COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Slovakia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Slovakia, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 925 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                               Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Slovakia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                                 The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT  

Since the 2024 Report, Slovakia has engaged in an intensive dialogue with the Commission 
to resolve the issues identified, and efforts in this regard are ongoing. In this context, a series 
of amendments to the Criminal Codes were passed in the second half of 2024 to adjust earlier 
amendments, with a view to align the legislation with the Directive on the protection of EU 
financial  interests.  The  Government  proposed  amendments  to  judges'  laws  introducing 
various changes, some of which are welcomed by stakeholders as addressing the efficiency of 
courts.  They  also  re-introduce  bonuses  for  judges  and  amend  the  rules  for  evaluation.  The 
draft amendments furthermore propose establishing a second instance review in disciplinary 
decisions regarding judges, prosecutors, notaries and bailiffs, while giving an increasing role 
to  the  Judicial  Council.  Reflections  are  ongoing  on  introducing  safeguards  to  ensure 
sufficient guarantees of independence as regards the dismissal of the members of the Judicial 
Council,  though  no  formal  steps  have  yet  been  taken.  While  amendments  to  the  Criminal 
Codes introduced last year clarified some procedural aspects regarding criminal liability for 
judicial decisions and the Government indicated openness for further legislative action, there 
is still a need to make further progress on introducing sufficient safeguards. There are plans 
to  address  some  challenges  reported  by  stakeholders  related  to  the  implementation  of  the 
judicial map reformed in 2023. A reform extends the access to free legal aid to a wider group 
of  society,  while  digitalisation  efforts  are  ongoing.  The  justice  system  continues  to  face 
challenges as regards its efficiency, particularly in administrative cases.  

Whereas  the  2024  criminal  law  reform  was  realigned  to  be  consistent  with  EU  law,  other 
aspects still raise specific anti-corruption concerns and previously  identified risks appear to 
have  materialised  with  several  high-level  cases  statute-barred  or 
reclassified  as 
misdemeanours  only.  The  closure  of  specialised  anti-corruption  entities  (National  Crime 
Agency  and  Special  Prosecutor’s  Office)  resulted  in  delays  in  investigations  transferred  to 
other bodies and significant drops in the number of corruption cases. Prosecutorial decisions 
deemed to be illegal continued to be annulled by the Prosecutor General, including in high-
level corruption cases, who is able to reassign such cases and give direct instructions. A new 
National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024-2029 and a related Action Plan are in preparation for 
intergovernmental consultation procedure. There are some initial developments to strengthen 
the prevention of conflict of interest. Political commitments to introduce legislative initiatives 
on lobbying or asset declarations are still to be translated into proposals. 

A draft law amending the Media Services Act aims to expand the competences of the national 
regulator. The abolition of the previous public service broadcaster and the establishment of a 
new  entity  continues  to  raise  concerns  about  the  autonomy  of  public  service  media.  The 
Freedom  of  Information  Act  was  amended  to  introduce  additional  conditions  for  accessing 
information in certain cases. No measures have been taken to improve the safety and working 
environment of journalists, with stakeholders concluding that there has been a deterioration in 
this field. 

Practices  by-passing  stakeholders’  involvement  in  the  law-making  process  and  frequent 
recourse  to  fast-track  legislative  procedures  continue  to  raise  concerns.  The  civil  society 
environment faces further pressure, and new reporting and information disclosure obligations 
introduce additional burden for civil society organisations.  

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RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall,  concerning  the  recommendations  in  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Slovakia  has 
made: 

•  No progress on introducing measures to ensure that the members of the Judicial Council, 
notably those not elected by judges, are subject to sufficient guarantees of independence 
as  regards  their  dismissal,  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  independence  of 
Judicial Councils. 

•  Limited  progress  on  ensuring  that  sufficient  safeguards  are  in  place  and  duly  observed 
when  subjecting  judges  to  criminal  liability  for  the  crime  of  “abuse  of  law”  as  regards 
their judicial decisions. 

•  Some progress on strengthening the legislation on conflicts of interest, and no progress on 

introducing proposals to regulate lobbying and asset declarations. 

•  No progress  on  ensuring the effective  and independent  investigation and prosecution of 
high-level corruption cases with a view to establishing a robust track record, including by 
preventing  any  undue  interference  in  such  cases  and  by  restricting  the  use  of  the 
Prosecutor-General’s powers to annul final investigatory and prosecutorial decisions. 
•  No progress on strengthening the rules and mechanisms to restore and further safeguard 
the  independent  governance  and  editorial  independence  of  public  service  media  taking 
into account European standards on public service media. 

