all  levels  of  education,  together  with  boosting  skills  of  teachers,  should  create  a 
basis  for  development  of  digital  and  information  skills.  An  improved  access  to  technologies 
should  connect  the  vulnerable,  including  disadvantaged  children,  and  help  them  in  integration 
into society as well as in a decisive leap in digital learning.  

Digital  investments  is  expected  to  contribute  to  ambitions  to  modernize  Slovakia  nearly 
across all components of the recovery and resilience plan. The digitalized service center for 
hospital management and support to telemedicine are expected to make medical processes more 
efficient,  improving  the  efficiency  and  accessibility  of  healthcare  services  for  all  citizens.  The 
smart  energy  solutions  including  battery  storage  systems  shall  allow  for  connection  of  more 
renewable  energy  sources  to  the  grid,  contributing  thus  to  strategic  energy  independence  and 
cleaner  air  in  Slovakia. Support  to  research  and  innovations  will  be  key  for  the  transformative 

32 

 
 
 
areas such as smart mobility, smart cities and cybersecurity. Investments in automation of traffic 
management  of  railway  lines  shall  increase  the  transport  capacity  and  safety  of  the  transport 
network.  

Smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth,  including  economic  cohesion,  jobs,  productivity, 
competitiveness,  research,  development  and  innovation,  and  a  well-functioning  single  market 
with strong SMEs 

The  plan  presents  targeted  policy  actions  across  various  relevant  policy  areas  related  to 
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Smart growth will be promoted particularly through 
actions  targeting  innovation  and  digitalisation  as  well  as  through  improvements  in  educational 
outcomes  and  skills.    As  regards  the  sustainable  growth,  the  plan’s  key  investment  initiatives 
should inter alia contribute to a cleaner energy mix, industrial decarbonisation and greening of 
public  transport.  The  plan  aims  at  strengthening  the  inclusion  through  addressing  the  negative 
impact of children’s socio-economic background on educational outcomes. 

The plan reacts to the deterioration of the labour market caused by the COVID-19 crisis. 
Due  to  the  contraction  in  economic  growth,  the  unemployment  rate  is  expected  to  increase  to 
above 7% in 2021. Job losses occurred mainly in selected service sectors, affecting a large share 
of  the  low-skilled  workforce.  The  post-pandemic  recovery  and  job  creation  should  be 
particularly  helped  by  rolling  out  investments  into  green  construction  sector  activities  (both 
building  and  reconstructions),  renewables,  nature  protection,  sustainable  transport  and  digital 
infrastructure.  The  modernization  of  hospitals  and  clinical  processes  will  also  indirectly 
contribute to increasing the attractiveness of jobs in the health sector. 

The reform and investments are expected to contribute to strengthening of competitiveness 
through innovation. The plan rightly identifies the productivity-related challenges for Slovakia 
and the need for innovation-driven growth, while aiming at closing the gap vis-à-vis the EU in 
terms  of  average  level  of  living  standard.  Delivering  a  higher  quality  of  Slovak  universities 
through  promoting  their  profiling  and  greater  openness  to  research  cooperation  shall  kick-start 
innovation  and  make  the  businesses  more  competitive.  The  decarbonisation  investments  are 
expected  to  strengthen  the  competitiveness  of  the  industrial  sector,  through  supporting  the 
process of green transition.  

Adequate  reforms  and  investments  are  expected  to  contribute  towards  strengthening  of 
Slovakia’s  competitiveness  through  research  and  innovation  and  an  improved  business 
environment. The plan rightly identifies the productivity-related challenges for Slovakia and the 
need for innovation-driven growth, while aiming at closing the gap vis-à-vis the EU average in 
terms of living standards. The reform of research and innovation governance has the potential to 
overcome  the  current  institutional  fragmentation  and  to  deliver  efficient  policy  design, 
implementation  and  evaluation.  The  reform  of  the  Slovak  Academy  of  Sciences,  research 
institutions and universities could increase the quality of public science base and its openness to 
international  and  cross-sectoral  cooperation.  Research  grants  and  fellowships  can  contribute  to 
attracting and retaining top talent in science and innovation. The set-up of innovative consortia 
are  expected  to  kick-start  greater  knowledge  diffusion.  The  decarbonisation  investments  will 

33 

 
 
strengthen the competitiveness of the industrial sector, through supporting the inevitable process 
of  green  transition.  Improvements  in  the  business  environment  through  lower  administrative 
burden  will  boost  investments,  while  the  insolvency  reform  is  expected  to  deliver  a  better 
allocation of resources in the economy. 

The  reforms  are  expected  to  contribute  to  a  well-functioning  Single  Market  with  strong 
SMEs.  The  SMEs  will  particularly  benefit  from  a  strong  demand  impulse  triggered  by 
investments,  particularly  in  the  construction  and  service  sector.  The  new  infrastructure  for 
alternative fuels will support the transition of the automotive sector towards higher value-added 
alternatives, supporting the local manufacturing sector along the whole supply chain. The digital 
vouchers  are  expected  to  stimulate  the  uptake  of  new  digital  technologies  in  firms.  Various 
financial instruments and grants will offer to both young and mature companies the opportunities 
to  develop  and  grow.  The  increase  in  electricity  transmission  capacity  between  Slovakia  and 
Hungary,  more  transparent  public  procurement  and  boosting  mobility  of  talented  workers  are 
also expected to deliver positive effect for the internal market. Overall, the plan will contribute to 
achieving  the  objectives  of  the  updated  Industrial  Strategy10  for  making  the  EU  industry  more 
competitive globally, enhancing open strategic autonomy and fostering the twin transition.  

Social and territorial cohesion 

The  plan  recognises  the  significant  economic  and  social  disparities  between  the  regions, 
especially between the west and east of Slovakia (see also section 2.2). The marked territorial 
gaps remain particularly large between the capital of Bratislava and other regions  – not only in 
income  levels,  but  also  in  terms  of  education  attainment,  R&D  expenditure  and  employment 
share  in  sectors  with  a  higher  value  added.  Intra-regional  disparities  are  further  aggravated  by 
infrastructure  gaps  in  the  most  disadvantages  municipalities  and  poor  linkages  between  urban 
and  rural  areas.  Despite  the  long-term  trend  of  declining  unemployment  in  years  before  the 
COVID-19 crisis, the unemployment rate of low-skilled and youth rests among the highest in the 
EU.  The  socio-economic  situation  of  marginalized  Roma  communities  is  even  more  difficult 
amid consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The  plan  clearly  sets  out  that  social  and  territorial  cohesion  is  expected  to  also  be 
supported  from  other  EU  programmes    than  the  RRF,  notably  from  shared  management 
funds.  The  authorities  provide  references  to  other  types  of  the  EU  funding  for  a  number  of 
important  policy  areas.  Such  examples  include,  for  instance,  the  rolling  out  the  broadband 
infrastructure (cohesion policy funds), support to greening of the heating sector (Modernisation 
Fund) and transition of the coal region Upper Nitra (Just Transition Fund).  

10 COM(2020) 102 final, https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-eu-industrial-strategy-
march-2020_en.pdf and COM(2021) 350 final https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/ 
communication-industrial-strategy-update-2020_en.pdf  

34 

 
 
                                                           
The plan addresses the cohesion challenges primarily through reforms and investments in 
education,  health  and  digitalisation.  In  education,  the  attention  is  given  to  supply  of  quality 
pre-school education and inclusiveness of the system, in view of pending social inequalities. The 
acquisition  of  digital  equipment  for  schools  across  Slovakia  will  open  the  opportunities  for 
pupils  from  poorer  regions  and  disadvantaged  socio-economic  backgrounds,  including 
marginalised  Roma.  The  infrastructural  investments  and  optimization  of  the  national  hospital 
network  is  expected  to  reduce  regional  disparities  in  access  to  care,  and  improve  the  quality, 
cost-effectiveness and accessibility of healthcare services. A comprehensive reform of the long-
term  care  system  is  expected  to  increase  the  inclusion  of  disabled  persons  into  society  and 
alleviate  pressures  on  families  caring  for  vulnerable.  The  investments  will  increase  the 
accessibility  of  mental  healthcare  in  less  developed  regions.  The  expansion  of  digital  services 
and high-speed broadband is expected to boost possibilities for distance learning and teleworking 
across Slovakia, thus contributing to reducing regional and social disparities. The plan, however, 
does not offer a comprehensive approach to integration of the marginalised Roma communities 
and labour market nor solutions to the gaps in social housing provision. 

The green measures are expected to contribute to social and territorial cohesion. The green 
investments  will  create  new  job  opportunities  across  Slovakia  and  across  all  skill  levels.  A 
significant part of building renovations shall be channeled into private family homes in regions, 
taking into account the needs of socially disadvantaged. People with disabilities will benefit from 
investments improving accessibility, especially in the renovated public buildings and in the new 
public  transport  fleet.  The  reforms  in  the  area  of  renewables  have  potential  to  deliver  positive 
effects  for  household  energy  bills,  including  for  socially  vulnerable  people.  The  actions 
supporting  industry  are  expected  to  help  the  recipients  to  adjust  to  challenges  related  to  green 
transition, with positive effect on jobs in the regions.  

Health,  and  economic,  social  and  institutional  resilience,  with  the  aim  of,  inter  alia,  increasing 
crisis preparedness and crisis reaction capacity  

The  plan  rightly  identifies  the  significant  challenges  for  the  Slovak  health  system  on  the 
background of pandemic situation. It emphasises the existence of gaps in hospital-level care, 
particularly in ensuring critical services in crisis situations. Slovakia’s main objective in this area 
is to improve the resilience and cost-effectiveness of its healthcare system as a whole through a 
set  reforms  and  investments  in  primary  care,  long-term  care  (including  community-based 
solutions)  and  mental  healthcare.  The  large  investments  will  modernise  the  country’s  hospital 
network and related infrastructure, which will deliver new hospitals and renovations of existing 
facilities. The digitalization of healthcare services will also increase the efficiency and capacity 
of the sector to respond more adequately to crisis situations.  

The  Slovak  recovery  and  resilience  plan  intends  to  overcome  educational  gaps  caused  by 
the  pandemic  and  foster  investments  into  digitalization  and  knowledge  economy.  The 
proposed  measures  target  the  digitalization  of  primary  and  secondary  schools,  particularly 
through improving the digital skills of all pupils and teaching staff. The investments will allow 

35 

 
 
 
for support to pupils and appropriate learning also during the pandemic restrictions. The reforms 
of  tertiary  education  will  enable  universities  to  adapt  faster  to  changing  economic  and  social 
developments, as well as to pandemic situations. A new national strategy for the development of 
digital  skills  will  be  prepared  as  part  of  the  plan.  Given  that  the  plan  does  not  offer  a 
comprehensive  approach  towards  adult  learning,  in  particular  in  view  of  persistently  elevated 
low-skilled workers’ unemployment, the strategy should be followed up with concrete measures 
to support adult learning, helping them to acquire new skills amid the progressing digitalization 
of the society. The support for innovation and digital transformation of companies is expected to 
contribute to adjustment of the Slovak economy to post-pandemic challenges and make it more 
competitive and resilient.  

The  Slovak  public  sector  is  expected  to  improve  its  crisis  reaction  capacity  through 
investment  into  early  warning  systems  and  crisis  infrastructure.  The  better  equipped 
emergency  services  (police,  fire-fighters,  rescue)  should  make  Slovakia  better  prepared  for 
security  hazards  in  future,  including  the  resurgence  of  pandemic  situations.  Societal  resilience 
should be strengthened by measures protecting citizens’ legal certainty through a more efficient 
and transparent judicial system. The pension reform is expected to make Slovakia less vulnerable 
to possible financial turbulences.   

The green investments should contribute to Slovakia’s strategic autonomy and strengthen 
the resilience in view of external shocks. The increasing share of renewables in energy mix and 
energy efficiency investments will reduce the share of imported fossil fuels. The plan underlines 
that  Slovakia  currently  imports  more  than  98  %  of  oil  and  natural  gas,  which  accounts  for  a 
significant part of its energy consumption, from countries outside the EU. The resilience of the 
energy sector will also be increased through strengthening of electricity transmission capacity at 
the cross-border profile with Hungary. 

Policies for the next generation, children and the youth, such as education and skills 

Among  the  main  socio-economic  challenges  for  the  next  generation,  the  plan  focuses 
predominantly on the reforms and investments in education. A large share of children have 
only limited access to early care and pre-primary education. The average scores for the best and 
worst-performing  pupils  remain  heavily  affected  by  the  socio-economic  background.  In  recent 
years, Slovakia has seen a worrying drop in the results of young people’s knowledge and skills. 
Slovakia  is  also  one  of  the  Member  States  most  exposed  to  the  effects  of  brain-drain  and 
automation.  The  low  share  of  people  participating  in  adult  learning  creates  risks  in  view  of 
economy’s expected structural shifts in the future.  

The Slovak authorities plan to tackle the educational challenges through dedicated system 
reforms  and  better  inclusion  of  socio-economically  disadvantaged  groups.  The  new 
kindergartens  are  expected  to  increase  the  attendance  of  children  from  three  years  of  age, 
including those with disabilities and from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The quality and 
inclusiveness  of  primary  and  lower-secondary  school  education  will  be  addressed  by  the 
curricular reform, introducing competence-based and learner-centered approaches. The skills of 
teaching  staff  should  improve  through  the  reform  of  initial  teacher  education,  upgrading  the 

36 

 
 
teacher  qualifications  requirements  and  setting  incentives  to  pursue  lifelong  professional 
development. The changes in the support system for pupils with special educational needs will 
enable  all  children  to  develop  their  full  educational  potential.  The  planned  investments  and 
reforms  are  expected  to  improve  the  digital  skills  of  young  people  as  well  as  to  increase  the 
awareness on the effects of climate change and technological transformation the economy.  

The  Slovak  recovery  and  resilience  plan  aims  at  improving  the  quality,  relevance  and 
internationalisation  of  Slovak  higher  education.  Slovakia  plans  to  implement  a  set  of 
comprehensive  reforms  changing  the  governance,  scientific  evaluation,  accreditation  and 
financing  systems  of  higher  education  institutions,  accompanied  by  introducing  performance 
contracts.  The  internationalisation  will  be  boosted  through  the  scholarship  programmes  for 
student  and  staff  mobility.  Scholarships  for  students  with  the  disadvantaged  background  and 
investments into accessibility of universities will improve the inclusiveness of higher education. 
The  reforms  targeting  the  improvements  in  quality  and  relevance  of  Slovak  higher  education 
have  potential  to  help  retain  the  Slovak  talent  and  attract  skilled  individuals  from  abroad, 
addressing the negative demographic trends and brain drain. 

Taking into consideration all reforms and investments envisaged by Slovakia, its Recovery and 
Resilience plan represents, to a large extent a comprehensive and adequately balanced response 
to the economic and social situation, thereby contributing appropriately to all six pillars referred 
to in Article 3 of the RRF Regulation, taking the specific challenges and the financial allocation 
of Slovakia into account. This would warrant a rating of A under the assessment criterion 2.1 in 
Annex V to the RRF Regulation. 

4.2. Link with country-specific recommendations and the European Semester  

The  plan  contributes  to  effectively  addressing  a  significant  subset  of  the  structural 
challenges  identified  in  the  country-specific  recommendations  (CSRs)  of  2019  and  2020. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  persistence  of  Slovakia’s  various  structural  challenges  identified  in  the 
CSRs, the plan appears to place the right emphasis on the different reform and investment needs. 
Generally speaking, the (horizontal) challenge of ensuring a swift and smooth green and digital 
transition appears to be tackled with determination and a wide range of measures in Slovakia’s 
plan.  Long-standing  challenges  in  the  area  of  education,  childcare,  healthcare,  as  well  as 
research, development and innovation also met with comprehensive measures suited to ensure a 
near-resolution  of  the  most  serious  shortcomings.  In  recent  years  there  had  already  been  some 
and limited progress observed regarding challenges in the justice and public procurement system, 
respectively, and the additional measures proposed in the plan can be expected to contribute to 
effectively  addressing  the  underlying  challenges.  While  other  crucial  challenges  such  as  those 
related  to  Slovakia’s  business  environment,  corruption  control,  waste  management  and 
integration of the Roma population are all also targeted in the plan, the underlying problems tend 
to be of a multi-faceted, behavioural or cultural nature, which tends to complicate their swift and 
complete resolution. 

37 

 
 
Table 5: Mapping of country challenges identified in 2019-20 country-specific recommendations and Slovakia’s RRP components  

i

g
n
d
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i

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l

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1
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7
C

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l
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u
B
–
2
C

Country challenges 

Associated CSR 
(2019-2020) and 
European Semester 
recommendations 

Public finances: long-
term sustainability and 
fiscal policy 

2019.1.1, 2019.1.2, 
2020.1.1 

Healthcare system: 
Resilience and provision 
and coordination of care 

2019.1.1, 2020.1.2, 
2020.1.3 

l

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n
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38 

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7
1
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● 

○ 

○ 

● 

● 

● 

s
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f

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l

b
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-
8
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C

● 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Education and care, 
social policy: Quality, 
access and inclusiveness 
Investment focus on 
specific areas 
Green transition 

Digital transition 

Justice system, 
corruption and anti-
money laundering 
Business environment 
and competitiveness, 
public administration 
and public procurement 

2019.2.1, 2019.2.2, 
2019.2.3, 2020.2.1, 
2020.2.3 

2019.3.1, 2020.3.3 

2019.3.1, 2020.3.4 

● 

2019.3.1, 2020.2.2, 
2020.3.2, 2020.3.4 

2019.4.1, 2019.4.2, 
2020.4.1, 2020.4.3 

2019.3.1, 2019.3.2, 
2020.3.1, 2020.3.3, 
2020.4.2 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

○ 

● 

○ 

● 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

○ 

● 

● 

● 

● 

○ 

Key:  “●”  investments  and  reforms  of  the  component  significantly  address  the  challenge;  “○”  the  component  partially  addresses  the  challenge

39 

 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Slovakia’s  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  presents  a  mapping  of  CSR  challenges  onto  the 
plan’s  eighteen  components.  In  particular,  a  summary  table  sets  out  a  combined  set  of  2019-
2020 CSRs in table format, bundling thematically similar CSRs from both years into one column 
and then breaking these down into further sub-recommendations. The table is both accurate and 
complete  in  terms  of  covering  all  CSRs  as  well  as  all  relevant  elements  of  the  plan’s 
components.  Where  relevant,  the  table  includes  supplementary  information  on  measures  taken 
outside the RRP, notably the pandemic crisis response measures  taken over the course of 2020 
aimed  at  supporting  incomes,  jobs  and  companies.  The  table  thereby  illustrates  the  very  high 
degree of CSR coverage achieved by Slovakia’s RRP.  

The  plan  contributes  to  effectively  addressing  recommendations  as  regards  fiscal  policy 
and  public  finances.  It  presents  a  number  of  highly  relevant  components  in  response  to  its 
longer-term sustainability challenge, which particularly concerns the health and pension system, 
both  of  which  are  significant  drivers  in  Slovakia’s  long-term  spending  pressures.  The 
modernisation of healthcare (component 11, the largest of the eighteen components) includes a 
number of reforms and investments that have the potential to improve the cost-effectiveness of 
Slovakia’s  healthcare  system.  The  optimisation  of  the  hospital  and  acute  healthcare  network 
offer  potentially  sizeable  efficiency  savings,  especially  when  coupled  with  the  considerable 
investments  into  healthcare  facilities  foreseen  under  the  RRF.  It  reflects  the  transformative 
potential  of  the  plan  for  improving  the  cost-effectiveness  of  the  healthcare  system,  which  will 
alleviate  the  long-term  fiscal  sustainability  risks  stemming  from  public  spending  on  healthcare 
and long-term care. The plan also envisages improving the sustainability of the pension system 
through  a  pension  reform  (part  of  component  18).  Moreover,  the  latter  component  envisages  a 
tax reform11 and the introduction of binding expenditure ceilings, both of which are likely to have 
a  favourable  effect  on  budgetary  trajectories.  The  recommendations  related  to  the  immediate 
fiscal  policy  response  to  the  pandemic  can  be  considered  as  falling  outside  the  scope  of 
Slovakia’s RRP, notwithstanding the fact that Slovakia has generally responded adequately and 
sufficiently  to  the  immediate  need  to  support  the  economy  through  fiscal  means  in  2020  and 
2021, in line with the provisions of the General Escape Clause.  Moreover, the recommendation 
to achieve the medium-term budgetary objective in 2020 is no longer relevant, due both to the 
lapsing of the corresponding budgetary period and the activation in March 2020 of the General 
Escape Clause of the Stability and Growth Pact in the context of the pandemic crisis. 