•  No  further  progress  on  advancing  with  the  process  to  establish  legislative  and  other 
safeguards  to  improve  the  physical  safety  and  working  environment  of  journalists, 
including  the  reform  of  defamation  law,  taking  into  account  the  European  standards  on 
the protection of journalists. 

•  No progress on ensuring effective public consultation and stakeholder involvement in the 
law-making process, including by avoiding excessive use of the fast-track procedure. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
and  in  addition  to  recalling  the  relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience  Plan  and  the  relevant  country-specific  recommendations  under  the  European 
Semester, it is recommended to Slovakia to: 

• 

Introduce  measures  to  ensure  sufficient  guarantees  of  independence  as  regards  the 
dismissal of members of the Judicial Council, notably those not elected by judges, taking 
into account European standards on independence of Judicial Councils.   

•  Ensure that sufficient safeguards are in place and duly observed when subjecting judges 
to criminal liability for the crime of “abuse of law” as regards their judicial decisions.  
Introduce proposals to regulate lobbying, strengthen the asset declaration and verification 
system, and continue ongoing efforts to reform conflicts of interest rules. 

• 

•  Ensure  the  effective  and  independent  investigations  and  prosecutions  of  high-level 
corruption  cases  to  establish  a  robust  track  record,  including  by  preventing  any  undue 
interference  and  restricting  the  use  of  the  Prosecutor-General’s  powers  to  annul  final 
investigatory and prosecutorial decisions. 

•  Strengthen  the  rules  and  mechanisms  to  restore  and  further  safeguard  the  independent 
governance  and  editorial  independence  of  public  service  media  taking  into  account 
European standards on public service media. 

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•  Advance  with  the  process  to  establish  legislative  and  other  safeguards  to  improve  the 
physical  safety  and  working  environment  of  journalists,  including  the  reform  of 
defamation  law,  taking  into  account  the  European  standards  on  the  protection  of 
journalists.  

•  Ensure  effective  public  consultation  and  stakeholder  involvement  in  the  law-making 

process, including by addressing the frequent use of the fast-track procedure.  

3 

 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Slovakia continues to be low among both 
the  general  public  and  companies.  Overall,  32%  of  the  general  population  and  34%  of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 
in  20252.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general  public  has  slightly 
decreased in comparison with 2024 (33%) but has increased in comparison with 2021 (28%). 
The perceived level of independence among companies has slightly increased in comparison 
with 2024 (33%) and has increased in comparison with 2021 (30%).  

A series of amendments to the Criminal Codes were passed in the second half of 2024 to 
adjust earlier amendments with a view to align the legislation with the Directive on the 
protection of EU financial interests3.  The 2024 Report noted that significant  amendments 
introduced  to  the  Criminal  Codes  had  been  adopted  in  a  fast-track  procedure  without 
appropriate consultation  of stakeholders4. The Commission voiced its serious concerns over 
the content of the reform5, including the impact of lowering of the penalties and statutes of 
limitations  on  the  effectiveness  of  the  fight  against  corruption,  including  as  regards  the 
protection  of  EU  financial  interests.  Following  extensive  consultations  between  the  Slovak 
Government  and  the  European  Commission,  the  Slovak  Parliament  adopted  in  December 
2024 additional amendments, which ensured alignment with the Directive on the protection 
of EU financial interests (“PIF Directive”)6.  

The  Government  proposed  amendments  to  the  judges’  laws  introducing  changes  on 
resource  allocation,  some  of  which  are  welcomed  by  stakeholders  as  addressing  the 
efficiency of courts7. With the objective of increasing efficiency8, the amendments, currently 
discussed  in  Parliament9,  notably  provide  for  the  possibility  of  a  visiting  judge  to  be 
temporarily assigned from a district to a regional court based on the request of the president 
of  the  latter  and  following  the  decision  of  the  Judicial  Council.  Stakeholders  generally 
welcome the extended use of this provision as a solution to address the backlog at courts10. 
Unlike  the  already  existing  temporary  assignment  to  district  courts,  which  is  subject  to  an 
exhaustive list of criteria, the conditions for the temporary assignment to a higher court are, 

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here. 
2   Figures 50 and 52, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 49 and 51, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   Amendments of 8 February 2024 were further amended as regards EU financial interests on 16 July 2024, 11 

September 2024 and 17 December 2024.  