Slovakia’s  plan  represents  a  broad-based  and  detailed  response  to  the  healthcare 
challenges  expressed  in  the  country-specific  recommendations.  The  plan  includes  three 
components that deal with the modernisation of the healthcare system, the mental health system, 
and the social and long-term care one. Taken together, these three components account for 23% 

11 It should be noted that the tax reform has a low level of detail and no clear commitments 

40 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
of the plan’s total estimated cost, and thus represent a key pillar of Slovakia’s recovery strategy. 
The  components  foresee  a  combination  of  measures  to  improve  the  systems’  capacity  and 
infrastructure,  rationalize  the  provision  of  care  services  and  modernise  their  management 
instruments. Their successful implementation has the potential to improve the accessibility and 
quality  of  these  services  for  end-users,  while  they  can  also  be  expected  to  alleviate  long-term 
budgetary risks for public finances (see fiscal policy above). 

Challenges  in  education  and  care,  and  social  policy  more  broadly  are  addressed  in  a 
satisfactory  fashion.  Slovakia’s  plan  places  emphasis  mainly  on  addressing  the  challenges 
related  to  equal  access  to  education  and  to  childcare  and  long-term  care  services,  while  the 
potential  to  foster  skills  through  adult  learning  is  underexploited.  Three  of  the  eighteen 
components  tackle  shortcomings  in  the  pre-primary,  primary,  secondary  and  tertiary  education 
sector (components 6, 7 and 8, with a combined estimated cost of EUR 892 million, 11% of the 
total  estimated  cost).  Component  13  addresses  challenges  in  the  area  of  long-term  care.  Key 
measures under these components aim at extending pre-primary education provision for children 
as of 3 years of age, making schools barrier-free at secondary school level , updating curricula 
and  upgrading  school  infrastructure  (including  IT  equipment),  and  reforming  initial  teacher 
education  and  continuing  professional  development.  Socio-economic  inequalities  in  access  to 
pre-school education are targeted through large-scale investment in extra kindergarten capacities, 
however actual attendance, and high quality and inclusive environment will need to be ensured 
to bring the necessary results. The availability of childcare below age three remains a challenge. 
The  performance  of  higher  education  institutions  is  to  be  improved  by  a  set  of  comprehensive 
reforms, which aim to change the evaluation, accreditation, management and financing models, 
as  well  as  by  boosting  internationalisation  and  improving  inclusiveness.  The  educational 
inequalities  resulting  from  the  school  closure  due  to  the  pandemic  are  to  be  addressed  by  a 
compensatory  programme  for  pupils.  Investment  in  the  digital  infrastructure  and  skills  of 
teachers and students is set to address the digital divide in education, and to ensure equal access 
to education.  Although the plan partly supports Slovakia’s Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and 
Participation  of  Roma  by  2030,  with  various  RRP  measures  aimed  at  reducing  educational 
segregation  of  Roma  pupils  and  increasing  their  educational  outcomes,  it  lacks  quantitative 
targets stated in the strategy itself. By contrast, for housing-related measures aimed at improving 
living  conditions  of  the  Roma  community,  Slovakia  plans  to  seek  funding  by  Cohesion  policy 
funds and the national budget. The recommendation on income replacement has, for the purpose 
of  this  assessment,  been  treated  as  already  satisfactorily  dealt  with  through  the  introduction  of 
effective short-term work schemes in response to the pandemic.   

Slovakia’s plan shows a large number of  measures corresponding to recommendations to 
focus  investment  in  specific  areas.  The  plan  features  dedicated  components  for  health  (EUR 
1.533 billion, 23% of the total estimated cost), research and innovation (EUR 633 million, 9.6%), 
sustainable transport (EUR 801 million, 12.1%), digital Slovakia (EUR 615 million, 9.3%), and 
building  renovation  (EUR  741  million,  11.3%),  much  of  which  is  dedicated  to  making  homes 
more energy-efficient. By contrast, in the area of waste management the plan foresees relevant 
measures  for  the  improved  recycling  of  construction  waste.  However,  it  is  missing  the 

41 

 
 
 
 
opportunity to target insufficient recycling rates of municipal and packaging waste and high rates 
of landfilling in Slovakia. Investments into social housing are not addressed under the plan. With 
regard  to  front-loading  mature  public  investment  projects,  while  the  plan  does  not  provide 
sufficient  detail  for  a  close  assessment,  it  can  be  presumed  that  this  did  occur  to  the  greatest 
extent  possible,  for  reasons  of  both  economic  need  and  political  expediency.  In  addition,  the 
development  and  application  of  a  new  public  investment  methodology  aims  at  improving  the 
prioritisation of mature projects with a high cost-benefit ratio and is set to develop sector-specific 
investment project pipelines to this end.  

Slovakia’s  plan  can  be  regarded  as  a  determined  and  effective  response  to  the  twin 
challenges posed by the green and digital transition. Investment and reforms into upgrading 
Slovakia’s  digital  infrastructure  encompass  target  both  e-government,  digital  skills,  as  well  as 
edcuation  investments,  while  plan  describes  also  envisaged  measures  in  digital  connectivity, 
which will require other financial resources to be implemented. The move to digital capabilities 
and  services  also  extends  to  education,  healthcare,  public  administration  and  research  and 
innovation,  making  the  plan  a  well-integrated  response  to  the  challenges  posed  by  the  digital 
demands of the future. Equally, the plan includes reforms and investments to facilitate the green 
transition  in  numerous  components,  notably  those  focused  on  renewable  energy  sources 
(component  1),  energy  efficiency  measures  (component  2),  sustainable  transport  infrastructure 
incl.  rail  transport  (component  3),  reduction  of  industrial  greenhouse  gas  emissions  and  the 
decarbonisation of industry (component 4), and bolstering the resilience of natural carbon sinks 
and ecosystem services (component 5). 

The  plan  entails  an  ambitious  agenda  to  improve  the  effectiveness  and  integrity  of  the 
justice system and to fight corruption and money laundering. Slovakia’s plan shows a clear 
acknowledgement  of  the  above  challenges  and  dedicates  component  15  entirely  to  justice 
reforms  (EUR  255  m,  3.8%  of  the  total  estimated  cost)  and  component  16  to  the  fight  against 
corruption and money laundering (EUR 229 m, 3.5%). One of the main aims of component 15 is, 
through a reform of the judicial map, to create conditions for a greater specialisation of judges 
and thus allow for better and faster court decisions. A modernisation and digitalisation of judicial 
proceedings,  including  the  creation  of  online  court  files,  an  analytic  support  platform  and  the 
procurement of IT equipment, is also envisaged as part of the investment side of the component. 
Furthermore, the reform of the judicial map is expected to allow for a better system of random 
allocation of court cases to (more specialised) judges and further reforms aim to reduce the scope 
for corrupt practices and improve the integrity of the justice system. A large part of the justice 
investment component will go towards enhancing building capacity, which – if coupled with an 
improved  use  of  human  capital  and  processes  -  may  potentially  increase  the  efficiency  of  the 
justice system and reduce length of proceedings. The amendment of the Constitution adopted in 
December 2020 seeks to improve the public trust in the justice system by introducing important 
changes  in  several  aspects  of  the  justice  system,  in  particular  the  Constitutional  Court  and  the 
Judicial  Council.  Furthermore,  an  amendment  of  the  Constitutional  provision  on  immunity  of 
judges  and  a  new  crime  of  bending  the  law  was  introduced.  Whereas  the  reforms  have  the 
potential to address the concerns about the effectiveness and integrity of the justice system, it is 

42 

 
 
 
 
important  that  adequate  safeguards  are  observed  in  line  with  EU  law  requirements  on  judicial 
independence,  including  when  applying  these  new  provisions  in  practice.  An  appropriate 
involvement  of  the  judiciary,  stakeholders  and  civil  society  throughout  the  reform  process  is 
particularly important. In addition to the aforementioned judicial dimension in the fight against 
corruption, component 16 also proposes stepping up the capacity to investigate corruption claims 
through  adequate  staffing  and  better  technological  capabilities.  Prevention  and  detection  tools 
such  as  strengthened  whistleblower  protection,  new  and  centralised  information  systems  and 
consolidated  electronic  databases  seem  necessary  steps  in  tackling  both  corruption  and  money 
laundering.  If  this  is  accompanied  by  greater  deterrents  and  a  cultural  change  with  regards  to 
anti-corruption attitudes, the measures envisaged in the plan could make a meaningful difference 
in stamping out widespread corruption.   

the  ongoing  shortcomings 

The plan presents a balanced and promising response to recommendations to improve the 
business  environment.  Regarding 
in  Slovakia’s  business 
environment, the plan dedicates component 14 to setting out various measures in response. The 
principal objective of this component is the easing of the administrative and regulatory burdens 
on businesses, which is a key reason for Slovakia’s poor (and by some measures deteriorating) 
performance  in  business  climate  surveys.  The  plan  also  envisages  a  large-scale  shift  to  digital 
public  services  and  improved  interfaces  for  citizens  requesting  public  administration  services. 
Quicker  and  simplified  insolvency  processes  targeted  by  the  plan  could  also  help  to  address  a 
long-running complication for entrepreneurs operating in Slovakia.  

The effectiveness of the plan’s measures in addressing recommendations to improve public 
procurement  and  SME  competitiveness  remains  uncertain  in  some  respects.  The  public 
procurement  reform  and  investment  are  foreseen  in  Component  14,  aiming  at  centralising, 
digitalising  and  modernizing  practices,  thereby  accelerating  and  simplifying  procedures.  While 
public procurement training and the adoption of best practices may potentially address the value-
for-money  concerns  underlying  the  CSR  at  hand,  quality-related  and  lifecycle  cost  criteria  are 
addressed  less  comprehensively,  although  the  plan  contains  good  steps  to  mainstream  green 
public  procurement.  The  reform  of  public  procurement  practices  not  only  offers  the  chance  of 
improving  transparency  and  value  for  money,  but  also  opens  up  the  potentially  important 
commercial field of public contracts to a wider range of bidding suppliers, including small and 
medium-sized  enterprises.  Regarding  the  competitiveness  of  SMEs,  component  14  mainly 
focuses  on  reforming  the  business  environment  in  terms  of  insolvency  procedures,  public 
procurement reform and administrative burden, but it largely lacks specific provisions for SMEs. 
In turn, component 9 envisages dedicated support to SMEs to foster their innovation capacities, 
plausibly with a positive impact on their competitiveness. In addition, the envisaged increase in 
construction  investment  (including  from  building  renovations)  is  expected  to  trickle  down  to 
greater SME activity at local level. The challenge of ensuring liquidity support for SMEs and the 
self-employed has been dealt with during the phase of acute liquidity problems for businesses in 
2020,  in  which  tax  deferrals  and  government  loan  guarantees  ensured  adequate  short-term 
liquidity for businesses. Still, long-standing concerns about late payments and ensuing liquidity 
challenges could have been addressed, too. 

43 

 
 
 
 
The  plan  presents  a  balanced  and  promising  response  to  recommendations  to  improve 
public  administration.  Component  16  envisages  optimising  crisis  management  and 
strengthening  general  administrative  capacities  at  different  levels  of  the  government.  It  is 
important  to  further  strengthen  evidence-based  policy-making,  inter-ministerial  cooperation,  as 
well  as  governance  at  local  level.  Furthermore,  component  17  (EUR  615  m,  9.3%  of  the  total 
estimated  cost)  foresees  comprehensive  investments  and  reforms  to  usher  in  a  shift  towards  e-
government services, suitably secured and accompanied by better tools and skills for providers 
and users.  The shift to quick and standardised electronic platforms offers considerable potential 
to  improve  the  quality  of  public  services  in  Slovakia,  as  well  as  their  coordination  by 
government, given the difficulties at present in communication and coordination of e-government 
initiatives between different government levels and entities, as well as with end-users. 

Response to the economic and social situation 

Slovakia  entered  the  pandemic  crisis  on  fairly  robust  macroeconomic  footing,  having 
previously  enjoyed  six  years  of  robust  economic  growth  amidst  a  supportive  external 
environment and a growing integration into European value chains. This was accompanied 
by  falling  unemployment,  accelerating  wage  inflation  and  rising  skill  shortages,  particularly  in 
the  more  prosperous  and  activity-rich  western  part  of  the  country.  Even  though  Slovakia’s 
convergence  with  the  rest  of  the  EU  had  slowed  down  compared  to  the  period  immediately 
following  EU  accession,  the  pre-crisis  period  represented,  by  any  measure,  a  period  of  good 
economic times for Slovakia. At the same time, structural weaknesses in education, innovation, 
social  inclusion,  regional  divergences  and  governance  were  acutely  constraining  Slovakia’s 
economic advancement when the pandemic arrived. 

After a 4.8% decline in 2020 real output, persisting pandemic-related restrictions in early 
2021 continue to weigh on economic activity in Slovakia. Nevertheless, the assumed progress 
in vaccination and the improving pandemic situation should enable a sharp rebound in the second 
half of the year, bringing annual GDP growth to 4.8% in 2021. The Slovak economy is forecast 
to reach its pre-pandemic output level  by the end of 2021 and to  continue growing at  a  robust 
annual rate of 5.2% in 2022, closing its negative output gap. Thanks to public short-time work 
schemes,  the  impact  of  the  crisis  on  the  labour  market  has  been  mostly  reflected  in  declining 
hours worked, while employment has been shielded, decreasing only by 1.9% in 2020. However, 
despite the economic recovery gaining momentum already in 2021, the labour market is expected 
to strengthen only from 2022 onwards.  

On the social side, strong economic growth in the past drove up employment and created 
moderately  inclusive  growth,  while  reducing  the  risk  of  poverty  in  the  population. 
Nevertheless, long-term unemployment remains still above the EU average, and shows a strong 
correlation  with  low  skill  levels,  as  well  as  being  much  more  acute  in  the  structurally  weaker 
central  and eastern parts of the country. The pandemic crisis  is  also  likely  to  have accentuated 
employment difficulties for disadvantaged groups, who are facing a significantly higher risk of 
poverty and for whom social exclusion remains a challenge. The pandemic led to a spike in the 
44 

 
 
 
 
 
unemployment  rate,  with  negative  repercussions  not  on  only  incomes,  but  also  social  relations 
and a sense of purpose for those put  out  of work. Moreover, this  has detached  a  generation of 
pupils from educational and social life for at least parts of one school  year, also due to gaps in 
infrastructure  to  provide  digital  learning  opportunities.  The  scar  in  Slovakia’s  human  capital, 
social inclusion and regional divergences is thus not to be underestimated, and is likely to exceed 
the degree of macroeconomic scarring as measured by the path of GDP. 

Overall, and compared to initial expectations of a much deeper and protracted recession in 
Slovakia,  the  economic  scars  of  the  pandemic  recession  appear  to  be  comparatively 
moderate,  serious  though  they  are.  In  light  of  the  relatively  swift  recovery  that  Slovakia  is 
projected  to  experience  in  economic  activity,  policy  attention  deserves  to  be  placed  on  more 
structural  –  rather  than  purely  cyclical  -  constraints  on  growth  and  prosperity.  In  light  of 
Slovakia’s aforementioned structural  challenges, which became more apparent  as the economy 
‘heated  up’  in  the  pre-pandemic  years,  the  plan’s  strong  focus  on  inclusive  education, 
governance and productivity-enhancing investment into the green and digital transition,  can be 
regarded as a comprehensive and adequate response to the economic crisis.  

Impact on growth potential 

In the long run, structural reforms  contained  in the Slovak RRP are expected  to entail a 
GDP  gain  of  at  least  5.3%  by  2040  according  to  the  authorities,  relative  to  the 
counterfactual  scenario  without  RRF.  Three-quarters  of  these  effects  are  assumed  to  come 
from  increasing  the  quality  of  human  capital,  improving  the  skill  composition  and  size  of  the 
Slovak labour force, and from boosting domestic research and innovation. The remaining quarter 
of  the  effect  is  expected  from  enhancing  the  efficiency  of  public  administration  and  fighting 
corruption,  which  would  improve  the  business  environment.  These  measures  would  raise 
productivity and maintain the competitiveness of the Slovak economy. As a result, a successful 
implementation  of  the  RRP  could  facilitate  the  country’s  transition  to  a  new,  more  diversified 
economic  model,  based  on  a  larger  share  of  high  value  added  activities.  By  addressing  long-
standing weaknesses of the Slovak economy and preparing the country to successfully face the 
challenges posed by 21st century trends, these reforms could have a long lasting beneficial effect 
on the economic performance and growth potential of Slovakia.  

In particular, the RRP aims to address the problem of low R&D spending and innovation 
by improving the governance of public funding for research projects and enhancing cooperation 
with the private sector. The plan also places a particular emphasis on improving human capital 
and  raising  the  skill  level  of  Slovak  citizens,  an  area  where  the  country  has  significant 
weaknesses which prevent it from fulfilling its economic potential. Measures include reforming 
the  educational  curriculum,  strengthening  teacher  training,  increasing  the  focus  on  digital 
education,  extending  compulsory  pre-primary  education  and  aiming  at  better  inclusion  of 
disadvantaged groups in the education system, all of which should improve the skill composition 
of the Slovak workforce. This would also be facilitated by trying to attract and retain very highly 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
skilled labour via university reform, more scholarships and removing administrative barriers for 
foreign workers and students.  

Low  labour  force  participation  is  another  important  factor  constraining  Slovak  potential 
growth, which the RRP aims to address via several channels. By reducing skill mismatches, 
measures  aiming  for  better  and  more  inclusive  education,  as  described  above,  should  facilitate 
higher  participation  in  the  labour  market.  In  addition,  green  investments  into  sustainable 
transport infrastructure could also help by creating better transport links between employees and 
workplaces, especially in more remote areas of the country. The plan also intends to expand the 
long-term  care  facility  network  for  the  elderly,  which  can  significantly  unburden  family 
members,  supporting  their  return  to  the  workforce.  Moreover,  a  pension  reform  linking 
retirement age to life expectancy and a tax reform shifting the tax burden from labour towards 
consumption  and  wealth  could  further  boost  labour  supply.12  These  measures  could  have  a 
beneficial  impact  on  potential  growth,  especially  given  the  projections  of  a  fast-ageing  Slovak 
population.  

By addressing the problems of inefficient public administration and by fighting corruption, 
the  RRP  could  also  facilitate  a  more  favourable  business  environment  which  is  more 
conducive to private investment and innovation. Broadening digital public services and lowering 
high  regulatory  barriers  for  entrepreneurs  is  expected  to  ease  the  administrative  burden  on 
businesses  and  enhance  their  competitiveness.  Justice  reforms  and  anti-corruption  measures 
could mitigate business uncertainty. These reforms support potential growth via a more efficient 
allocation  of  public  resources  as  well  as  by  encouraging  productivity  growth  in  the  private 
sector. 

*** 

Taking into consideration the reforms and investments envisaged by Slovakia, its recovery and 
resilience  plan  is  expected  to  contribute  to  effectively  addressing  all  or  a  significant  subset  of 
challenges  identified  in  the  country-specific  recommendations,  or  challenges  in  other  relevant 
documents officially adopted by the Commission under the European Semester, and the recovery 
and  resilience  plan  represents  an  adequate  response  to  the  economic  and  social  situation  of 
Slovakia. This would warrant a rating of A under the assessment criterion 2.2 in Annex V to the 
RRF Regulation. 

12 It should be noted that the tax reform has a low level of detail and no clear commitments. 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
4.3. Growth  potential,  job  creation,  economic,  institutional  and  social  resilience,  
European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights,  mitigating  the  impact  of  the  crisis,  and  social 
territorial cohesion and convergence  

4.3.1.  Fostering economic growth and jobs 

The  implementation  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  is  expected  to  contribute 
significantly  to  economic  growth  and  job  creation  in  Slovakia.  RRF-funded  public 
expenditures  should  provide  a  boost  to  aggregate  demand  in  the  short  to  medium  term, 
improving  the  cyclical  position  of  the  Slovak  economy,  and  thereby  mitigating  the  adverse 
economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis. In the long run, investments together with the planned 
structural reforms would help addressing the current growth challenges and the threat of middle 
income  trap  faced  by  Slovakia.  This  would  facilitate  the  country’s  transition  to  a  knowledge-
based  economic  model  more  focused  on  high  value  added  activities,  and  which  remains 
competitive amid automation and digital change. Implementing the RRP is therefore expected to 
raise potential output and to have a lasting impact on the economic performance of Slovakia. 

Non-refundable financial support from the RRF amount to around 5.9% of pre-crisis GDP, 
which Slovakia plans to spend mainly on public investments spread over 6 years between 
2021  and  2026.  These  expenditures  constitute  a  sizable  fiscal  stimulus,  as  a  result  of  which 
Slovak authorities estimate GDP to be on average 1.2% higher during the period of 2021-2026, 
relative  to  the  counterfactual  scenario  without  the  RRF.  The  labour  market  is  also  expected  to 
improve. This short to medium term boost to aggregate demand should speed up the recovery of 
the  Slovak  economy  from  the  COVID-19  crisis,  especially  in  light  of  the  high  share  of 
construction projects in the investment plans, and considering that the Slovak construction sector 
was among the hardest hit during the pandemic. 

While  the  economic  benefits  of  RRF  spending  are  mainly  driven  by  higher  aggregate 
demand  in  the  short  run,  the  contribution  of  expanding  supply  capacities  gradually 
increases in the medium run. Slovak authorities estimate that solely as a result of higher capital 
accumulation, by 2026 potential output will be 0.7% higher than it would be without the RRF. 
After also taking into account possible TFP-enhancing effects of public investments, this figure 
goes up to  2.4%, while the potential  growth rate  is  estimated to  increase  from  around 1.4% to 
1.6%. Unlike the boost via demand stimulus, which dissipates rather quickly once the spending 
stops, this is a longer lasting effect raising the economic performance of Slovakia persistently.  

The  plan  contributes  to  potential  output  also  by  speeding  up  the  recovery  from  the 
COVID-19  crisis,  whereby  it  could  prevent  long-term  scarring  due  to  hysteresis  effects, 
prolonged  unemployment  and  rising  bankruptcies.  Therefore,  permanent  economic  damages 
from the pandemic could be mitigated. 

As  far  as  the  plausibility  of  these  short  and  medium-run  economic  impact  estimates  is 
concerned,  the  plan  rests  on  well-reasoned  macroeconomic  modelling  and  econometric 
techniques. The implied fiscal multiplier of 1.3 over the period of 2021-2026 is in line with the 
Commission’s  own  estimates  with  its  QUEST  macroeconomic  model,  which  predicts  RRF-

47 

 
 
 
 
financed public spending to raise GDP by between 1.3% and 1.8% on average during the period 
of 2021-2026. The somewhat higher impact estimates of the Commission reflect the fact that in 
its exercise positive cross-border demand spillovers have also been taken into account, stemming 
from synchronized NGEU spending across the whole EU (see Box 2). While these model-based 
estimates are surrounded by considerable uncertainty, even the lower bound of estimates suggest 
that the RRP is expected to have a significant impact on the GDP of Slovakia.  

In addition, the above short and medium-run estimates only consider the effects of public 
investments  in  the  RRP,  while  structural  reforms  are  not  taken  into  account.  Given  that 
structural  reforms  could  start  to  exert  their  beneficial  economic  impact  already  in  the  medium 
term, this might constitute a downward bias in the estimated figures. 

48 

 
 
 
 
Box2:  Stylised NGEU impact simulations with QUEST - Slovakia 

Model simulations conducted by the Commission using the QUEST model show that the economic impact 
of the NGEU in Slovakia could lead to an increase of GDP of between 1,3% and 2,1% by 2026.13 After 20 
years, GDP could be 0,6% higher. Cross-border spillovers account for a large part of such impact.  

According  to  these  simulations,  this  would  translate  into  up  to  20  000  additional  jobs.  Cross  border  (GDP) 
spillovers  account  for  0,6  pps  in  2026,  showing  the  value  added  of  synchronised  expenditure  across  Member 
States (line 2). Even in a scenario with a lower productivity of NGEU funds, it would still lead to a significant 
impact (line 3).14 

Table 1: QUEST simulation results  (% deviation of real GDP level from non-NGEU case, linear disbursement 
assumption over 6 years) 

Scenario 

Baseline 

   of which 
spillover 
Low productivity 

2021 

2022 

2023 

2024 

2025 

2026 

2027 

2028 

2029 

2030 

2040 

1,2 

0,5 

1,8 

0,6 

1,8 

0,6 

1,9 

0,6 

2,0 

0,7 

2,1 

0,6 

1,6 

0,6 

1,1 

0,4 

1,1 

0,3 

1,1 

0,2 

0,6 

0,1 

0,9 

1,4 

1,3 

1,3 

1,3 

1,3 

0,8 

0,3 

0,3 

0,4 

0,3 

The transmission channels of higher public investment spending to the broader economy are manifold. In 
addition  to  the  direct  effect  of  more  public  expenditures  on  GDP,  there  is  also  an  indirect  response  of  the 
economy via influencing private spending decisions, which will determine the size of the fiscal multiplier.  In the 
current environment of depressed demand, the usual effect of crowding out private expenditures via higher real 
interest rates is likely to be muted, given the expectations of continued monetary policy support in the euro area 
for the coming years. In addition, by expanding the capital stock of the economy, public investment can raise the 
productivity  of  the  private  sector,  and  thereby  crowd  in  private  investments.    Higher  public  spending  raises 
incomes  in  general,  while  higher  productivity  also  contributes  to  faster  real  wage  growth,  which  can  further 
support  household  consumption.  This  is  even  more  so  if  households  tend  to  consume  a  large  fraction  of  their 
earnings, which bodes well for Slovakia with household saving rates below the EU average. However, in the case 
of a highly open economy like Slovakia, these multiplier effects are likely to be mitigated, as some of the increase 
in aggregate spending will “leak out” via imports  instead of being directed at domestically produced goods. On 
the  other  hand,  if  trading  partners  simultaneously  also  engage  in  stimulus,  as  in  the  case  of  NGEU,  then  this 
import leakage can be counteracted by positive cross-border demand spillovers, which contribute to the estimated 
GDP impact significantly.15 

This  stylised  scenario  does  not  include  the  possible  positive  impact  of  structural  reforms,  which  can  be 
substantial. A model-based benchmarking exercise shows that undertaking structural reforms that would result in 

13  RRF  amounts  to  roughly  90%  of  NGEU,  which  also  includes  ReactEU,  Horizon,  InvestEU,  JTF,  Rural 
Development and RescEU. 
14 Technically, the low productivity scenario considers a significantly reduced output elasticity of public capital. 
15 It must also be noted, that fiscal multipliers depend a great deal on modelling assumptions about the  financing of 
government expenditures: domestic debt-financed spending is more stimulative than a balanced-budget one, and the 
distribution of taxes across households also matters. In the case of RRF grants, spending is financed from outside by 
foreign  transfers,  which  fact  tends to raise  fiscal  multipliers (Farhi and Werning, 2017). To the extent that  model 
estimates do not account for this fact, they could also be biased downwards. 

49 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
halving the gap vis-à-vis best performers in terms of indicators of structural reforms could raise Slovak GDP by 
11% in 20 years’ time, in line with findings for the EU average.16 

Due to the differences in the assumptions and methodology,  the results of this stylised assessment cannot be 
directly compared to the numbers reported in chapter 4 of Slovakia’s RRP. 

In the long run, structural  reforms  contained  in the Slovak RRP are expected  to entail a 
GDP  gain  of  at  least  5.3%  by  2040  according  to  the  authorities,  relative  to  the 
counterfactual  scenario  without  RRF.  Three-quarters  of  these  effects  are  assumed  to  come 
from  increasing  the  quality  of  human  capital,  improving  the  skill  composition  and  size  of  the 
Slovak  labour  force,  and  from  boosting  research  and  innovation,  all  of  which  would  enhance 
productivity  and  enable  Slovakia  to  remain  technologically  competitive,  focusing  on  higher 
value  added  activities.  The  remaining  quarter  of  the  effect  is  expected  from  enhancing  the 
efficiency  of  public  administration  and  fighting  corruption,  which  would  improve  the  business 
environment. By addressing long-standing weaknesses of the Slovak economy and preparing the 
country  to  successfully  face  the  challenges  posed  by  21st  century  trends,  these  reforms  could 
have a long lasting beneficial effect on the economic performance of Slovakia.  

The  ability  to  reach  these  objectives,  however,  is  surrounded  by  considerable  risks.  The 
Slovak RRP identifies areas in which the country still needs to catch up to ensure its convergence 
to western European economies, such as technological and allocative inefficiency as well as low 
labour force participation and low quality of human capital, then sets out measures and reforms 
to address these issues, the effect of which on GDP is estimated in a systematic way based on the 
literature.  But  whether  the  measures  will  manage  to  improve  these  indicators  to  the  assumed 
extent is highly uncertain. Nevertheless, the reforms certainly aim in the right direction of trying 
to address the weaknesses of Slovakia’s economy, as detailed in Section 2.2. of this document. 

Slovakia’s  significant  automotive  manufacturing  is  heavily  exposed  to  risks  posed  by 
automation  and  green  transition.  By  supporting  the  transition  to  electric  technologies,  and 
providing  financial  assistance  for  decarbonisation  of  industry,  measures  under  the  “Green 
economy”  policy  area  of  the  RRP  contribute  towards  keeping  the  sector  competitive. 
Encouraging R&D and innovation, improving the skills of the labour force and promoting digital 
technologies  are also  among RRP measures  designed to  help  the sector  keep high value  added 
jobs in an era of automation. 

16  Varga,  J,  in  't  Veld  J.  (2014),  “The  potential  growth  impact  of  structural  reforms  in  the  EU:  a  benchmarking 
exercise ", European Economy Economic Papers no. 541.  
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/economic_paper/2014/pdf/ecp541_en.pdf.  

50 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
The RRP aims to address the problem of low R&D spending and innovation by improving 
the  governance  of  public  funding  for  research  projects  and  enhancing  cooperation  with  the 
private  sector.  Slovak  authorities  expect  these  measures  (such  as  matching  grants  for  public-
private  cooperation  projects)  to  raise  total  R&D  expenditure  to  1.2%  of  GDP  by  2024  (from 
0.83% in 2019), contributing to the innovative capacity and productivity of the Slovak economy. 

The  RRP  places  an  emphasis  on  improving  human  capital  and  raising  the  skill  level  of 
Slovak  citizens,  an  area  where  the  country  has  significant  weaknesses  which  prevent  it  from 
fulfilling its economic potential. Reforming the educational curriculum and strengthening teacher 
training could help the performance of Slovak pupils to catch up with the OECD average. Focus 
on  digital  education  could  ease  digital  illiteracy  and  mitigate  skill  mismatches  between 
jobseekers and the needs of employers. The extension of compulsory pre-primary education and 
measures  aiming  at  better  inclusion  of  disadvantaged  groups  in  the  education  system  should 
improve the skill composition of the Slovak workforce, which would also be facilitated by trying 
to  attract  and  retain  very  highly  skilled  labour  via  university  reform,  more  scholarships  and 
removing administrative barriers for foreign workers and students.  At the same time, however, 
the plan does not include any investments in the upskilling of the working-age population. 

Low labour force participation, especially among the young, old and female population is 
an important factor constraining Slovak potential growth, which the RRP aims to address 
via  several  channels.  By  reducing  skill  mismatches,  measures  aiming  for  better  and  more 
inclusive  education,  as  described  above,  should  facilitate  higher  participation  in  the  labour 
market. In addition, green investments into sustainable transport infrastructure could also help by 
creating  better  transport  links  between  employees  and  workplaces,  especially  in  more  remote 
areas of the country. The RRP also intends to expand the long term care facility network for the 
elderly,  which  can  significantly  unburden  family  members,  supporting  their  return  to  the 
workforce.  Moreover,  a  planned  tax  reform  of  shifting  the  tax  burden  from  labour  towards 
consumption and wealth could further boost the labour supply of households.17 These measures 
could  have  a  beneficial  impact  on  potential  growth,  especially  given  the  projections  of  a  fast 
ageing Slovak population.  

By addressing the problems of inefficient public administration and by fighting corruption, 
the  RRP  could  also  facilitate  a  more  favourable  business  environment  which  is  more 
conducive to private investment and innovation. Broadening digital public services and lowering 
high  regulatory  barriers  for  entrepreneurs  is  expected  to  ease  the  administrative  burden  on 
businesses  and  enhance  their  competitiveness.  Justice  reforms  and  anti-corruption  measures 
could mitigate business uncertainty. These reforms support potential growth via a more efficient 

17 It should be noted, however, that no details have been given nor commitments have been taken about that reform. 

51 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
allocation  of  public  resources  as  well  as  by  encouraging  productivity  growth  in  the  private 
sector.  

In  summary,  the  reforms  envisioned  in  the  Slovak  RRP  can  be  expected  to  facilitate  the 
country’s transition to a new, more diversified economic model, based on a larger share of 
high  value  added  activities.  A  successful  implementation  of  the  RRP  could  raise  domestic 
innovation,  productivity,  and  maintain  the  competitiveness  of  the  Slovak  economy,  thereby 
contributing to potential growth. 

Investment baseline 

The  public  investments  outlined  in  the  RRP  are  convincingly  argued  to  be  additional  to 
what  would  have  been  the  case  in  the  absence  of  the  RRF.  This  argument  for  macro-
additionality  is  supported  by  analysis  in  the  plan  showing  that  baseline  public  investments, 
excluding those included in the plan, are forecast to be at least as high on average over the period 
of 2021-2026 as they were in  2017-2019. This  makes it likely that, by  coming on top  of these 
investments,  RRF  funded  spending  truly  contributes  to  economic  growth  and  does  not  just 
replace  otherwise  planned  nationally-financed  investments,  being  used  only  for  public  debt 
reduction.18  According  to  information  supplied  by  the  Slovak  authorities,  nationally-financed 
baseline public investments (excluding military spending) are expected to average 13.4% higher 
in real terms between 2021 and 2026 compared to the three years preceding the pandemic. This 
corresponds  to  baseline  investments  maintaining  a  similar  share  of  GDP  across  the  two  time 
periods.19 

Prior  to  the  pandemic  the  composition  of  public  investments  was  dominated  by  spending 
on  transport  infrastructure  (almost  50%),  while  10%  was  spent  on  IT  systems  of  the  public 
administration. Funds from the RRF place more emphasis on investments in the areas of health 
(construction and renovation of hospitals), and education (digitalisation of schools, expansion of 
kindergarten capacities). A large part of the funds is planned to go for green economy measures. 
This includes sustainable transport investments and the promotion of renewable energy sources 
as  well  as  measures  aimed  at  industry  decarbonisation  and  improving  the  energy  efficiency  of 
buildings. Compared to the pre-pandemic baseline, the proportional impact of RRF funds is set 

18 While it is never straightforward to establish a true counterfactual scenario, the default working assumption is that 
even without the RRF public investments would have at least stayed at a similar level than prior to the pandemic. 
19 Although the baseline investment forecast exhibits a slight decline of 0.2 pp. as a fraction of GDP (See Table 4b 
of the annex to RRP Chapter 4), this is only due to the exclusion of other EU funds from the forecast after 2024, 
which  have  not  been  scheduled  yet.  Once  these  other  EU  funds  are  adjusted  for,  the  baseline  trajectory  for 
nationally-financed  public  investments  is  shown  to  increase  as  a  percentage  of  GDP.  Slovakia  has  also  included 
steeply increasing military spending in its baseline investment forecast which is not affected by the RRF, but could 
nevertheless  drive  macro-additionality.  However,  even  after  excluding  military  spending,  the  baseline  for  RRF-
affected categories does not decline as a percentage of GDP between the time periods in question. 

52 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
to be biggest in the areas of health and social protection (expansion of long term care facilities), 
given their relatively low base value, while the rather high spending on transport infrastructure 
constitutes only a smaller percentage increase. 

4.3.2.  Strengthening social cohesion 

The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  addresses  several  social  and  territorial  challenges 
relevant  for  Slovakia  and  contributes  to  the  implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social Rights.  The plan is targeted at areas where Slovakia is lagging behind, namely: education 
outcomes  including  digital  skills,  pre-primary  education  enrolment,  health  and  long-term  care, 
equality and social inclusion, regional disparities in access to social services.  

The  principal  objective  for  the  recovery  plan  is  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  education 
process,  which  is  among  Slovakia’s  long-standing  challenges.  Slovak  pupils’  skills  lag 
significantly  behind  those  in  other  OECD  countries,  as  they  are  found  to  perform  poorly  in 
reading  and  science  literacy,  and  also  in  skills  such  as  critical  thinking,  problem-solving  and 
teaming (PISA, 2018). A key measure to address this is a curricular reform focusing on pupils’ 
key  competences,  in  particular  literacy,  but  also  transversal  skills  (critical  thinking,  digital  and 
soft  skills).  Reform  will  be  introduced  at  primary  and  secondary  level,  supported  by  the 
digitalization  of  teaching,  learning  and  assessment.  Continuous  professional  development  of 
teachers is expected to be modernized, better preparing and equipping teachers with skills related 
to  inclusive  education  and  the  use  of  new  technologies.  To  foster  inclusiveness  of  education, 
measures to combat segregation in education, in particular as regards Roma pupils, are envisaged 
by introduction of the legal definition of desegregation and by  expanding the capacity of schools 
that provide two shifts classes. Tools to prevent early school leaving (monitoring system) will be 
implemented and lower secondary education opportunities will be expanded by the strengthening 
the  teaching  of  so  called  F-type  study  programmes.  The  Component  on  attracting  talents 
proposes,  among  other  things  additional  scholarships  for  upper-secondary  graduates  from 
socially disadvantaged backgrounds to help them continue their education at higher education.  

Ambitious  reforms  in  the  education  field  are  set  to  be  underpinned  by  necessary 
investments that help to achieve the objectives of inclusiveness and strengthen digital skills. 
By  the  end  of  2024  every  primary  and  secondary  school  will  be  supplied  with  the  full  digital 
equipment  according  to  defined  ICT  standards  based  on  the  “highly  equipped  and  connected 
classroom  HECC”  model.  Investments  in  infrastructure  by  removing  architectonic  barriers  for 
disabled  children  in  large  secondary  school  is  a  good  starting  point  but  the    barriers  to  equal 
access education remain at all levels of education. Slovak government commits to map the needs 
of schools in this regard and provide for equal and high standard of renovations. 