4   2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, pp. 4 et seq. 
5   Concerns  were  also  raised  by  the  European  Chief  Prosecutor  and  the  European  Parliament.  EPPO  (2023), 

European Parliament (2024). 

6   See also Pillar II below. 
7   Government Bill No. 816, amending the following acts: Act on judges and lay judges, Act on the Judicial 
Council, Act on the disciplinary proceedings before the Supreme Administrative Court, and Act on courts.  

8   Slovak Government (2025), p. 1. 
9   Parliamentary Bill No. 816. 
10   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Supreme  Court,  Supreme  Administrative  Court.  The  temporary  assignment  to  a 
higher court will serve also as a background for promotion. Country visit Slovakia, Association of Judges. 

4 

 
 
 
however, not clearly defined11. The amendments also introduce the possibility for a judge to 
obtain  protection  from  the  police  if  needed,  also  when  conducting  work  outside  of  court 
premises.  Stakeholders  welcomed  this  proposed  change,  aiming  to  increase  the  safety  of 
judges12. 

The  draft  amendments  to  the  judges’  laws  also  re-introduce  bonuses  for  judges  and 
amend the rules for evaluation. The Government also proposed changes to the rules on the 
evaluation of judges, increasing the Judicial Council’s powers over the evaluation committees 
and  their  final  decisions  on  the  basis  of  a  resolution  of  the  Judicial  Council  following 
communication  with  the  evaluation  commission13.  The  draft  amendments  introduce  the 
possibility  to  award  bonuses  to  judges  when  they  reach  the  age  of  50  and/or  60.  The  mere 
fulfilment of the age criterion makes a judge eligible, however not entitled to a bonus. Since 
no  further  conditions  for  granting  a  bonus  are  specified,  the  provisions  leave  discretion  in 
awarding  them14.  According  to  European  standards,  the  remuneration  should  rely  on 
objective and transparent criteria and bonuses which include an element of discretion should 
be excluded15.  

The  draft  amendments  also  propose  establishing  a  second  instance  review  in 
disciplinary decisions regarding judges, prosecutors, notaries and bailiffs, while giving 
an  increasing  role  to  the  Judicial  Council.  The  draft  amendments  to  judges’  laws  would 
introduce  a  full  second  instance  review  before  the  Supreme  Administrative  Court  (SAC), 
which  was  welcomed  by  stakeholders  as  a  positive  step  forward16.  The  Judicial  Council 
would  appoint  one  member  and  one  lay  judge  within  a  three-member  first  instance 
disciplinary  panel,  and  two  members  and  two  lay  judges  within  a  five-member  second 
instance panel17. The Judicial Council would also have the power to initiate disciplinary cases 
against judges, as well as the right to appeal disciplinary decisions to the second  instance18. 
While the Supreme Administrative Court judges would hold one position in  a first instance 

11   According to European standards, temporary assignment, even happening with consent and on a temporary 

basis, should be used only in exceptional circumstances. ODIHR (2023), para 35.  

12   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Judicial  Council,  Supreme  Administrative  Court,  Supreme  Court,  Association  of 

Judges.  

13   Slovak  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  9.  Approved  draft  amendments,  points  10  et  seq.  Supreme 
Court raised concerns over the amendments on the evaluation of judges.  According to the Government, the 
aim  is  to  strengthen  the  guarantees  for  judges  in  relation  to  the  review  of  the  report  of  the  evaluation 
commission. 

14   When judges reach the age of 50, there is still discretion to grant the bonus. The decision to grant a bonus to 
a  judge  is  made  by  that  court’s  president,  while  the  Minister  of  Justice  decides  on  granting  a  bonus  to  a 
regional  court  president  and  the  Judicial  Council  for  the  Supreme  Court  President.  Stakeholders  raised 
concerns  over  the  introduction  of  bonuses  and  that  this  could  be  a  tool  for  possible  influencing  or 
manipulating of judges. Country visit Slovakia, Via Iuris, Supreme Court. 

15   Venice Commission (2010), para 46.  
16   Amendments to the Act on the disciplinary proceedings at the Supreme Administrative Court.  
17   In  cases  against  judges,  the  first  instance  panel  would  consist  of  a  president  (judge  of  the  Supreme 
Administrative Court), one judge of other court and one layman. Second instance panel would consist of its 
president (judge of the Supreme Administrative Court), one judge of the Supreme Administrative Court, two 
judges  of  other  court  and  a  layman.  Judges  of  other  courts,  as  well  as  laymen,  are  chosen  into  databases 
created by the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council appoints the members into the database without a prior 
standard  selection  procedure,  solely  on  the  basis  of  their  hearing  before  the  Judicial  Council.  Concrete 
member will be selected from the relevant databases by random selection using technical and software tools 
when a disciplinary proposal is registered in the registry for each disciplinary proposal separately. Judicial 
Council (2025), additional written input.  

18   Before the amendments, only the President of the Judicial Council had the power to initiate the proceedings. 

5 

 
 
 
panel and two positions in a second instance panel, in practice the amended eligibility rules 
currently mean that only two judges would be  eligible for the panel19. Several  stakeholders 
have expressed concerns over the Judicial Council’s expanded role and its potential to exert 
undue influence over disciplinary outcomes20. 

Whereas  reflections  are  ongoing  on  introducing  safeguards  to  ensure  sufficient 
guarantees  of  independence  as  regards  the  dismissal  of  the  members  of  the  Judicial 
Council, no formal  steps have yet been taken21. The Slovak authorities have indicated to 
the European Commission that they are reflecting on the possibility of a constitutional reform 
concerning the  conditions  for the dismissal  of Judicial Council members, notably those not 
elected  by  judges.  The  conditions  for  the  dismissal  of  Judicial  Council  members,  notably 
those not elected by judges, are still not laid out in law. Since November 2023, all members 
previously nominated by the Government, the President, and Parliament have been dismissed 
and  replaced  before  completing  their  respective  terms22.  The  Constitutional  Court  declined 
the constitutional complaints submitted by dismissed members23. The Judicial Council holds 
a  key  role,  particularly  in  the  selection  process  for  judicial  appointments,  the  vetting 
procedure of judges, disciplinary proceedings, awarding bonuses, and decisions on whether to 
terminate prosecution of a judge for the crime of ‘abuse of law’. According to the case law of 
the Court of Justice of the European Union, judicial councils, where they exist, need to hold 
sufficient guarantees of independence in relation to the legislature and the executive power, 
including the way how their members can be dismissed24. In order to increase its credibility, 
the Judicial Council adopted a decision to promote and implement certain recommendations 
of the European Network of Judicial Councils25. A wide discretion to dismiss the members of 
the  Judicial  Council  creates  a  potential  risk  of  taking  decisions  with  a  form  of  prior 
compliance26. Considering that no formal steps have yet been taken to introduce guarantees 

19   The  amendments  require  that  only  a  person  who  has  more  than  10  years  of  professional  experience  as  a 
judge may sit in the panel, which de facto leads in only two out of all SAC judges being eligible. While the 
SAC judges hold a presiding position in the disciplinary panels, the weight of the president’s vote does not 
outweigh the vote of the majority. 

20   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Supreme  Administrative  Court,  Via  Iuris,  Judges  for  Open  Judiciary.  See  also 
ENNHRI (2025). According to the CCJE (2024), para 19 et seq., there should be a clear separation between 
those who initiate the proceedings and those who decide. According to the CCJE (2002), para 71, the  body 
responsible for appointing such a tribunal should be independent. 

21   2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Slovakia to ‘introduce measures to ensure that the members of the 
Judicial Council, notably those not elected by judges, are subject to sufficient guarantees of independence as 
regards their dismissal, taking into account European standards on independence of Judicial Councils’. 

22   The Council is composed of 18 Members, half of which are judges elected by their peers. The Government, 
the Parliament and the President of the Republic each choose three members as well.  Parliament dismissed 
two of its nominees on 2 May 2024, followed by the dismissal of two more members by the newly elected 
President  on  15  July  2024.  While  the  President  appointed  all  three  of  his  nominees  on  16  July  2024, 
Parliament appointed two members in April 2024 and March 2025, one post remains vacant. Association of 
Judges (2025), written input, p. 7.  

23  See 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 6. 
24   The Court of Justice of the European Union has recalled, as regards the process for appointing members of 
the  judiciary,  for  a  Council  of  the  Judiciary  to  contribute  to  rendering  that  process  more  objective,  it  is 
necessary that such a body should itself be sufficiently independent of the legislature, the executive and the 
authority  to  which  it  is  required  to  submit  an  opinion  on  the  assessment  of  candidates  for  a  judicial  post 
(judgment of the CJEU, C-896/19, Repubblika, para. 66).  

25  Decision of the Judicial Council 212/2014 of 18 June 2024, to promote and implement recommendations set 
out in the Report on the Code of Conduct for Members of Judicial Councils and the recommendations of the 
Compendium of the European Network of Judicial Councils on Judicial Councils. 