All  the activities described above comply with  the principles of Chapter  I:  Equal  opportunities 
and access to the labour market of the European Pillar of Social Rights.  

Investment  in  digital  higher  education  equipment  (competitiveness,  information  systems, 
hardware  and  teaching  software)  is  expected  to  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the 
digital development of universities. Performance contracts will also aim to increase the share of 

53 

 
 
 
 
graduates in  IT disciplines where there is a significant shortage aligning the students profile to 
the labour market needs. Introduction of a system of periodic scientific performance evaluation 
as well as the reform of governance may strengthen the internalisation and the capacity of higher 
education institutions. The envisaged reforms can bring the necessary systemic change if they are 
efficiently implemented in close cooperation with the academia, while respecting its autonomy.  

Comprehensive  reform  and  investments  will  tackle  existing  challenges  in  pre-primary 
education.  The  density  of  pre-primary  education  is  low  and  unevenly  distributed.  The  total 
enrolment  rate  of  children  aged  from  age  4  to  the  starting  age  of  compulsory  education  at 
primary level is at 82 % in Slovakia (95% in the EU) while for children from Roma minority in 
is only 32 %. The problem of low female employment between 25 and 39 years old is directly 
linked to  it. Subsequently, the later  entry or return of mothers to  the labour market  widens  the 
income gap between the sexes. The comprehensive reform followed by investments introducing 
the obligatory pre-primary education for 5-year-olds, as well as the legal entitlement to a place in 
a kindergarten for children as of age 3 are fully in line with within the principles of the Social 
Pillar  No.  11  (childcare  and  support  for  children).  Furthermore,  the  plan  provides  for  a  grant 
scheme for NGOs and other actors will be set up to support early care and early intervention for 
children aged 0 to 6 years, in particular from marginalised Roma communities and generational 
poverty environments. This is a good, initial step in towards providing formal care for children 
up to 3 years, which is the lowest in the EU (6.6%).  

Comprehensive  reforms  combined  with  significant  infrastructural  investments  are 
expected  to  substantially  improve  the  quality  and  cost-effectiveness  of  the  Slovak 
healthcare  system.  The  re-design  of  the  national  hospital  network,  coupled  with  the  reform 
aimed  at  defining  a  map  of  primary  care  needs  and  its  related  subsidy  scheme  to  incentivise 
doctors  to  open  their  practice  in  underserved  locations  are  expected  to  alleviate  the  existing 
geographic inequities in access to acute and outpatient care services. The large investments in the 
construction  and  modernisation  of  healthcare  facilities  are  also  expected  to  indirectly  improve 
the retention of medical professionals in the Slovak public healthcare system. The reform aims at 
optimizing  the  hospital  network,  streamlining  the  managerial  tasks  and  better  reflecting  real 
regional needs. These two objectives are expected to be achieved by defining minimum volume 
requirements  for  hospital  services.  Available  resources  (personnel,  equipment)  will  be  re-
distributed accordingly across the network, to the benefit of quality and efficiency of care. The 
timely availability of healthcare services across the territory will be guaranteed by means of strict 
response-time  criteria  for  various  classes  of  cases,  using  a  system  of  prioritized  dispatch  for 
ambulance services. For example, the reformed hospital network will have to guarantee that 90 
% of Slovakia’s population will be able to access ambulance services within 15 minutes. Priority 
will be given to life-threatening cases, for which the ambulance response interval will be reduced 
to 8 minutes for 80 % of the population. This result will be achieved through the optimization of 
the network of ambulance stations (in line with the revised hospital network), investment in their 
construction and refurbishment, and a renewal of the ambulance fleet 

Comprehensive reform of the Slovak long-term care system (LTC) will contribute to facing 
the  challenges  posed  by  the  rapid  ageing  of  the  population.  The  Slovak  RRP  envisages  a 

54 

 
 
 
 
comprehensive reform of the LTC system, including changes to the legislative set-up, processes, 
assessment  and  control  activities  and  capacity  building.  The  assessment  process  is  today 
fragmented, inefficient and often inconsistent and unfair. The reform will also include a change 
in the financing of long-term care (health, social) and a reform of social care surveillance. The 
supervisory  system  will  be  consolidated  and  strengthened  by  the  creation  of  an  independent 
supervisory authority. At the same time, new, uniform conditions for the quality of care in both 
institutions and homes will be defined. The reforms and investments under this component and 
in conjunction with reforms in local governance (under component 16) are designed to support 
the build-up of growth  and jobs  in the silver economy, while putting in  place reinforces social 
safety  nets  for  the  elderly  population  and  persons  with  disabilities.  This  component  has  the 
ambition to close the gaps within the principles of the Social Pillar No. 17 (Inclusion of people 
with  disabilities)  and  18  (long-term  care),  even  though  additional  investments  (including  from 
Cohesion Policy funds) in these sectors will be needed. 

Green investments in transport and renewable energy, together with the decarbonisation of 
the  industry,  are  expected  to  reduce  air  pollution  and  smog,  improving  public  health 
outcomes. Moreover, replacing coal/oil-based heating systems and obsolete gas boilers with low 
carbon solutions in the family houses, as integral part of complex building renovation, will help 
to  reduce  the  cost  of  green  investment  for  the  low  income  groups  and  contribute  to  alleviate 
energy poverty. 

55 

 
 
 
 
Box3:  Employment and social challenges in light of the Social Scoreboard accompanying 
the European Pillar of Social Rights 

The  Social  Scoreboard  supporting  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  points  to  some  challenges  in 
Slovakia. The COVID-19 crisis has halted the positive labour market developments observed in the past years and 
risks  increasing  pre-existing  employment  and  social  challenges.  Although  decreasing  since  2013,  the  long-term 
unemployment rate remains relatively high, at 3.2% in 2020, however close to the EU27 average (2.5%).There are 
limited opportunities for early leavers to get a second chance for completing the education cycle or to attain new 
skills through lifelong learning. Inclusiveness of education  remains a challenge, in particular  for Roma children. 
Income inequality increased in Slovakia in 2019 and, though  still comparatively low, is likely to have  worsened 
during the crisis. The net earnings of workers earning the average wage are slowly rising but remain critically low, 
which  may  have  an  impact  on  in-work  poverty.  Minimum  wages  have  however  been  recently  increased  (7.4% 
compared to 2020). 

While  the  risk  of  poverty  is  relatively  low, 
severe  material  deprivation 
is  among  the 
highest  in  the  EU.  This  was  already  the  case 
before the outbreak of  COVID-19 (7.9% vs 5.5% 
in  the  EU  in  2019),  which  is  likely  to  lead  to  a 
worsening of social outcomes. A significant share 
of  the  Roma  experience  such  condition,  often 
lacking  access  to  essential  services,  including 
drinking  water,  electricity  and  heating,  as  well  as 
digital  communications  or  nearby  childcare  and 
healthcare  facilities.  The  odds  of  becoming 
unemployed  or  earning  less  than  the  minimum 
wage  in  irregular  work  is  up  to  70%  in  the 
concentrated  Roma  areas.  Slovakia,  however, 
continues  to  lack  a  concrete  plan  to  ensure  the 
inclusion  of  the  Roma  population.  The  recently 
adopted  Strategy  for  equality, 
inclusion  and 
participation  of  Roma  is  a  first  step  in  that 
direction,  however  it  needs  to  be  followed  by 
setting of concrete implementing measures.  

that 

The Recovery and Resilience Plan submitted by 
Slovakia  addresses  several  challenges  to  equal 
social  protection  and 
opportunities  and 
inclusion 
the 
implementation  of  the  Pillar.  To  foster  equal 
opportunities, the plan envisages improved access 
for 
to 
disadvantaged  groups  at  all  levels.  This  includes 
also measures to avoid segregation in education, in 
particular as regards Roma pupils. However, more 
focus  on  supporting  skills  for  the  labour  market 
needs  would  be  needed  in  the  future.  The  Slovak 
government  have  announced 
to  prepare  a 
comprehensive  tax  reform  that  shall  shift  the 
taxation  burden  from  labour  to  less  distortive 
taxes. This may contribute to the decrease of the tax wedge for low-income earners but the details of the reform 

inclusive  mainstream 

education 

relevant 

are 

for 

56 

 
 
 
 
remain to be seen. 

4.3.3.  Reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience 

While no macroeconomic imbalances have been identified, Slovakia is a particularly open, 
manufacturing-centred  economy  vulnerable  to  potential  supply  chain  shocks  or 
technological  disruptions.  Investment  into  research  an  innovation  and  into  skills  have  the 
potential  to  help  the  country  to  better  cope  with  technological  disruptions  and  thus  build 
economic resilience to accelerating changes, such as digitalisation and automation trends. These 
measures  can  also  help  reduce  Slovakia’s  reliance  on  cost-competitive  export-oriented 
production  by  building  R&D  capabilities  at  home  amid  a  particular  lack  of  technological 
diffusion  to  domestic  SMEs  as  well  as  fast-rising  wages.  The  reform  of  the  insolvency 
framework  is  set  to  improve  the  ability  to  absorb  economic  shocks  by  improving  allocative 
efficiency and resource reallocation. Moreover, the strong focus on the green transition reduces 
Slovakia’s  dependence  on  imported  fossil  fuels,  cushioning  the  potential  impact  of  supply  or 
price shocks. This is achieved by an expansion of renewable energy production, by measures to 
reduce  energy  consumption  of  buildings  and  in  industry,  and  by  moving  towards  more 
sustainable transport (such as the purchase of alternative fuels rolling stock, or the development 
of  infrastructure  for  e-mobility).    An  economic  vulnerability  that  is  only  partially  addressed 
related  to  weaknesses  in  the  construction  sector.  Swift  house  price  growth  amid  slow  building 
permit  procedures  call  for  a  reform  of  the  construction  act,  which  is  not  included  in  the  plan. 
Nevertheless,  the  plan  partially  addresses  related  concerns  by  simplifying  procurement 
procedures  relevant  for  public  construction  projects,  and  may  lead  to  improvements  in  the 
housing market with its sizeable building renovation programme. 

Slovakia’s  Plan  includes  a  range  of  measures  in  health  and  education  policy  that  can  be 
expected  to  improve  social  resilience.  The  plan  provides  explanations  on  such  links  at  plan 
level  and  by  component.  Education  reforms  and  their  particular  focus  on  inclusiveness  can  be 
expected  to  contribute  to  social  resilience,  as  e.g.  desegregation  efforts  for  marginalised  Roma 
communities  help  strengthening  social  cohesion,  while  providing  more  equal  access  to 
opportunities  through  education  to  this  disadvantaged  –  and  other  -  groups.  Health  reforms 
reorganise  the  provision  of  care  by  strengthening  primary  care  services  while  modernizing 
hospital  care.  This  set  of  measures  is  expected  to  decrease  wasteful  spending  and  reduce 
avoidable  pressure  on  hospitals,  thus  augmenting  their  capacity  to  withstand  sudden  surges  in 
demand  for  acute  care  while  improving  health  outcomes  overall.  Social  services  are  also 
expanded, as investments e.g. in community-based long-term care are expected to help protect a 
particularly vulnerable group in society. 

Structural  reforms,  improved  capacities  and  digitalisation  efforts  are  set  to  strengthen 
institutional  resilience.  Here  again,  the  plan  provides  explanations  on  such  links  at  plan  level 
and by component. Investment into and training of the police force has the potential to improve 
the  capacity  of  law  enforcement,  particularly  as  regards  the  fight  against  financial  crime  and 
money  laundering.  A  reformed  and  better  equipped  rescue  system  and  service  will  be  able  to 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
better respond to crises. Reduced bureaucracy, professionalisation of public procurement, as well 
as digitalisation efforts across institutions are set to improve efficiency and hence the ability to 
react  swiftly  and  with  sufficient  resources  to  shocks.  This  ability  to  mobilise  resources  is  also 
fostered in the long-term, as a pension reform and the introduction of multi-annual expenditure 
ceilings are expected to improve fiscal sustainability and hence fiscal space, while allowing for 
more counter-cyclical spending. 

4.3.4.  Cohesion and convergence 

The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  of  Slovakia  aims  to  contribute  to  reducing  social 
inequalities  and  territorial  disparities  within  the  country.  Certain  social  groups  are  highly 
disadvantaged when it comes to labour market outcomes. The unemployment rate of low-skilled 
workers is among the highest in the EU, and this problem is particularly serious for low-skilled 
youth. A further challenge is high long-term unemployment for groups facing social exclusion, 
in  particular  marginalised  Roma  communities  who  face  a  higher  risk  of  poverty.  The  gender 
employment gap negatively affects female workers. Regarding territorial disparities, Eastern and 
Central  Slovakia  tend  to  perform  significantly  worse  than  the  western  part  of  the  country,  in 
terms of various interconnected labour market and social indicators, like the share of high skilled 
workers, long-term and youth unemployment, the share of population at risk of poverty, as well 
as disposable income. Measures in the RRP aim to address these weaknesses by improving the 
access of the above disadvantaged groups (mostly present in the eastern regions of the country) 
to more inclusive education, better health care services and more job opportunities.  

The primary channel in the RRP for reducing social inequalities is to improve the quality 
and  accessibility  of  the  education  process.  Measures  for  more  inclusive  education  via 
desegregation of schools and by broadening pre-primary education could considerably mitigate 
the  effect  of  different  social  background  on  the  performance  of  pupils,  thereby  contributing  to 
enhancing  social  mobility  and  equality  of  opportunity.  In  addition,  these  measures  could  also 
help in preventing high rates of early school leaving, and more widely available pre-primary care 
would  go  a  long  way  in  addressing  low  employment  rates  among  young  mothers.  More 
university scholarships for students from socially disadvantaged groups would further strengthen 
the  mobility  effect.  As  a  result  of  better  educational  outcomes  and  higher  skills,  the  labour 
market prospects of these groups would also improve prospectively in future generations. 

Measures included in the RRP to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of 
health care services could also contribute to alleviating social and territorial disparities. A 
wider availability of mental health care is assumed to address the strongly interlinked problems 
of unemployment, poverty and poor mental health, especially in the lowest income groups where 
unemployment rates and levels of chronic depression are much higher than in the rest of society. 
The expansion of affordable long-term care facilities would also have the largest benefit for low 
income households, especially in less developed regions, by reducing the care responsibilities of 
family  members  who,  for  these  reasons,  could  not  participate  in  the  labour  market  so  far. 
Improving access to good quality healthcare in less developed parts of Slovakia could not only 
58 

 
 
 
 
 
attract  a more highly specialized workforce, but  the building and renovating of hospitals could 
also  create  additional  job  opportunities  in  the  construction  sector,  mostly  for  medium-skilled 
workers.  

Investments  related  to  the  green  transition  in  the  RRP  exert  their  beneficial  effects  on 
social  and  territorial  cohesion  mainly  via  creating  new  and  more  accessible  job 
opportunities.  The  modernisation  of  rail  infrastructure  and  investments  into  sustainable 
transport  links  are  expected  to  help  connecting  remote  regions  to  economic  centres  and  to 
facilitate  the  commuting  of  jobseekers  to  where  employment  opportunities  are  more  abundant, 
thereby  improving  the  labour  market  outcomes  of  less  developed  regions.  In  addition,  the 
construction  projects  related  to  the  green  infrastructure  investments  would  provide  another 
source of job opportunity for medium skilled workers. Assistance for renovating and increasing 
the  energy  efficiency  of  family  homes  would  help  addressing  the  energy  poverty  prevalent 
among poor households. 

The tax reform planned in the RRP, shifting tax burden from labour to consumption and 
wealth  is  expected  to  have  a  beneficial  effect  on  employment,  both  via  labour  supply  and 
labour  demand,  but  especially  among  the  low-skilled  where  labour  costs  are  a  relatively  more 
important factor for employers.20 

While  the  precise  impact  of  the  above  measures  on  social  and  territorial  cohesion  is 
uncertain,  and  they  are  unlikely  to  exhaustively  solve  all  the  existing  issues,  the  RRP  is 
nevertheless expected to make a contribution to addressing all these challenges. 

***  
Taking  into  consideration all reforms  and investments  envisaged by Slovakia,  its recovery and 
resilience  plan  is  expected  to  have  a high impact  on  strengthening  the  growth  potential,  job 
creation, and economic, social and institutional resilience of the Member State, on contributing 
to the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, including through the promotion 
of  policies  for  children  and  youth,  and  on  mitigating  the  economic  and  social  impact  of  the 
COVID-19  crisis,  thereby  enhancing  the  economic,  social  and  territorial  cohesion  and 
convergence within the Union. This would warrant a rating of A under the assessment criterion 
2.3 of Annex V to the RRF Regulation. 

20 While this tax reform is mentioned in the RRP of Slovakia, there is no corresponding formal milestone or target 
attached to it, which means its actual implementation, and therefore its beneficial effects, are surrounded by risks.  

59 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
4.4. The principle of ‘do no significant harm’  

Slovakia  has  conducted  an  adequate  Do  No  Significant  Harm  (DNSH)  assessment  of  all 
measures  included  in  the  plan  in  line  with  the  methodology  set  out  in  the  Commission´s 
technical guidance on the application of DNSH under the RRF regulation (2021/C 58/01). It 
covers  the  six  environmental  objectives,  namely  climate  change  mitigation,  climate  change 
adaptation,  sustainable  use  and  protection  of  water  and  marine  resources,  circular  economy, 
pollution prevention and control, and protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems. 
Each DNSH assessment follows a two-step approach. The first step assesses whether there is a 
risk that a measure could do significant harm to one or more of the environmental objectives. In 
cases where the analysis identifies a risk, a more detailed assessment is performed. Based on the 
information  provided  by  the  Slovak  authorities,  no  measure  for  the  implementation  of  reforms 
and  investments  projects  included  in  Slovakia’s  recovery  and  resilience  plan  is  expected  to  do 
significant  harm  to  the  environmental  objectives  within  the  meaning  of  Article  17  of  the 
Taxonomy  Regulation.  Strong  commitments  are  included  that  DNSH  requirements  shall  be 
respected, being enshrined in the design of measures and also reflected in various milestones and 
targets.   

The  potential  harmful  environmental  and  climate  impact  of  all  relevant  measures  is 
addressed through appropriate assurances that the applicable criteria are to be respected. 
The      increase  in  the  use  of  biomass  in  heat  and  electricity  production  is  expected  to  be, 
according  to  the  plan,  tackled  through  the  adoption  of  sustainability  criteria  for  renewable 
sources  under  the  Environmental  Policy  Strategy  2030  and  taken  into  account  in  the 
implementation of biomass related investment. Measures targeting industry decarbonisation are 
aiming  at  levels  of  greenhouse  gas  emissions  well  below  the  applicable  ETS  benchmarks; 
building  renovations  will  comply  with  requirements  linked  to  the  boiler  replacement  and  will 
ensure  that  at  least  70%  of  non-hazardous  construction  and  demolition  waste  is  reused  or 
recycled; the rolling stock/vehicles will meet the applicable emission standards. With respect to 
hydropower projects, only the projects in full  compliance with relevant  EU legislation, namely 
the Water Framework, Habitats and Birds, EIA and SEA Directives and national legislation will 
be supported. No investments for the construction of new hydro-power is eligible under the plan. 
A number of these criteria are also reflected in the milestones and targets through references to 
relevant criteria and thresholds (e.g. the revision of waste legislation, RDI schemes and a design 
of financial instruments, biomass projects to achieve at least 80% GHG emission savings at the 
facility from the use of biomass and compliance with RED II Sustainability criteria,  as well as 
the  decarbonisation  scheme  for  the  industry  to  reduce  at  least  30%  of  GHG  emissions  while 
ensuring  that  support  directed  at  installations covered  by  the  EU  Emissions  Trading  Scheme 
reduces their emissions substantially below the relevant ETS benchmark. 

DNSH  requirements  apply  also  horizontally  to  similar  measures  across  a  number  of 
components.  Examples  of  flanking  measures  include  the  amendment  of  the  waste  legislation 
(component 2), which requires that at  least  70% of non-hazardous construction and demolition 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
waste  is  reused  or  recycled.  The  reform  can  stir  up  an  important  transformation  of  the  waste 
management  and  application  of  circular  economy  principles.  The  legislation  is  designed  to 
ensure  that  the  investment  in  buildings  renovation  as  well  as  construction  and  renovation  of 
infrastructure will take account the prevention, separation and recycling of the waste. The plan  
includes  the  commitment  that  conditions  resulting  from  DNSH  compliance  will  apply  in  the 
preparatory  stage  (e.g.  call/tender  specifications)  as  well  as  during  the  implementation  of 
buildings renovation (e.g. in component 2 for family houses and historic buildings, as well as a 
number of other components covering for renovation of public buildings). Coal/oil based heating 
system and obsolete gas boilers can be replaced by higher efficient and low emission gas boilers 
only  as  part  of  a  larger  renovation  programme.  This  investment  will  aim  not  only  at  reducing 
greenhouse  gas  emissions  but  also  air  pollution,  which  is  particularly  problematic  in  some 
regions  in  Slovakia.  The  RRF-financed  investment  will  not  provide  for  support  of  biomass 
boilers.  The IT tool is yet another measure, which is appearing in a number of components and 
the  procurement  will  need  to  ensure  compliance  with  green  public  procurement  criteria, 
including ensuring energy-efficient criteria for the hardware selection. For cars, the plan makes 
the  commitment  to  support  only  zero-emission  and  low  emission  cars  (emissions  below 
50gCO2/km), which are considered compliant with DNSH for the climate mitigation objective, if 
available on the market. In case of special purpose vehicles, if the above rules are not applicable, 
the best-available technology in that vehicle category will be supported (e.g. for ambulance cars 
in  component  11).  The  general  RDI  investment  schemes  (component  9)  will  include  a  clause 
(e.g.  in  eligibility  criteria  of  calls  specifications)  on  the  technological  neutrality  and  ex-ante 
exclusion  of  harmful  activities  (e.g.  coal,  lignite  support).  Only  activities  that  comply  with 
relevant EU and national environmental legislation can be selected. A similar approach is taken 
to tax schemes. The DNSH compliance of the financial instruments (component 9) requires that 
an investment strategy and contractual agreement with financial intermediaries are aligned with 
the  Commission  sustainability  proofing  guidance.  This  requirement  is  reflected  in  design  of 
measures and corresponding targets.     

***  
Taking  into  consideration  the  assessment  of  all  the  measures  envisaged, no  measure  for  the 
implementation of reforms and investments projects included in Slovak´s  recovery and resilience 
plan is  expected  to  do a  significant  harm  to  environmental  objectives  within  the  meaning  of 
Article  17  of  Regulation  (EU)  No  2020/852 (the  principle  of  ‘do  no  significant  harm’). 
This would warrant  a  rating  of A under the  assessment criterion  2.4  of  Annex V to  the  RRF 
Regulation.  

61 

 
 
 
 
 
4.5. Green transition  

Climate target 

Measures proposed in the plan to support climate change objectives account for 43% of the 
plan´s  total  allocation21,  which  exceeds  the  37%  threshold.  In  absolute  terms,  the  highest 
contributions  towards  this  target  come  from  measures  targeting  building  renovations,  railway 
modernisation  and  industry  decarbonisation.  Slovak´s  recovery  and  resilience  plan  correctly 
follows the methodology for climate tracking in line with Annex VI to the Regulation, with the 
relevant  conditions  factored  in  the  description  of  the  objectives  of  the  measures  and  the 
eligibility  criteria  for  future  financing.  The  plan  identifies  properly  intervention  fields  and 
corresponding coefficients to calculate contribution to climate objectives. If the plan consists of 
several  sub-measures,  intervention  field  and  respective  climate  contribution  are  tagged  at  the 
sub-measures level. The increase of climate coefficient has not been proposed. 

The  plan  includes  significant  investment  into  renovation  and  construction  of  new  buildings, 
which accounts for a large part of the climate contribution with an overall objective of achieving 
at  least  30%  of  primary  energy  savings  during  for  renovation  of  family  houses  and  historic 
buildings  (component  2)  and  most  of  renovation  schemes  for  public  buildings.  The  plan 
envisages  the  construction  of  new  hospitals  (component  11)  in  the  highest  energy  efficiency 
standard  (applying  for  BREEM  certificate),  which  would  qualify  for  the  intervention  field 
025ter).   In  addition,  30% greenhouse reduction within enterprises will be supported under the 
industry decarbonisation component. These criteria are reflected in the applicable milestones and 
targets.  

Table 4. Climate contribution of the components of the Slovak recovery and resilience plan. 

Component 
C1 Renewable energy sources and energy 
infrastructure 

C2 Building renovation 

Cost (EUR 
million) 

Climate 
contribution 
(EUR million) 

232 

741 

232 

735 

Climate 
contribution 
(% of total 
cost) 

3,5 

11,2 

21 The climate contribution is calculated as a percentage of the plan’s allocation for financial support (EUR 6 329 
million). 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
C3 Sustainable transport 
C4 Decarbonisation of industry 
C5 Adaptation to climate change 
C6 Accessibility, development and quality of 
inclusive education at all levels 
C7 Education for the 21st century 
C8 Improving the performance of Slovak 
universities 
C9 More efficient governance and 
strengthening funding for science, research and 
innovation 
C10 Attracting and retaining talent 
C11 Modern and accessible healthcare 
C12 Human, modern and accessible mental 
health care 
C13 Accessible and high-quality long-term 
socio-health care 
C14 Improve the business environment 
C15 Judicial reform 
C16 Fight against corruption and money 
laundering, security and protection of the 
population 
C17 Digital Slovakia (state in mobile, 
cybersecurity, fast internet for everyone, digital 
economy) 
C18 Sound, sustainable and competitive public 
finances 
Total  

Green transition 

801 
368 
159 

210 

469 

213 

633 

106 
1163 

105 

265 

11 
255 

229 

615 

0 

705 
368 
159 

39 

12 

63 

79 

0 
295 

3 

13 

0 
18 

11 

0 

0 

10,7 
5,6 
2,4 

0,6 

0,2 

1,0 

1,2 

0,0 
4,5 

0,0 

0,2 

0,0 
0,3 

0,2 

0,0 

0,0 

6575 

2732 

41,622 

The package of measures and investments outlined in the 5 green components represents a 
significant  contributions  to  the  green  transition  and  to  the  ambitious  55%  of  GHG 
reduction target by 2030 and overall EU carbon neutrality objective by 2050. The selection 
and  design  of  green  measures  reflect  the  main  priorities  of  the  National  Climate  and  Energy 

22 This percentage relates to the total estimated costs of the plan (EUR 6 575 million). The climate contribution as a 
percentage of the plan’s allocation for financial support (EUR 6 329 million) is 43%. 

63 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Action  Plan  (NECP),  although  the  plan  does  not  quantify  the  contribution  of  the  different 
measures.  In  line  with  the  NECP,  the  green  components  cover  main  GHG  emitting  sectors, 
namely  industry,  buildings  and  transport  as  well  as  supporting  the  RES  capacities  and  climate 
adaptation. 

The  plan  intends  to  achieve  almost  60%  of  the  necessary  reductions  to  meet  the  2030 
targets, through measures on the industry decarbonisation  (component 4). The plan recalls 
that  reducing  industrial  emissions  is  one  of  the  main  challenges  in  decarbonising  the  Slovak 
economy. The industry production and use of fossil fuels are the source of 41% of all emissions 
produced in Slovakia. The main tool will be an auction scheme to pursue a cost-effective way of 
reducing  GHG  emissions,  while  promoting  the  application  of  new  efficient  technologies  and 
compliance with BAT and DNSH principles. The companies would need to achieve at least 30% 
GHG  emissions  reduction.  The  scheme  is  calibrated  in  such  a  way  as  to  complement  the 
Emissions Trading Scheme. The overall decarbonisation effort is complemented by the reform to 
facilitate transformation of the Horna Nitra coal region based on the Action Plan from July 2019. 
Synergies and complementarities are planned to  be pursued with other EU funds, namely with 
the  Just  Transition  Fund  (covering  selected  regions)  and  the  Modernisation  Fund  (focusing  on 
heating sector). 

installations 

totalling  220MW  of 

The  plan  includes  measures  to  support  the  uptake  of  RES  (component  1).  It  includes 
investments  in  supporting  the  construction  of  new  RES  capacities  and  the  modernisation  of 
installed  capacity,  which 
existing  RES  electricity 
shouldcontribute to reducing the carbon intensity and support the EU´s target of a 32% share of 
RES in final energy consumption by 2030. New jobs should be created by integrating RES in the 
production  sector  at  local  level  (e.g.  RES  energy  communities).    Investments  will  be  directed 
towards storage and hydrogen in order to increase the flexibility of the grid. The investments will 
be  underpinned  by  reforms  facilitating  access  to  the  grid  for  new  entrants  and  clean  energy 
sources, putting in place a long-term auctioning scheme, and integrating the ‘energy efficiency 
first’ principle into the planning of investment. The support to RES will be subject to rules and 
criteria for their sustainable use, which will be taken into account in the process of implementing 
investments  supporting  the  production  of  electricity  and  heat  from  biomass,  as  well  as  where 
relevant. Investments in RES should respect regional potential, economic benefits, effects on the 
energy system, impact on water ecosystems, on protected areas, protected species of plants and 
fauna, and the opinion of the public, municipalities and regions concerned.  

The  reforms  and  investments  aim  at  mobilising  medium/deep  and  comprehensive 
renovation of buildings (component 2) to contribute to the climate change and adaptation 
objectives.  According  to  the  plan,  reaching  the  EU  climate  objectives  will  require  that  energy 
consumption of buildings in Slovakia is reduced by 40% by 2050. The objective is to renovate at 
least 30 000 single family houses as well as public historical and listed buildings in line with the 
Long-term  renovation  Strategy  for  Buildings.  Renovation  investment  schemes  will  mobilise  at 
least  30%  primary  energy  savings  as  well  as  implementation  of  climate  adaptation  and  other 
measures. Renovation measures should also target regions with high air pollution. Historical and 
remembrance buildings are among the worst in terms of energy performance and a tailor-made 
64 

 
 
 
 
renovation  approach  is  required  to  preserve  and  protect  their  cultural  value  and  heritage.  The 
investment  should  result  in  renovating  around  100  historic  and  listed  public  buildings. 
Corresponding  reforms  aim  at  streamlining  and  simplifying  investment  support  schemes  and 
addressing building waste by setting mandatory recycling and reuse targets. Energy savings will 
be verified primarily by energy certificates. Green building renovation will channel a significant 
part  of  the  investment  and  should  help  restarting  the  construction  sector,  which  has  been 
significantly  affected  by  COVID-19  crises.  It  should  create  new  jobs  relevant  in  particular  for 
SMEs,  including  at  local  level.  The  investment  should  take  into  account  the  needs  of  socially 
disadvantaged  households  and  address  the  energy  poverty  to  respond  to  social  and  economic 
challenge in particular in less developed regions 

Measures in the plan are expected to increase the share of environmentally friendly forms 
of  transport  and  the  volume  of  goods  transported  in  cleaner  intermodal  transport.    The 
development  of  an  urban  and  long-distance  infrastructure  network  for  alternatively  fuelled 
vehicles should contribute to addressing the increasing emissions in transport. A new optimised 
rail transport plan will result in more frequent connections and increase their cost-effectiveness 
(an increase up to 40% with 17% reduction in unit costs) and integrated tariff  schemes will be 
implemented in at least  6 regions. Measures are included to increase the number of recharging 
points and building pilot refuelling points for hydrogen (around 3000 by Q2/2026). Investment in 
clean transport, in particular the reconstruction of over 69km of railways, the dispatching of over 
100km of railways and the construction of 200 km of new cycle transport infrastructure – should 
create  a  cleaner,  smarter,  safer  and  more  efficient  transport  sector.  Each  investment  will  be 
coupled  with  a  corresponding  reform  aimed  at  strengthening  the  administrative  capacity  for 
project  preparation;  at  putting  in  place  an  integrated  ticketing  system;  at  procurement  and 
logistics coordination of inter-modal projects; and at a set of measures accelerating the process of 
constructing alternative propulsion infrastructure.  All of the above measures should contribute 
to  growth  and  job  creation  and  support  RDI  potential  to  assist  the  gradual  transition  of  the 
automotive sector towards greener, higher value-added alternatives. 

To respond to the need to increase the resilience of ecosystems in the landscape as well as 
biodiversity  and  conservation  concerns,  the  plan  proposes  adaptation  reforms  and 
investments  in  the  water  management  system,  land  management,  nature  protection  and 
biodiversity. Measures are designed to  focus on expanding protected areas and national parks, 
renaturing  watercourses  and  reducing  the  impact  of  natural  disasters.  The  maintenance  of 
landscape structures will be reformed to  create a framework  for more efficient  management of 
watercourses,  better  conditions  for  their  favorable  status  so  as  to  increase  the  country´s  water 
retention  capacity  and  ensure  flood  protection  of  settlements  and  landscapes.  Nature 
conservation will be complemented by soft tourism development plans in two parks that would 
promote ecological recreation. Shoring up the resilience of forest ecosystems will also contribute 
to greater biodiversity and climate mitigation as well as adaptation. The nature protection reform 
as part of the climate change adaptation measures, should start the process of transforming the 
economy  in  protected  areas  from  intensive  logging  to  closer  to  forest  management  and  soft 
tourism, with higher added value and a diversified structure of job opportunities. 

65 

 
 
 
 
***  
Taking  into  consideration  the  assessment  of  all  the  measures  envisaged,  the  recovery  and 
resilience  plan  is  expected,  to  a  large  extent,  to  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the  green 
transition or to address the challenges resulting from it and  ensures that at least 37% of its total 
allocation contribute to the climate target. This would warrant a rating of A under criterion 2.5 
of Annex V to the RRF Regulation. 

4.6. Digital transition  

Digital target 

Measures in the plan contributing to the digital transition account for 21%23, exceeding the 
required  minimum  of  20%  of  the  plan’s  total  allocation,  based  on  the  methodology  for 
digital tagging set out in Annex VII to the Regulation. Component 17 - Digital Slovakia (state 
in the mobile, cybersecurity, fast internet for everyone, digital economy) clearly stands out as the 
main  contributor  to  the  digital  target,  followed  by  digital  investments  in  education,  R&I,  and 
sustainable transport.  Digital  tagging is  in  line with  the methodology outlined in  Annex VII to 
the Regulation.  

Table 4. Digital contribution of the components of the Slovak recovery and resilience plan. 

Component 
C1 Renewable energy sources and energy 
infrastructure 
C2 Building renovation 
C3 Sustainable transport 
C4 Decarbonisation of industry 
C5 Adaptation to climate change 
C6 Accessibility, development and quality of 
inclusive education at all levels 
C7 Education for the 21st century 
C8 Improving the performance of Slovak 
universities 

Cost (EUR 
million) 

Digital 
contribution 
(EUR million) 

Digital 
contribution 
(% of total 
cost) 

232 

741 
801 
368 
159 

210 

469 

213 

20,2 

0 
145 
0 
0 

0 

229 

7 

0,3% 

0,0% 
2,2% 
0,0% 
0,0% 

0,0% 

3,5% 

0,1% 

23 The digital contribution is calculated as a percentage of the plan’s allocation for financial support (EUR 6 329 
million). 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
C9 More efficient governance and 
strengthening funding for science, research and 
innovation 
C10 Attracting and retaining talent 
C11 Modern and accessible healthcare 
C12 Human, modern and accessible mental 
health care 
C13 Accessible and high-quality long-term 
socio-health care 
C14 Improve the business environment 
C15 Judicial reform 
C16 Fight against corruption and money 
laundering, security and protection of the 
population 
C17 Digital Slovakia (state in the mobile, 
cybersecurity, fast internet for everyone, digital 
economy) 
C18 Sound, sustainable and competitive public 
finances 
Total  

633 

106 
1163 

105 

265 

11 
255 

229 

156 

0 
41 

2 

0 

6 
36 

73 

2,4% 

0,0% 
0,6% 

0,0% 

0,0% 

0,1% 
0,5% 

1,1% 

615 

615 

9,4% 

0 

0 

6575 

1329 

0% 

20,2%24 

Digital transformation 

The  reforms  and  investments  put  forward  in  the  plan  jointly  represent  a  significant 
contribution to the digital transformation of the Slovak economy and society. As described 
in  section  2.3,  Slovakia’s  main  digital  challenges  include  insufficient  digital  skills,  lack  of  an 
environment conducive to digital innovation and development of advanced technologies, and low 
or ineffective use of digital tools in public administration and the delivery of public services. The 
RRP responds to these challenges in a comprehensive and ambitious manner, in line with the EU 
digital strategy.25  

The  development  of  digital  skills,  an  essential  prerequisite  for  successfully  meeting  the 
challenges  of  the  digital  transformation,  is  among  the  main  objectives  of  the  educational 

24 This percentage relates to the total estimated costs of the plan (EUR 6 575mn). The digital contribution as a 
percentage of the plan’s allocation for financial support (EUR 6 329 million) is 21%. 
25 Shaping Europe’s Digital Future: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-
age/shaping-europe-digital-future_en  

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
system reform. The envisaged measures put digital skills development at their core, combining 
revised curricula, training of teachers and investments in the digital equipment of schools. Taken 
together,  these  reforms  and  investments  are  expected  to  contribute  to  the  development  of  a 
digital  learning  ecosystem.  Improved  access  to  digital  technologies  and  skills  development 
programmes for vulnerable communities, including in less economically-developed regions will 
help overcome educational barriers for disadvantaged children and make society more resilient to 
crises.  In  parallel,  Slovakia  will  develop  a  national  digital  skills  strategy  focusing  on  adult 
learning  opportunities  for  all  adult  age  groups,  to  ensure  their  continued  inclusion  in  a  society 
transformed  by  digitalisation.  The  authorities  intend  to  finance  specific  measures  under  the 
strategy by Cohesion Policy funds (2021 – 2027). The plan also foresees a targeted investment to 
improve the digital skills of elderly and vulnerable persons, combining training in digital skills 
with  the  provision  of  accessible  digital  equipment.  Targeted  investments  aimed  at  developing 
specialised  skills  of  IT  and  cybersecurity  professionals  working  in  the  public  sector  are  also 
foreseen in the plan.  

Investments in digital technologies for the public administration are prominent throughout 
the  plan.  Investments  in  information  systems  will  increase  the  quality  and  efficiency  of  the 
judiciary, police, firefighting and rescue processes. Digital investments in facilitating the online 
payment of taxes and levies and the digitalisation of restructuring proceedings will increase the 
transparency  of  the  business  environment.  The  quality  and  accessibility  of  eGovernment 
solutions  will  improve thanks to  a new digital  platform for providing  more efficient  and better 
quality  public  services.  Specifically,  the  authorities  committed  to  identifying  16  priority  “life 
situations”  of  citizens  and  businesses,  for  which  simple  and  efficient  digital  solutions  for  a 
comprehensive  delivery  of  public  services  will  be  proposed,  ensuring  appropriate  coordination 
across sectors of the public administration and interoperability. This is expected to minimise the 
administrative  actions  required  from  citizens  and  businesses,  reduce  the  time  and  costs 
associated with administrative requirements and improve the user-friendliness of public services. 
This will contribute to the digital transformation of both public and private sectors. In addition, 
the plan also envisages measures for a more efficient management of IT resources in the public 
administration. Complementing this development of digital public services, the authorities intend 
to strengthen and standardise cybersecurity protocols across all sectors of public administration, 
thereby increasing the public’s trust in these new e-services.  