26   CJEU, joined cases C-313/23, C-316/23 and C-332/23, para. 87 et seq. 

6 

 
 
 
for independence as regards the dismissal of members of the Judicial Council, there has been 
overall no progress on the implementation of this recommendation. 

While amendments to the criminal codes introduced last year clarified some procedural 
aspects regarding criminal liability for judicial decisions and the Government indicated 
openness for further legislative action, there is still a need to make further progress on 
introducing  sufficient  safeguards27.  Under  this  crime,  judges  may  be  prosecuted  for  an 
arbitrary  decision  causing  damage  to  or  bestowing  a  favour  on  another  person28.  Upon  the 
concerned judge’s request, the Judicial Council can dissent with the prosecution of the judge 
for this criminal offence by a vote of at least ten of its members29. This safeguard mechanism 
was applied in 2024 with the Judicial Council’s dissent with the prosecution in three criminal 
proceedings30.  Amendments  to  the  criminal  codes,  adopted  in  2024,  clarified  the  moment 
from  which  the  judge  can  file  such  a  request,  which  can  now  be  before  the  decision  on 
indictment  enters  into  effect.  A  60  day  time-limit  for  a  judge’s  right  to  request  a  vote  to 
dissent  with  the  prosecution  from  the  moment  of  delivery  of  a  decision  on  indictment  was 
introduced31.  The  vast  majority  of  crime  reports  filed  against  judges  have  so  far  been 
dismissed  at  early  stages  of  proceedings.  Besides  creating  administrative  workload,  in  the 
absence  of  clarity  and  of  sufficient  safeguards,  the  provision  is  prone  to  potential  misuse, 
creating a chilling effect on the independent exercise of the judges’ decision-making32. The 
existence of criminal proceedings against a judge is also relevant for the vetting procedure33. 
The need for further safeguards was also raised by the stakeholders34. The Slovak authorities 
are engaged in dialogue with the European Commission and the Council of Europe to address 
this  issue,  and  showed  openness  for  further  revising  the  law  to  either  abolish  the  criminal 
offence  of  ‘abuse  of  law’  or  to  introduce  safeguards.  However,  as  a  legislative  proposal  is 
still 
this 
recommendation.  

limited  progress  has  been  made  on 

the  consultation  process,  only 

in 

The  power  of  the  Prosecutor  General  to  annul  final  decisions  of  lower-ranking 
prosecutors, now combined with the new prosecutorial framework, remains a concern35. 
The Prosecutor General can issue instructions at any stage of the proceedings, even before a 
final decision is taken by investigators and prosecutors. Combined with the new prosecutorial 
framework, this broadens his scope of areas of competence. No legislative steps have so far 
been taken to revise Section 363 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which gives the Prosecutor 

27   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Slovakia to ‘ensure that sufficient safeguards are in place and 
duly observed when subjecting judges to criminal liability for the crime of “abuse of law” as regards their 
judicial decisions’. 

28   Section 326a of the Slovak Criminal Code. 
29   2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 8.  
30   Country visit Slovakia, Judicial Council. Slovak Government (2025) additional written input. 
31   Amendments to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code of 8 February 2024.  
32   2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Slovakia,  pp.  7,  8.  Country  visit  Slovakia,  Association  of  Judges,  Judicial 

Council.  

33   Vetting procedure of a judge is initiated every time when there is a promotion of a judge to a higher court, 
but also by the decision of the Judicial Council if a majority agrees (i.e. more than 9), Act on the Judicial 
Council. Information received by the Association of Judges. 

34   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Judicial  Council  and  Association  of  Judges.  Association  of  Judges  (2025),  written 

input, p. 7. 

35  See in this context also pillar II. 

7 

 
 
 
General power to annul final decisions of lower-ranking prosecutors or the police36, though it 
may be revisited in the planned re-codification exercise in 2025-2026. While instructions not 
to  prosecute  are  prohibited  by  law,  Article  6(10)  of  the  Act  on  Prosecutors  still  makes  it 
possible for the immediate superior to  remove a case from  the subordinated prosecutor and 
decide on it. Additionally, the Serious Crime Unit, which was established after the dissolution 
of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), does not benefit from the same level of autonomy 
as  the  previous  SPO.  The  allocation  of  cases  among  the  Regional  Prosecutor’s  Offices  and 
the Serious Crime Unit is conducted on an ad hoc basis without objective criteria.  