Digital investments in a central hospital management from the RRP will make medical and 
operational processes in institutional care more efficient. These investments will also increase 
the quality of healthcare and will lead to a better management of time and human resources. In 
addition,  telemedicine  and  digitalised  solutions  for  medical  imaging  and  pathology  will  be 
supported. In the field of long-term care, a new integrated system for assessing disability, which 
will  be  linked  to  the  eHealth,  the  social  services  systems  and  other  e-registers  of  public 
administration, is expected to facilitate the integration of health and social aspects and ensure the 
transparency and efficiency of the assessment process.  

The  plan  mobilises  synergies  between  digital  and  green  investments.  Investments  in  the 
flexibility  of  the  electricity  grid  are  expected  to  promote  faster,  more  reliable  and  more  cost-
68 

 
 
 
 
effective integration of renewables and to contribute to lowering electricity prices for consumers. 
Investments in automation and the digitalisation of traffic management on railway lines should 
increase  the  capacity  and  speed  of  rail  transport  thereby  improving  its  reliability.  This  is 
expected  to  incentivise  passengers  to  switch  from  individual  car  transport  to  more  sustainable 
forms of travel. 

While  the  authorities  intend  to  finance  connectivity  investments  from  other  sources,  the 
plan will support the achievement of national targets agreed in the Broadband Strategy, by 
strengthening  the  coordination  role  of  the  Broadband  Competence  Office.  The  National 
Broadband Plan adopted the following objectives: i) all households will have access to internet 
connections of at least 100 Mbit/s by 2030 with the possibility to expand to Gigabit speed and ii) 
all  major  socio-economic  drivers  such  as  schools,  transport  hubs  and  major  public  service 
providers, as well as businesses using digital services will have access to Gigabit connectivity by 
2030 on the passive part of the infrastructure. 

The digital measures of the plan are anchored in the implementation of the Slovak Digital 
Transformation Strategy 2030 and its related Action Plan, strengthening the role of Digital 
economy  governance  and  cooperation  with  digital  stakeholders.  A  new,  more  effective 
governance  model  for  the  digital  transformation  should  foster  the  development  of  the  digital 
ecosystem.  Investments  will  support  the  development  and  application  of  advanced  digital 
technologies,  so  as  to  complete  technology-oriented  competence  centres  and  cooperation 
platforms.  The  digitalisation  of  Slovak  companies,  in  particular  SMEs,  will  be  stimulated  by 
“voucher”  schemes  (e.g.  digital  and  innovation  vouchers)  and  assisted  by  Digital  Innovation 
Hubs  initiatives  connected  with  the  EU  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  network.  The  focus  on 
development of digital skills and expertise among companies, including SMEs, will contribute to 
ensuring a lasting impact, helping Slovakia adapt to the changing production modes in both the 
industry and services sector.   

With  the  RRF’s  support,  Slovakia  will  participate  in  EU  multi-country  projects  to  build 
joint capacity in key digital technologies, while increasing the participation of Slovak actors 
in  projects  under  directly-managed  EU  programmes  in  2021-2027.  Participation  in  such 
projects  is  expected  to  facilitate  the  implementation  of  advanced  R&D  and  to  provide 
networking  possibilities  resulting  in    know-how  transfer  and  capacity-building.  Slovakia  will 
engage  in  the  EU  Digital  Innovation  Hubs  as  well  as  in  the  EuroHPC  project.  As  the  existing 
high-performance computing infrastructure network in Slovakia is outdated, Slovakia intends to 
develop  expertise  in  high  performance  computing  by  commissioning  a  new  supercomputer, 
which  will  be  part  of  the  EuroHPC  Joint  Undertaking  framework.  The  RRP  envisages  the 
participation in at least two other EU multi-country projects such as the quantum communication 
infrastructure and the European blockchain partnership.  

 ***  
Taking  into  consideration  the  assessment  of  all  the  measures  envisaged,  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience  plan  is  expected,  to  a  large extent,  to  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the  digital 
69 

 
 
 
 
  
transition or to address the challenges resulting from it and ensures that at least 20% of its total 
allocation  contribute  to  support  digital  objectives.  This  would  warrant  a  rating  of  A  under 
criterion 2.6 of Annex V to the RRF Regulation.  

4.7. Lasting impact of the plan  

Structural change in administration and institutions 

Slovakia’s recovery and resilience plan entails highly relevant structural changes to public 
administration  and  institutions.  Notably,  reforms  of  the  justice  system  and  the  fight  against 
corruption and money laundering are set to have a lasting impact, and therefore it is important 
that  adequate  safeguards  are  observed,  in  line  with  EU  law  requirements  on  judicial 
independence,  including  when  applying  new  provisions  in  practice.  A  fundamental  reform 
reorganises  the  court  map,  enabling  increased  specialisation  of  judges  and  thereby  paving  the 
way for higher efficiency and quality of the justice system. A further reform package introduces 
measures  to  strengthen  judicial  integrity  and  to  better  prevent  and  prosecute  corruption.  An 
improved  sanctions  and  asset  freezing  regime,  a  common  payments  and  accounts  register,  and 
other changes to the legal framework are set to structurally equip Slovakia to better fight money 
laundering  practices  and  corruption.  The  plan  also  puts  a  strong  focus  on  structural 
improvements  of  respective  capacities,  reinforcing  financial  investigation  and  reorganising  and 
training  the  police  force.  Moreover,  the  reform  of  public  administration,  which  also  envisages 
strengthening  general  administrative  capacities  at  different  levels  of  the  government,  can 
improve  efficiency  and  effectiveness  and  thereby  improve  the  delivery  of  public  services.  A 
governance reform of the public research system is designed to harmonise activities and provide 
for better synergies, and an overall increased attractiveness of the research environment. 

Digitalisation efforts across a wide range of institutions and public administration have the 
potential  to  structurally  enhance  efficiency  and  improve  the  quality  of  public  services.  A 
fully electronic handling of insolvency procedures is set to reduce the time and cost of resolving 
insolvencies.  The 
introduction  of  a  comprehensive  electronic  marketplace  for  public 
procurement  with  the  requirement  to  publish  also  low-value  contracts  is  expected  to  enhance 
transparency and improve competition in public procurement procedures. Various digitalisation 
initiatives  for  the  judiciary,  such  as  a  centralised  system  of  judicial  governance,  a  commercial 
register  and  an  analytic  support  platform,  are  set  to  improve  the  efficiency  and  quality  of  the 
justice system. 

Structural change in policies 

Slovakia’s resilience and recovery plan encompasses a large set of structural reforms that 
are  bound  to  have  a  lasting  impact  in  many  policy  areas.  A  comprehensive  reform  and 
investment package across levels of education has the potential to improve the skills base of the 
population  and  reduce  youth  unemployment  and  long-term  unemployment,  particularly  of 
disadvantaged groups. The plan estimates that reforms to enhance the quality, accessibility  and 
inclusiveness of education will lift growth by 1.3% by 2040. Further positive effects are expected 

70 

 
 
 
 
  
by better talent retention, as incentives reduce the outflow of skilled graduates. Reforms in health 
and social care are expected to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system 
and  improve  health  outcomes,  providing  more  specialised  healthcare,  more  home-  and 
community-based long-term care, and improving the provision of care in disadvantaged regions. 
By linking the retirement age to life expectancy, the pension reform is designed to improve fiscal 
sustainability,  while  lifting  potential  growth  by  indirectly  expanding  labour  supply.  The  tax 
reform  is  aimed  at  shifting  taxation  away  from  labour  to  property  and  environmental  taxes, 
which could reduce the tax wedge on labour, structurally improving incentives for labour market 
participation particularly for low-income groups, while fostering environmental sustainability.26 
Climate adaptation  measures contribute to  mitigating climate change  related risks  and improve 
future prosperity and well-being. 

Investment  measures  are  set  to  support  and  enhance  the  positive  impact  of  structural 
reforms  in  Slovakia’s  recovery  and  resilience  plan.  Sizeable  investment  to  modernise  the 
railway system is likely to attract more passengers to this sustainable mode of transport, aiding 
the  green  transition  and  supporting  regional  cohesion.  An  ambitious  energy  efficiency 
programme allows for renovating the building stock, with a lasting impact on lowering emissions 
of this key sector, while the construction waste reform will improve its circularity in long term. 
Healthcare reforms are supported by investment in hospitals and other care facilities. Investment 
also  leverages  education  reforms,  for  example  by  providing  digital  equipment,  or  by  building 
new  kindergartens.  A  large  investment  programme  will  also  inject  funding  into  a  reformed 
research  and  innovation  system,  raising  Slovakia’s  attractiveness  for  companies  and  skilled 
workers  alike,  and  with  significant  potential  to  diversify  the  economy  towards  higher  value-
added activities, including in the highly relevant fields of digitalisation and the green transition.  

Lasting impact 

The outlined structural changes to institutions and policies are clearly geared at addressing 
root causes and as such are suited to achieve a lasting impact. The plan rightly addresses the 
need to advance coherent and comprehensive reform and investment packages that make changes 
to  the  legal  framework  and  governance  system,  reinforce  capacities  and  provide  training,  and 
digitalise processes, coupled with corresponding investments into the necessary infrastructure. In 
its  plan,  Slovakia  not  only  provides  estimates  of  the  expected  economic  and  social  impact 
including  in  a  long-term  perspective  until  2040,  but  also  identifies  implementation  risks  and 
challenges for key reforms.  It  also  provides an  estimate of implied improvements to  long-term 
fiscal sustainability and the debt trajectory. However, more justification on assumptions behind 

26 It should be noted that the tax reform has a low level of detail and no clear commitments. 

71 

 
 
 
 
                                                           
the  estimates  on  long-run  productivity  gains  (e.g.  targets  not  directly  under  the  control  of  the 
government) could have helped to further underpin the analysis of lasting impacts. 

Slovakia has put emphasis on broad stakeholder involvement to ensure structural changes 
can  count  on  broad  support.  Comments  from  stakeholders  have  already  been  taken  into 
account in the preparation of the plan. This led, for example, to the inclusion of an initially not 
planned component containing measures to help climate adaptation and biodiversity. To trigger 
the public debate, a reform plan providing an analytical basis for the recovery and resilience plan 
was published in early October 2020. Stakeholders have been able to engage by various means. 
A series of working meetings and thematic roundtables have structured the dialogue. The public 
debate  was  also  advanced  and  a  website  on  the  plan  was  launched  in  December  2020,  where 
proposals could be submitted. The plan also envisages setting up an advisory body to ensure a 
structured  dialogue  with  key  stakeholders  throughout  the  implementation  phase,  as  well  as  a 
communication strategy for the broader public.  

*** 

Taking into consideration all reforms and investments envisaged by Slovakia in its recovery and 
resilience  plan,  their  implementation  is  expected  to  a  large  extent  to  bring  about  a  structural 
change  in  the  administration, in  relevant  institutions  and  in  relevant  policies  and  to  have  a 
lasting  impact.  This  would  warrant  a  rating  of  A  under  criterion  2.7  of  Annex V to  the  RRF 
Regulation.  

4.8. Milestones, targets, monitoring and implementation  

Adequacy  of  the  structure  tasked  with  the  implementation  of  the  plan,  monitoring  of  progress 
and reporting 

The  plan  identified  NIKA  as  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  the  recovery  plan  in 
Slovakia.  In  particular,  it  is  responsible  for  drawing  up  and  submitting  payment  requests  and 
management  declarations.  Regarding  coordination  and  reporting  mechanisms  between  the  lead 
Ministry/body  for  the  RRP  and  other  bodies  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  the 
investments  and  reforms  under  the  components,  its  description  seems  sound.  Concerning  the 
assurance  of  management  verifications,  the  plan  provides  comprehensive  information  on  how 
this  shall  be  done  for  the  fulfilment  of  milestones  and  targets.  However,  it  depends  on  an 
information system – ISPO - which is not yet in place. 

The  plan  describes  the  institutional  actors  that  are  responsible  for  implementation  the 
individual reforms and investments at component level. For each measure in all components 
there is  a body designated as responsible for its  implementation.  There is often a ministry that 
create public policy in the particular area/component. In some components costing information 
provide for further insight on the necessary support to perform duties. This is especially the case 
in  components  with  a substantial  investment  portfolio.  In some components  there is  more than 
one  body  responsible  for  the  implementation  (Component  16),  and  division  of  labour  among 
72 

 
 
 
 
 
them is  not  always  specified. The  responsible ministries or actors involved in  the execution of 
each reform and investment shall liaise on a regular basis with NIKA.  

Milestones, targets and indicators 

The  plan  includes  mostly  relevant  and  well-defined  milestones  and  targets.  The  plan 
combines 116 reforms and investments (broken down into 18 components) that are accompanied 
by  196  milestones  and  targets,  making  the  overall  number  of  the  latter  reasonable  and 
manageable.  They indicate key steps towards the implementation of reforms and investment and 
their level of ambition is considered high. The right proportion between milestones and targets is 
maintained, with the latter slightly predominating. 

Milestones  dominate  the  first  phase  of  the  plan's  implementation,  laying  the  groundwork 
for  investments  resulting  from  the  adopted  reforms.  Most  of  the  milestones  involve  key 
amendments to the framework of the crucial CSRs public policies such as: inclusive education, 
child-care and long-term care, healthcare, business environment, pension, anti-corruption, R&D, 
transport, energy shall be adopted in the period 2021-2023. Targets, quantifying the objectives of 
investments and reforms dominate in the second period of implementation with an accumulation 
of targets at the end of the implementation.  Intermediate targets or the monitoring steps are set 
to track the progress over the timespan.   

For most of the reforms and investments, milestones and targets are designed around a life-
cycle approach, which ensures that the overall objective shall be achieved. For the reforms 
the  Initial  milestone  is  often  associated  with  the  entry  into  force  of  the  important  piece  of 
legislation.  Investments  in  turn,  commence  by  launching  a  call  for  tenders.  Reforms  and 
investments ends up with either an implementing milestone or output oriented target. Milestones 
and  targets  to  ensure  appropriate  climate  tracking/digital  tagging  and  compliance  with  ‘do  no 
significant harm’ (DNSH) principle are also included.  

Indicators chosen for the implementation of milestones and targets are clear, realistic and 
robust. Data source, methodology of collecting the data as well as the verification mechanisms 
of milestones and targets, that will trace the implementation of the reform and investments, are 
described  properly.  More  details  shall  be  defined  in  the  Operational  Arrangement  to  be 
concluded with the Commission, as prescribed in Article 20(6) of the RRF Regulation. 

Overall organisational arrangements 

The  draft  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  Act  (RRF  act)  has  been  presented.  It  covers 
mandates,  the  functions,  remits  and  responsibilities  of  the  various  bodies  involved  in  the 
implementation of the plan.  The RRF act is going to be adopted and entered into force by the 
end of the 2021. Once it is in force as described, it would provide significant credibility about the 
various  arrangements  set  up  to  devise,  negotiate  and  ensure  an  efficient  and  regular 
implementation of the plan as well as providing the responsible bodies with their legal/political 
mandates.  

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In addition, the plan provides extensive information on the administrative capacity of the Slovak 
administration  to  implement  and  audit  the  RRF  in  Slovakia.  A  section  entitled  Administrative 
capacity shows that the authorities have considered the resourcing of the bodies involved and it 
is supplemented by a section entitled Administrative arrangements for audits devoted just to the 
Audit  and  Control  Section  of  the  Slovak  Ministry  of  Finance.  Finally,  text  on  National 
Implementation  and Coordination Authority (NIKA)  dedicated to  the  coordinating body for the 
RRF  in  Slovakia  explains  in  some  detail  how  actors  implementing  the  RRF  in  Slovakia  will 
work in coordination and ensure the plan’s overall coherence. 

***  

The  arrangements  proposed  by Slovakia in its  recovery  and  resilience  plan  are  expected  to 
be adequate to ensure  effective  monitoring  and  implementation  of  the  recovery  and  resilience 
plan, including the envisaged timetable, milestones and targets, and the related indicators. This 
would  warrant  a  rating  of A under  the  assessment  criterion  2.8  of  Annex  V  to  the  RRF 
Regulation.  

4.9. Costing  

Overall, costing information and supporting documents are provided to a high extent, and 
provide a good basis to assess the reasonability and plausibility of cost estimates. All costs 
are incurred after February 2020 and do not substitute recurring national budgetary expenditure, 
meeting the requirements of article 5 of the Regulation. At the same time, for certain measures 
information and supporting documents or other comparable data have been provided to a limited 
extent,  which  hampers  the  degree  to  which  these  specific  cost  estimates  can  be  assessed  as 
reasonable and plausible. Overall, synergies with other EU  funding  are explained to  the extent 
possible  at  this  stage.  The  Partnership  Agreement  and  Programme  for  the  new  programming 
period of Cohesion Policy (2021-2027) had not been concluded at the time of the submission of 
the  RRP.  For  various  measures,  these  synergies  need  to  be  carefully  monitored  during 
implementation at strategic and project level.  

Reasonable costs 

Based  on  the  analysis  made,  Slovakia  has  overall  provided  sufficient  information  and 
evidence that the amount of the estimated total costs of the recovery and resilience plan is 
reasonable to a medium extent. Estimated costs are reasonable to a high or medium extent for a 
large majority of the reforms  and investments.  Even though various measures concern projects 
without  much  precedent,  estimates  are  generally  robust  and  sufficiently  reasonable,  and  the 
bottom-up methodologies that are sometimes used are mostly well explained.  

Some cost estimates, often due to the unprecedented nature of the investments (e.g. in the 
areas of renewable energy, RD&I, and digitalisation), lack comparable costing benchmarks 
or  are  supported  by  unclear  documentation,  but  they  are  considered  reasonable  and 
plausible nevertheless. As an example, the development of a supercomputer (Component 17) is 
an  innovative  project  in  Slovakia,  but  the  authorities  have  provided  calculations  of  several 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
scenarios,  based  on  price  quotations  from  international  companies  for  the  quantum  side  of  the 
investment,  and  indicated  that  a  feasibility  study  will  be  conducted  to  select  the  best  option. 
Hence, the cost estimates are reasonable and plausible despite the lack of clear comparable data. 
In various other cases where there have been no previous projects in Slovakia, it has referred to 
relevant and comparable projects in other Member States and adjusted prices in accordance with 
e.g. price differences in countries and inflation rates, or based itself on externally commissioned 
studies  and  information  from  certified  bodies,  or  relevant  market  prices.  For  investments 
requiring  procurement,  Slovakia  has  provided  reasonable  cost  estimates,  baselines  and 
benchmarks, often based on comparable past projects. Although final prices will be known only 
after  the  procurement  phase,  the  estimates  are  generally  robust.  This  applies  e.g.  to  the 
development of low-carbon transport infrastructure, in particular rail projects, where comparable 
information from previous projects has been provided.  

At  the  same  time,  reasonable  or  comparable  estimates  are  limited  for  some  new  or 
innovative projects. For instance, regarding the auction scheme to speed up the decarbonisation 
of  industry  (Component  4),  Slovakia  has  provided  limited  details  on  the  design  of  the  auction 
scheme,  the  calculation  of  the  subsidies  envisaged,  and  comparable  data  from  other  Member 
States to justify the costs. For the adaptation of regions to climate change with an emphasis on 
nature conservation and biodiversity development in Component 5, Slovakia was not able at this 
stage to identify the precise activities in the two envisaged national parks in view of launching 
calls for proposals.  

the  cost  estimates 

Horizontally, 
for  project  preparation  and  management  and 
administrative costs are reasonable to a medium extent. Justifications e.g. for the inclusion of 
staff costs have been provided, but detail is at times limited, although Slovakia has explained and 
justified this with necessary implementation capacity needs. In particular, for Components 11, 12 
and  13,  Slovakia  aims  explicitly  for  efficiency  gains  by  creating  a  separate  entity  for  project 
preparation,  management  and  implementation  within  the  Ministry  of  Health,  which  will  be 
controlled  by  the  National  Implementation  and  Coordination  Authority  (NIKA)  to  ensure 
efficient use of staff and avoid double financing.  

Aside  from  salaries  of  public  servants  for  the  implementation  of  specific  reforms  and 
investments, Slovakia has included such costs also for other salaries. This is the case e.g. for 
the  professionalisation  of  the  Public  Procurement  Office  (PPO)  in  component  14.  The  costs 
include temporary staff of the PPO, which Slovakia has justified by indicating that this staff will 
secure the implementation  of the professionalisation process  through continuous education and 
training of contracting authorities. Another example concerns personnel costs for the reform to 
increase  transparency  and  streamlining  decisions  of  the  Monuments  Board  and  investments  in 
improving  the  energy  efficiency  of  family  houses  or  renovation  of  public  buildings  in 
Component 2. Various staff costs are also envisaged in the area of health, e.g. in Component 13, 
and for hiring 25 analysts for supporting the reform of the judicial map (Component 15). These 
costs  have  been  justified  by  clearly  indicating  the  temporary  nature  and  the  link  with  the 
implementation of important measures.  

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Plausible costs 

Based  on  the  analysis  made,  Slovakia  has  overall  provided  sufficient  information  and 
evidence that the amount of the estimated total costs of the recovery and resilience plan is 
in line with the nature and the type of the envisaged reforms and investments (plausible) to 
a medium extent. In cases where there have been no previous projects in Slovakia, it has often 
referred  to  relevant  and  comparable  projects  in  other  Member  States  and  adjusted  prices  in 
accordance  with  e.g.  price  differences  in  countries  and  inflation  rates.  Although  assessment  of 
plausibility  is  at  times  hampered  by  the  lack  of  comparable  data,  in  particular  for  projects 
without  much  precedent  (see  Reasonable  costs  above),  the  costs  are  plausible  to  a  medium  or 
high extent for the large majority of reforms and investments. Reference costs and comparable 
data  are  provided  to  a  large  extent,  and  the  estimated  costs  are  in  large  majority  in  line  and 
consistent with similar reforms/investments, including those funded by other EU Programmes if 
available, and/or in line with other independent data and independent studies.  

Horizontally, the costs for project preparation and management and administrative costs, 
often  including  staff  costs  of  public  servants,  are  estimated  at  a  relatively  high  level. 
However, as indicated under Reasonable costs, Slovakia has justified this by pointing to capacity 
needs  for  implementation,  and  has  provided  assurances  that  these  costs  will  be  carefully 
monitored by NIKA. Similarly, for the purchase of land, although calculations are provided, they 
lack detail in certain cases. Sufficient assurances have been provided that these costs are strictly 
linked  to  relevant  reforms  and  investments,  and  the  costs  are  still  deemed  commensurate  (see 
also below), but the estimates are sometimes speculative and require monitoring. 

For a limited number of other reforms and investments, the plausibility assessment shows 
some shortcomings. As an example, reference costs in Component 2 for the renovation of public 
historical  and  monumentally  protected  buildings  are  provided  to  a  limited  extent.    For  the 
financial instruments envisaged in the RD&I component (9) to support innovative companies in 
their start-up or growth phase, information on the management of funds and leveraging of private 
capital is limited. The envisaged absorption capacity is not always justified compared to previous 
projects and in absence of clear mapping of needs and interest. As a result, the targets  and cost 
estimates  are  relatively  high  and  less  plausible.  The  same  applies  to  the  investment  in 
cooperation between business, academia and R&D organisations. In other cases, Slovakia has in 
fact weighed the absorption capacity factor in the cost estimates, based on past experience, which 
makes such estimates more plausible. 

No double Union financing 

Based  on  the  analysis  made,  Slovakia  has  overall  provided  sufficient  information  and 
evidence  that  the  estimated  costs  of  the  investments  and  reforms  to  be  financed  by  the 
Facility is not financed or planned to be financed by other EU funds. Overall, synergies with 
other  EU  funding  are  explained  to  the  extent  possible  at  this  stage  (pending  finalisation  of  the 
Partnership Agreement and Programme for the new Cohesion Policy programming period 2021-
2027 ). This applies to various investment areas, as the Cohesion Policy funds are traditionally 
involved  in  different  sectors,  ranging  from  basic  infrastructure  to  innovation.  Slovakia  has 
76 

 
 
 
 
committed  to  put  in  place  strong  safeguards  to  ensure  that  double  funding  is  avoided,  both  at 
strategic  and  at  project  level  (for  instance  for  the  financing  of  different  costs  under  the  same 
measure).  For various measures, synergies will need to  be carefully monitored at  project level. 
Further cooperation between the managing entities, including on avoiding double funding, need 
to  be  effectively  established  and  implemented.  All  potential  investments  under  the  Cohesion 
Policy  funds  indicated  in  the  plan  are  still  subject  to  negotiations  with  the  Commission  at  this 
stage and cannot be prejudged. 

Strong  synergies  with  other  Union  financing,  in  particular  Cohesion  Policy  funds,  have 
been  identified  by  Slovakia  e.g.  in  the  area  of  schools.  RRF  investments  will  be 
complementary to investments from Cohesion Policy funds for instance for investments in in the 
field  of  mental  health  promotion  for  children,  pupils  and  students,  as  well  as  desegregation  in 
schools.  Importantly,  e.g.  for  investments  in  digitalisation  and  infrastructure  in  education  (e.g. 
libraries), such complementarity has not been indicated clearly and will need careful monitoring. 
Generally, this is also needed for investments throughout the Slovak RRP that affect programmes 
for integration of disadvantaged students (e.g. in the context of scholarships for talented students 
in  Component  10).  In  the  area  of  health,  where  Cohesion  Policy  traditionally  supports  various 
projects, demarcation will need to be ensured e.g. regarding the investment to support opening of 
new  primary  care  clinics  in  deprived  areas.  Additional  financing  is  also  foreseen  from  the 
national budget, and here Slovakia has clearly indicated the delineation with the RRF.  

Commensurate and cost-efficient costs  

Overall,  the  amount  of  the  estimated  total  cost  of  the  recovery  and  resilience  plan  is 
commensurate  to  the  expected  social  and  economic  impact  of  the  envisaged  measures 
included  on  Slovakia.  As  described  in  the  relevant  sections,  the  overall  level  of  reasonability 
and plausibility of the costs are considered to be medium. The economic and social impact of the 
plan is considered to be high, and Slovakia will address the CSRs to a high extent. Several of the 
measures  also  contribute  effectively  to  the  implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights, including through the promotion of policies for children and youth. Taking the financial 
allocation into account, this allows for the conclusion that costs are in line with the principle of 
cost-efficiency  and  commensurate  to  the  expected  national  economic  and  social  impact  on  the 
economy. 

***  

The justification provided by Slovakia on the amount of the estimated total costs of the recovery 
and resilience plan is to a medium extent reasonable and plausible, it is in line with the principle 
of cost-efficiency and commensurate to the expected national economic and social impact.   
Slovakia  provided  sufficient  information  and  evidence  that  the  amount  of the  estimated  cost  of 
the reforms and investments of the recovery and resilience plan to be financed under the Facility 
is not covered by existing or planned Union financing. This would warrant a rating of B under 
the assessment criterion 2.9 of Annex V to the RRF Regulation.  

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4.10. 

Controls and audit  

Robustness of internal control system and distribution of roles and responsibilities 

The  actors  responsible  for  controls  and  audit  in  Slovakia  are  mainly  identified  in  a  dedicated 
section  entitled  Institutional  structure  of  implementation,  administrative  and  decision-making 
processes. The same section covers the independence of the audit authority including how this is 
enshrined  in  Slovak  legislation.  The  plan  makes  it  clear  that  NIKA  is  responsible  for  the 
summary  of  audits:  and  section  6.2  System  of  auditing  clearly  describes  the  audit  actors,  their 
relationships and their administrative capacity, whilst section 6.2.3 explains the independence of 
the audit function and the segregation of functions. 

Effective procedures should be in place for drawing up the summary of audits and  keeping the 
underlying  information  for  audit  trails.  Regular  reporting  of  monitoring  is  promised.  At 
component  level,  section  6.1.2  on  Checks  by  Implementers  and  NIKA,  as  well  as  the  audit 
strategy  provide  comprehensive  information  not  just  on  measures  that  will  be  taken  to  tackle 
serious irregularities but also who is responsible for implementing the measures. 

A  comprehensive  audit  strategy  is  described  and  there  is  a  good  description  of  the  Slovak 
approach  to  risk  assessment.  Effective  procedures  are  in  place  to  ensure  that  all  serious 
irregularities  (fraud,  corruption  and  conflict  of  interests)  are  properly  reported  -  a  lengthy 
detailed section on the Identification of serious deficiencies covers the risk based approach and 
commits  that  those  responsible  for  the  identification  of  serious  irregularities  will  be  trained  in 
recognising  signs  that  such  irregularities  may  be  occurring.  In  addition,  whistle-blowing  is 
enshrined  in  legislation  -  The  protection  of  whistle-blowers  is  also  enshrined  in  national 
legislation.  A  key  feature  of  Act  No  54/2019  on  the  protection  of  whistle-blowers  is  the 
extensive  protection  of  whistle-blowers,  including  the  creation  of  a  whistle-blower  protection 
office.  

Adequacy of control systems and other relevant arrangements 

To avoid component-specific risks of irregularities, e.g. due to the funding mechanism used or 
higher  risk  of  fraud,  corruption  and  conflict  of  interests  in  the  specific  sector,  Slovak 
implementing bodies must assess and take into account the potential risks and checks identified 
on suspected irregularities as part of the controls carried out. Furthermore, risk assessments are 
carried out to appropriately determine the scope and areas of verification in the performance of 
controls  so  that  all  material  misstatements  and  serious  irregularities  (in  particular  fraud, 
corruption,  conflict of interest  and double funding) are identified. Furthermore, concerning the 
robustness of management verifications through which the implementing Ministries/bodies will 
check  not  just  the  absence  of  serious  irregularities  but  also  the  fulfilment  of  milestones  and 
targets, the plan provides comprehensive information how this will be done. Hence, as far as the 
plan is concerned, component-specific risks and fulfilment of milestones and targets seem well 
covered. 

Arrangements and mechanisms to  collect,  store and make available data on final  recipients  are 
covered  in  a  section  entitled  Information  systems  at  national  level.  The  arrangements  and 
78 

 
 
 
 
mechanisms  are  not  very  elaborated  but  there  is  a  commitment  to  implement  Article  22  -  The 
ISPO shall record and store all relevant data related to the implementation of the recovery plan, 
including  data  pursuant  to  Article  22(2)(d)  of  Regulation  (EU)  2021/241.ISPO  will  provide  a 
platform  for  the  electronic  communication  of  the  different  actors  (in  particular  NIKA,  the 
implementer, the intermediary, the beneficiary and the applicant) and the exchange of data with 
other  information  systems,  including  the  EIS,  where  appropriate  with  the  EC  information 
systems.  

A  repository  system  for  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  RRF  and  for  the  collection  and 
storage of all the data referred to in Article 22(2)(d) of the RRF regulation shall be put in place 
and  operational  by  the  time  of  the  first  payment  request.  The  system  shall  include,  as  a 
minimum, the  following functionalities: (a) ensure the collection of data and monitoring of the 
achievement  of  milestones  and  targets;  and  (b)  collect,  store  and  ensure  access  to  the  data 
required by Article 22(2)(d)(i) to  (iii) of the RRF Regulation. A milestone shall be included to 
this end. 

Overall, the plan seems adequate on the correction of fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest. 
It  asserts  The  Slovak  Criminal  Code56  (Act  No  300/2005)  transposed  the  relevant  parts  of 
Directive  (EU) 2017/1371 of  the European Parliament  and of  the Council on the fight  against 
fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law. The Criminal Code contains a 
set  of  offences  entitled’  Damage  to  the  European  Union‘s  financial  interests  ‘,  which  are  the 
basis  for  prosecution  for  offences  related  to  EU funding.  Corrections  are  also  covered  in  “6.3. 
Activities related to the completion of controls and audits” and according to section 4.1 detected 
conflicts of interest can entail the obligation to refer a case to the law enforcement authorities or 
the infringement  procedure, and directly excludes certain  persons from  the preparation of  calls 
and  the  evaluation  of  applications  for  the  provision  of  funds  to  the  Mechanism.  However,  the 
latter, as well as other relevant features of the control systems (including e.g. the mandate, role 
and  competences  of  the  relevant  bodies)  is  subject  to  a  so-called  Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility Act being in force, which is not yet the case.  A milestone on the entry into force of the 
Act,  as  it  has  been  described  in  the  RRP,  is  therefore  warranted  and  will  have  to  be  fulfilled 
before any payment claim can be filed by Slovakia (except pre-financing) (see section just below 
on legal empowerment and administrative capacity of control function).  

Adequacy of arrangements to avoid double EU funding 

The  arrangements  to  detect  and  avoid  double  funding  from  RRF  and  other  EU  funds  and 
programmes is the subject of a dedicated section on No double funding. Between that section and 
one  on  National  Implementation  and  Coordination  Authority  (NIKA)  dedicated  to  the 
coordinating  body  for  the  RRF  in  SK  and  how  it  will  work  to  coordinate  actors  involved  in 
implementation of the RRF, measures to detect and avoid double funding appear comprehensive. 
It is clear from the plan that the responsible coordinating bodies for RRF and Cohesion Policy 
funds  will  liaise  to  avoid  double  funding  at  the  programming    and  implementation  stage    and 
there  are  numerous  measures  to  avoid  double  funding  such  as  making  the  receipt  of  double 
funding  a  criminal  offence  and  dedicating  different  funding  sources  to  different  investment 

79 

 
 
 
 
project  types.  Measures  for  further  cooperation  between  the  managing  entities  together  with  a 
mechanism  to  avoid  double  funding  will  be  provided  in  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility 
Act.  

Legal empowerment and administrative capacity of control function 

A section entitled Recovery and Resilience Facility Act gives extensive information on the legal 
mandates of the various bodies carrying out controls on the implementation of the plan. It should 
cover things like how “irregularities are dealt with”, “measures to protect the financial interests 
of  the  European  Union”,  “system  on  collection  of  data  on  beneficial  owners”,  “mandates, 
functions and responsibilities of the various bodies involved in the implementation”. However, 
much of the legal basis rests on “Recovery and Resilience Facility Act” or “Act on RRF” which is 
still a draft. This means that the exact mandate and competence of the coordination body and all 
other implementing bodies will only be known for sure after the final submission of the plan and 
likely after the adoption of the plan. Slovakia should provide a precise timeline for the adoption 
of this Act and commit to inform promptly the Commission of any material difference between 
what is described in the plan and what ends up in the adopted Act. This should be the subject of 
milestone or a target or an action plan because this is the legal foundation for implementing the 
whole Slovak plan. 

The  plan  provides  extensive  information  on  the  administrative  capacity  of  the  Slovak 
administration  to  implement  and  audit  the  RRF  in  Slovakia.  A  section  entitled  Administrative 
capacity  shows  that  the  authorities  have  considered  the  resourcing  of  the  bodies  involved  and 
they supplement it with a section entitled Administrative arrangements for audits devoted just to 
the Audit and Control Section of the Slovak Ministry of Finance.  

***   
The  arrangements  proposed  by  Slovakia  in  the  recovery  and  resilience  plan  to  prevent,  detect 
and correct corruption, fraud and conflicts of interest when using the funds provided under the 
Facility, including the arrangements aimed to avoid double funding from the Facility and other 
Union programmes, are assessed to be adequate, taking into account  that milestones were put in 
place    to  address  insufficiencies,  requiring  the  entry  into  force  of  the Recovery  and  Resilience 
Facility  Act  as  well  as    recordkeeping  systems.  This  would  warrant  a  rating  of  A  under  the 
assessment criterion 2.10 of Annex V to the RRF Regulation.  

4.11. 

Coherence  

The plan provides a comprehensive response to the consequences of the COVID-19 crises, 
as well as a response to the main challenges identified based on the country´s performance 
and  the  systemic  weaknesses  of  the  Slovak  economy.  The  plan  builds  on  global  vision  of 
Slovakia  as  an  innovative  economy  that  drives  sustainable  economic  growth,  a  modern  state 
providing  quality  public  services  to  citizens  and  ultimately  Slovakia  as  a  healthy  country.    By 
working  towards  all  three  pillars,  the  plan  focuses  on  five  key  policy  areas,  which  are 
implementing through strongly interlinked 18 components.  

80 

 
 
 
 
 
Mutually-reinforcing measures 

The  plan  presents  the  coherent  and  comprehensive  package  of  reforms  and  investments, 
mutually reinforcing each other with the strong reform drive.  It builds on synergies among 
components  (e.g.  measures  in  RDI,  higher  education  and  talent  attraction),  which  are  well 
presented  and  clearly  structured.  There  is  a  good  interplay  between  reforms  and  investment  in 
each  component,  while  some  reforms,  e.g.  the  revision  of  the  public  procurement  legislation, 
which  should  have  a  widespread  impact  on  efficiency  of  all  RRF  funded  measures  and  other 
public  spending.  Reforms  are  concentrated  in  the  first  years  in  order  to  create  conditions  for 
effective  and  targeted  investment  (e.g.  optimization  of  hospital  network,  judiciary  map)  and 
addressing  several  implementation  barriers  (e.g.  for  uptake  of  RES  or  buildings´  renovation). 
Synergies  are  ensured  in  thematic  components  as  well  as  horizontally  across  components  e.g. 
when  applying  energy  efficiency  requirements  for  public  buildings  renovations  or  digital 
transition of the public administration. Investments in new user-friendly information system can 
be found in a number of components to help modernize and improve the quality and efficiency of 
the  public  services  (e.g.  digitalization  of  hospitals,  electronisation  and  digitalisation  of  judicial 
processes,  etc.).  In  order  to  promote  wider  coherence  across  instruments,  notably  with  the 
European cohesion policy funds, a balanced territorial allocation of resources is encouraged. 

No cases have been observed of areas where the measures proposed within any component 
(be it reforms or investments) contradict or undermine each other´s effectiveness. 

Complementarity of measures 

The plan presents a consistent vision throughout the thematic areas, components as well as 
regards the proposed reforms and investments.   

Public administration components (14-15-16) combine reforms and investments and should 
create  a  more  favourable  investment  framework,  business  environment  and  improve 
quality  of  public  services,  including  at  local  level.  The  components  cover  business 
environment,  effectiveness  and  integrity  of  the  justice  system,  the  fight  against  corruption  and 
money laundering, quality and efficiency of public administration and are closely linked to the e-
government  (component  17),  which  increases  efficiency  through  digitalization  of  public 
administration (e.g. digitalization of insolvency processes) and better services to citizens (“state 
in  mobile”).  The  package  includes  an  essential  public  procurement  reform  to  simplify  and 
accelerate  the  public  procurement  procedures  while  increasing  transparency  and  ensuring 
sufficient safeguards.    

In response to the target for achieving carbon neutrality, the green economy transition is 
pursued through five components focusing on reducing GHG emission. It covers the biggest 
emitter – the industry, the building sector and transport while mobilizing the increase of RES and 
promoting climate adaptation measures. The vast renovation programme to improve energy and 
green performance of buildings is pursuing through the dedicated component 2 covering single-
81 

 
 
 
 
family houses, historic buildings as well as horizontally in a number of components addressing 
public  buildings.  The  building´s  renovation  itself  integrates  a  number  of  measures  improving 
energy  performance,  integrating  RES  installations,  as  well  as  addressing  climate  adaptation, 
accessibility and smart  buildings management. The investment  is  well combined with  reforms, 
which  are  addressing  implementation  bottlenecks  (e.g.  access  to  grids,  alignment  and 
simplification of renovation schemes). 

Well-developed education components (6-7-8) are building on each other and address a key 
challenge  of  Slovakia  –  insufficient  quality  and  inclusiveness  of  education  at  all  levels. 
While  component  6  addresses  the  increase  of  children´  participation  in  pre-primary  education 
and  the  inclusion  of  disadvantaged  children  in  education,  component  7  focusses  on  improving 
educational  outcomes  through  a  curriculum  reform,  and  better  teachers  preparation  at 
pedagogical  faculties.  This  is  linked  to  measures,  which  aim  at  improving  the  quality, 
performance and internationalization of higher education institutions (component 8). Increasing 
capacities  of  pre-primary  and  elementary  schools,  digitalization  of  schools  and  digital  skills  of 
teachers  are  addressed  horizontally,  across  all  education  components  and  connected  to  
component  17,  which  outlines  overall  digital  skills  strategy  to  be  financed  mostly  from  the 
Cohesion Policy funding. Digital upskilling of vulnerable groups, in particular pensioners with a 
tailor made program is a part of component 17. All education components combine reforms and 
investments  in  a  mutually  supportive  way  to  bring  about  changes  in  the  content  and  form  of 
education at all levels. Reforms of the legal entitlement of place for pre-primary education for 3-
year-old,  the  system  of  counseling,  concept  of  special  education  needs  goes  along  with  the 
investment  in  increasing  the  capacity  of  kindergartens  and  should  enable  children  to  develop 
their full education potential.  

The  interlinked  components  on  RDI  (9)  and  higher  education  (8)  are  centered  on  a  key 
R&I  governance reform to overcome the current fragmentation and improve R&I  policy 
making, efficiency and impact of R&I  investment. Through long awaited R&I reforms and an 
increased funding, the R&I component aims to strengthen the R&I ecosystem as a precondition 
for competitive and sustainable economic growth. This effort is complemented by the reforms on 
higher education through the introduction of performance contracts, the assessment of scientific 
performance  and  mobilization  of  excellence  in  research  teams.  The  R&I  component  is  closely 
linked  to  “Digital  Slovakia”  (component  17),  which  contains  measures  to  support  the  digital 
economy  (e.g.  development  and  application  of  top  digital  technologies,  participation  in  EU 
multi-country  projects,  etc.)  and  should  be  a  subject  to  a  similar  governance  structure  for  the 
digital economy. The R&I component along with the “talent retention and attraction” component 
are designed to stimulate the supply of human resources for R&I and support brain circulation. 
The  respective  measures  should  mobilize  excellent  researchers  including  from  abroad  and 
strengthen  academia-business  cooperation.  Private  investment  should  be  mobilized  through  a 
number  of  dedicated  schemes,  including  the  use  of  financial  instruments.  Investment  in  digital 
hubs  (component  17)  intends  to  provide  services  to  SMEs  on  the  supply  side  in  the  form  of 
82 

 
 
 
 
diagnostics and design of solutions. On the other hand, digital “voucher schemes” (component 9) 
should stimulate business demand for these solutions.  

Components  17,  9  and  7  pave  the  way  for  the  digital  transformation  of  the  economy, 
including  digital  skills´  improvement.  The  e-government  measures  aim  at  simplifying 
communication  with  public  administration,  increasing  satisfaction  of  users  and  optimising  
processes,  including  across  a  number  of  components.  Cybersecurity  should  be  developed  in  a 
systemic  way  focusing  on  uniform  standards,  security  audits,  investments  in  early  warning 
systems  and  trainings.  While  it  should  apply  only  to  public  organisations,  the  development  of 
expertise  and  competence  centres  are  expected  to  benefit  the  broader  society.  Digital  skills 
should be part of the school curricula reform, while a respective strategy intends to address the 
adult  population.  Digital  capabilities  of  businesses  should  be  fostered  through  development  of 
Digital Innovation Hubs as well as through targeted support schemes.   

Three  health  components  focusing  on  institutional  healthcare,  primary  care  (component 
11), long-term care (component 13) and mental health (component 12) are building on each 
other and combine long-awaiting reforms and investments. Key reforms in the component 11 
on  optimising  the  hospital  healthcare  network,  developing  a  health  investment  strategy  and,  
centralising the management of the largest public hospitals should provide a framework for the 
significant  investment  in  physical  infrastructure,  including  construction  of  new  hospitals  and 
refurbishment of some of the existing ones. In addition, the definition of an optimal primary care 
network and related subsidy scheme supporting the establishment of new primary care facilities 
in  underserved  areas  should  improve  access  to  primary  care  services  in  the  regions  with  the 
lowest  density  of  general  practitioners  in  the  country.  This  component  has  strong  digital 
dimension  and  intends  to  promote  telemedicine.  In  response  to  the  increasing  burden  of 
behavioural health conditions, many of which are neither diagnosed nor treated, component 12 
aims  at  promoting  mental  health  for  all  population  groups  from  childhood  to  old  age,  and  at 
increasing  the  accessibility  of  community-based  support  services.  Finally,  component  13 
addresses  rapid  population  ageing  by  ensuring  high-quality  and  comprehensive  support  for 
people  in  need  of  long-term  and  palliative  care.  The  reform  part  is  designed  to  address 
integration and financing of long term social and healthcare including the reform of the invalidity 
activity.  Reforms  will  pave  ways  for  the  follow  up  investment  in  enhancing  community-based 
social care capacities, after-care and nursing capacities and restoring palliative care capacities.  

is  an 

As  Slovakia 
important  beneficiary  of  Cohesion  Policy  funds,  significant 
complementarities  are  visible  and  in  principle  spelled  out  in  the  text,  but  level  of  details 
vary across the components.  This is due to the fact that both programming documents, namely 
the Partnership Agreement and Programme (2021 – 2027) are pending finalisation and adoption. 
Therefore, an overall description of synergies at  the horizontal level accompanied by summary 
tables (in the Annex) offer only a first overview of intended complementarities per areas covered 
by both funds. This is complemented by a mechanism to avoid “double funding”, which seems to 

83 

 
 
 
 
be  reasonable,  but  need  to  be  effectively  established,  implemented  and  monitored  in  close 
cooperation  between  responsible  actors  under  both  funds.  All  potential  investments  under  the 
Cohesion Policy funds indicated in the plan are still subject to negotiations with the Commission 
and cannot be prejudged on the basis of the text in the plan. 

The plan does not present inconsistencies or contradictions between the different components. 

***   
Taking  into  consideration  the  qualitative  assessment  of  all  components  of  Slovakia´s  recovery 
and  resilience  plan,  their  individual  weight  (size,  relevance,  financial  allocation)  and  their 
interactions,  the  plan  contains  measures  for  the  implementation  of  reforms  and  public 
investments which, to a high extent, represent coherent actions. This would warrant a rating of A 
under the assessment criterion 2.11 of Annex V to the RRF Regulation. 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX – Climate and Digital tagging27 

Int. Field = intervention field 
Coeff. = Coefficient for the calculation of support to climate change objectives and to digital transition, 
on the basis of Annex VI and Annex VII to the RRF Regulation 

Climate 

Digital 

Measure/ 
Sub-
Measure ID  Measure/Sub-Measure Name 

Budget 
(EUR 
million) 

Int. Field  Coeff.% 

Int. Field 

Coeff.% 

C1.I1a 

C1.I1b 

C1.I2a 

C1.I2b 

C1.I3a 

C1.I3b 

Investments in the construction of new sources of 
electricity from RES 

102,7  029 

100% 

Investments in the construction of new sources of 
electricity from RES – Administrative costs 

2,1  029 

100% 

Investments in upgrading existing RES electricity 
sources (repowering) 

62,1  032 

100% 

Investments in upgrading existing RES electricity 
sources (repowering) - Administrative costs 

1,3  032 

100% 

Investments in increasing flexibility of electricity 
systems for greater RES integration - excluding 
Hydropower   

Investments in increasing flexibility of electricity 
systems for greater RES integration - excluding 
Hydropower - Administrative costs  

50,4  033 

100%  033 

40% 

1,0  033 

100%  033 

40% 

C1.I3c 

Investments in increasing flexibility of electricity 
systems for greater RES integration - Hydropower   

11,8  032 

100% 

27 While the total cost of the Slovak recovery and resilience plan exceeds the total allocation of non-repayable 
financial support to Slovakia, Slovakia will ensure that all spending related to the measures mentioned in this table 
as contributing to climate and digital objectives are fully financed by the funds from the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility. 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Investments in increasing flexibility of electricity 
systems for greater RES integration - Hydropower - 
Administrative costs  

C1.I3d 

0,2  032 

100% 

C2.I1a 

Improving the energy efficiency of family houses -  

506,0  025bis 

100% 

C2.I1b 

Improving the energy efficiency of family houses - 
administrative costs 

22,0  025bis 

100% 

C2.I2a 

Renovation of public historical and listed buildings -  

200,1  026bis 

100% 

C2.I2b 

C2.I2c 

C3.R2 

C3.I1a 

C3.I1b 

C3.I1c 

C3.I1d 

C3.I2 

C3.I3 

C3.R4 

C3.I4 

C4.I1 

C4.I2a 

Renovation of public historical and listed buildings - 
administrative cost 

5,4  026bis 

100% 

Renovation of public historical and listed buildings - 
information campaign 

1,0  026bis 

100% 

Public passenger transport reform 

26,6  084bis 

40%  084bis 

100% 

Development of low-carbon transport 
infrastructure: railway lines 

Development of low-carbon transport 
infrastructure: rail digitalisation 

Development of low-carbon transport 
infrastructure: cycling paths 

Development of low-carbon transport 
infrastructure: administrative costs 

Promoting clean passenger transport 

Development of intermodal freight transport 
Introduction of new policies for the long-term 
promotion of alternative fuels in the transport 
sector 

431,5  069bis 

100% 

118,1  070 

40%  070 

100% 

105,0  075 

100% 

5,8  069bis 

45,3  072bis 

16,1  079 

100% 

100% 

40% 

1,0  077 

100% 

Supporting the development of infrastructure for 
alternative fuel vehicles  

Decarbonisation of industry 

51,6  077 

362,7  024ter 

100% 

100% 

Ensuring the functioning of SIŽP processes linked to 
decarbonisation - excluding vehicles 

2,7  027 

100% 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C5.I1a 

C5.I1b 

C5.I1c 

C5.I1d 

C6.R1a 

C7.R1a 

C7.R2a 

C4.I2b 

Ensuring the functioning of SIŽP processes linked to 
decarbonisation – vehicles 

2,5  n/a28 

40% 

Adapting to climate change – Adapting regions to 
climate change, focusing on nature conservation 
and biodiversity development - renaturation of 
watercourses 

62,3  037 

100% 

Adapting regions to climate change, focusing on 
nature conservation and biodiversity development - 
settlements with private land owners 

77,5  037 

100% 

Adapting regions to climate change, focusing on 
nature conservation and biodiversity development - 
development plans in the two national parks of 
Polonina and Muránska plan 

Adapting regions to climate change, focusing on 
nature conservation and biodiversity development: 
administrative capacity 

Providing conditions for the implementation of 
compulsory pre-primary education for children 
from the age of 5 and introducing a legal 
entitlement to a place in kindergarten or other pre-
primary education providers from the age of 3 - 
energy efficiency renovation 
Education content and form reform – Curriculum 
and textbook reform – Digital testing and digital 
tools 

Preparing and developing teachers for new content 
and form of teaching – Digital teacher education 

16,0  037 

100% 

3,2  037 

100% 

39,3  026bis 

100% 

19,5 

16,7 

187,2 

012 

100% 

108  

100% 

012 

100% 

C7.I1a 

Digital infrastructure in schools  

28 The ‘Methodology for climate tracking’ annexed to the Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation does not set 
out intervention fields that would allow for climate or environmental tracking of electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid 
vehicles, except for vehicles for urban transport falling under intervention field 074. According to Article 18(4)(e) of 
the Regulation, the methodology should however ‘be used accordingly for measures that cannot be directly 
assigned to an intervention field listed in Annex VI’. In this context, the Commission has applied a 100% climate 
contribution coefficient for zero-emission vehicles of all categories (this includes battery electric and fuel 
cell/hydrogen-powered vehicles); a 40% climate contribution coefficient for plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicles; and, 
in line with the criteria under the Taxonomy Regulation, a 100% climate coefficient for low-emission heavy-duty 
vehicles. 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
C7.I1b 

Digital infrastructure in schools - administrative 
capacity 

5,1 

012 

100% 

C7.I2a 

Completion of school infrastructure  

12,3  026bis 

100% 

C7.I2b 

C8.I1 

C8.R2a 

C9.I2 

C9.I4 

C9.I5 

C9.I7 

Completion of school infrastructure - administrative 
capacity 

0,3  026bis 

100% 

Investment support for the strategic development 
of universities 

63,0  026bis 

100% 

Introduction of a system of periodic scientific 
performance evaluation 

Support for cooperation between firms, academia 
and R & D organisations 
Research and innovation to decarbonise the 
economy 

6,5 

14,0 

011 

100% 

009bis 

100% 

78,7  022 

100% 

Research and innovation for the digitalisation of the 
economy 

It support a single R & D grant system 

134,0 

6,6 

009bis 

011 

100% 

100% 

C11.I2a 

C11.I2b 

New hospital network – construction – green costs 
New hospital network – reconstruction – green 
costs 

692,1  025ter 

40% 

17,4  026bis 

100% 

C11.I3  

Digitalisation in health 

41,2 

095 

100% 

C11.I4c 

Construction and rehabilitation of ambulance 
stations – Reconstruction – green costs 

0,8  026bis 

100% 

C12.R1c 

Coordinated inter-ministerial cooperation and 
regulation - IT part 

0,5 

095 

100% 

C12.I3b, 
C12.I4b, 
C12.I5b 

C12.I6b 

C12.I7b 

C13.I1a 

C13.I2a 

Community centres' energy efficiency renovation 
costs – Building psycho-social centres, Completing 
the psychiatric stationary network, Establishment of 
specialised centres for autism spectrum disorders  

Establishment of a repository of psychodiagnostic 
methods - IT costs 

0,7  026bis 

100% 

1,0 

095 

100% 

Humanisation of institutional psychiatric care – 
energy efficiency renovation costs 

2,1  026bis 

100% 

Enhancement of community-based welfare 
capacities – Green investment 

12  026bis 

100% 

Extension and renewal of after-care and nursing 
capacities – Green investment 

2  026bis 

100% 

C14.I1a 

Anti-bureaucratic packages – work-flow tool 

C14.I2 

Digitalisation of insolvency processes 

0,2 

6,0 

011 

100% 

011quater  

100% 

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C15.I1a 

C15.I2a 

C15.I2b 

C16.I1a 

C16.I1b 

C16.I1e 

C16.I2a 

C16.I2c 

C16.I2d 

C16.I2f 

C16.I3a 

C16.I3c 

C16.I4b 

Reform of the judicial map – reorganisation of 
courts – renovation of buildings (green part of the 
investment) 

Supporting instruments for reform of the Judicial 
Map – Commercial Register and Centralised System 
of Judicial Governance 

Supporting tools for reform of the judicial map – 
Upgrading of IT equipment 

Tools and capacity for the fight against corruption 
and money laundering – development of tools: 
Central Accounts Register 
Tools and capacity for the fight against corruption 
and money laundering – development of tools: 
GoAML 

Tools and capacity for the fight against corruption 
and money laundering – technical equipment for 
efficient financial investigations (digital investment) 

Equipping and digitalising the police force – training 
of staff and technical equipment of new units 
(digital investment) 

Equipping and digitalising the police force – new 
Aliens Registration Information System (IS ECU) 
Equipping and digitalising the police force – 
Automated system for detecting road traffic 
offences 

18,0  026bis 

100% 

9,4 

26,7 

3,3 

1,6 

12,5 

5,6 

3,3 

24,8 

011quater 

100% 

011quater 

100% 

011 

100% 

011 

100% 

011 

100% 

011 

011 

100% 

100% 

011 

100% 

Equipping and digitalising the police force – 
reconstruction of buildings (green investment) 

10,1  026bis 

100% 

Modernisation of the fire and rescue system – 
building a network of Integrated Safety Centres 
(digital investment) 
Modernisation of the fire and rescue system – 
renovation of fire station buildings (green 
investment) 

Strengthening administrative capacity at different 
levels of government – creation of a National 
Implementation and Coordination Authority (digital 
investment) 

C17.I1a 

Better services for citizens and businesses 

C17.I2a 

Digital transformation of public service delivery 

C17.I3a 

Engaging in multi-country European projects related 
to the digital economy – EDIHs 

89 

14,3 

011 

100% 

1,2  026bis 

100% 

7,7 

177,5 

127,6 

16,9 

011 

011 

011 

010 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
C17.I3b 

C17.I4a 

Engagement in cross-border European projects 
leading to the digital economy - supercomputing   

Support for projects aiming at the development and 
application of top digital technologies 

C17.I5a 

Fast grants – hackathons 

C17.R4a 

Standardisation of technical and procedural 
cybersecurity solutions 

C17.R5a 

Improving cybersecurity training and skills 

C17.I6a 

Strengthening preventive measures, increasing the 
speed of incident detection and resolution  

Strengthening preventive measures, increasing the 
speed of incident detection and resolution  – 
securing critical infrastructure 

Improving the digital skills of seniors and the 
distribution of Senior Tablets - pilot project 

Improving the digital skills of seniors and the 
distribution of Senior Tablets - completed project 

Better services for citizens and businesses - 
administrative capacity 

Digital transformation of public service delivery - 
administrative capacity 
Engaging in multi-country European projects related 
to the digital economy - EDIHs - administrative 
capacity 

Digital Slovakia – Engagement in cross-border 
European projects leading to the digital economy - 
supercomputing - administrative capacity 

Support for projects aiming at the development and 
application of top digital technologies - 
administrative capacity 

C17.I6b 

C17.I7a 

C17.I7b 

C17.I1b 

C17.I2b 

C17.I3c 

C17.I3d 

C17.I4b 

C17.I5b 

Fast grants – hackathons - administrative capacity 

C17.R4b 

Standardisation of technical and procedural 
cybersecurity solutions - administrative capacity 

C17.R5b 

Improving cybersecurity training and skills - 
administrative capacity 

Strengthening preventive measures, increasing the 
speed of incident detection and resolution - 
administrative capacity 

C17.I6c 

90 

85,1 

73,5 

3,2 

4,2 

9,4 

34,6 

3,9 

4,1 

62,9 

2,3 

1,8 

0,5 

1,5 

1,3 

0,6 

0,3 

0,3 

1,0 

021quater 

100% 

010 

009bis 

100% 

100% 

011 

100% 

021 
quinquies 

100% 

011 

100% 

021 
quinquies 

012 

012 

011 

011 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

100% 

010 

100% 

021quater 

100% 

010 

009bis 

100% 

100% 

011 

100% 

021 
quinquies 

100% 

011 

100% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strengthening preventive measures, increasing the 
speed of incident detection and resolution  – 
securing critical infrastructure - administrative 
capacity 

Improving the digital skills of seniors and the 
distribution of Senior Tablets - pilot project - 
administrative capacity 

Improving the digital skills of seniors and the 
distribution of Senior Tablets - completed project - 
administrative capacity 

C17.I6d 

C17.I7c 

C17.I7d 

0,3 

0,1 

2,2 

021 
quinquies 

100% 

012 

100% 

012 

100% 

91