Quality 

There  are  plans  to  address  some  challenges  reported  by  stakeholders  related  to  the 
implementation  of  the  judicial  map  reformed  in  2023.  The  reformed  judicial  map, 
including the new separate system of administrative courts, is in place since 1 June 2023. The 
reform is part of Slovakia’s commitments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and aims 
at improving the efficiency and quality of the justice system37. The administrative courts of 
first  instance  are  reported  to  function  well,  with  the  expectations  for  the  efficiency  to 
continuously increase in the coming years38. Various authorities and stakeholders, including 
the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Judicial Council, the Association 
of  Judges  and  the  Slovak  Bar  Association,  have  reported  on  difficulties  encountered  in  its 
implementation,  particularly  due  to  the  low  number  of  judges  available  for  the  required 
specialisation at  certain  courts and the need for  requalification of a high number of judges, 
which  lead  to  delays  in  proceedings.  Stakeholders  also  pointed  to  the  fact  that  the 
reorganisation  created  logistical  difficulties,  as  some  courts  now  operate  across  multiple 
locations,  requiring  participants  –  including  prosecutors  –  to  travel  significant  distances, 
including  to  different  cities39.  The  Ministry  of  Justice  introduced  amendments  to  address 
some of the practical issues40. 

A  reform  extends  the  access  to  free  legal  aid  to  a  wider  group  of  society,  while 
digitalisation efforts are ongoing. The reform of the system of legal aid entered into force 
on  [1  July  2025].  Access  to  free  legal  aid  is  extended  by  raising  the  income  threshold  for 
eligibility, broadening the categories of eligible individuals, allowing for the waiver of fees 
for  preliminary  consultations,  and  lowering  the  minimum  value  required  for  a  dispute  to 
qualify41.  They  also  aim  at  decreasing  the  administrative  burden  within  the  proceedings  on 
the provision of free legal aid42. In December 2024, Slovakia launched a new platform for the 
Business Register, introducing new electronic services, namely as regards the registration and 

36   In 2024, the Prosecutor General exercised his power under Section 363 in 97 cases, of which less than half 
had a direct impact on the resolution to bring charges.  Some criminal proceedings were also re-opened by 
annulling  decisions  to  discontinue  criminal  proceedings.  Slovak  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  33, 
and additional written input, respectively.  

37   For detailed description of the reform, see 2023 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, pp. 3-4. 
38   Country visit Slovakia, Supreme Administrative Court. 
39   Association of Judges (2025), written input, p. 8. 
40   The  amendments  are  proposed  in  the  context  of  the  amendments  to  the  judges’  laws.  Explanatory 
memorandum  to  the  Government  Bill  amending  Act.  No.  385/2000  Coll.  The  two  aspects  proposed  to  be 
amended relate to budgetary chapter and that it will now be sufficient for a district court to have two instead 
of three specialised judges in order to create a territorial district for its workplace. 

41   Amendments to the Act on the provision of legal aid to persons in material need and several related acts. 
42   Explanatory note to the amendments to the Act on the provision of legal aid to persons in material need. 

8 

 
 
 
changes of data43. Work on the interconnection of the information systems of the police and 
the  prosecution  service  is  still  ongoing  and  the  development  of  a  new  digital  court 
management system remains in the public procurement phase44.  

Efficiency 

The justice system continues to face challenges as regards its efficiency, particularly in 
administrative  cases.  The  estimated  time  for  resolving  civil  and  commercial  cases  at  first 
instance increased slightly to 173 days in 2023 (168 days in 2022). In first instance criminal 
courts,  the  money  laundering  offences  were  resolved  in  2023  in  791  days  on  average 
(significantly  longer  than  520  days  on  average  in  2022)45.  However,  despite  the 
reorganisation of the judicial map and the establishment of a dedicated administrative court 
system,  the  efficiency  of  administrative  courts  has  significantly  deteriorated.  The  estimated 
time for resolving administrative cases at first instance rose sharply from 648 days in 2022 to 
1 040 days in 2023, making it one of the highest in the EU. Additionally, the clearance rate 
for  administrative  cases  dropped  from  93%  in  2022  to  74%  in  2023,  indicating  that  courts 
were  resolving  considerably  fewer  cases  than  the  number  of  incoming  cases.  Lengthy 
administrative  proceedings  have  been  identified  by  stakeholders  in  Slovakia  as  an  obstacle 
for  businesses,  as  it  impacts  on  the  process  of  obtaining  the  necessary  permits  and 
approvals46.  This  deterioration  may  be  due  to  the  initial  implementation  phase  of  the 
reorganisation of the judicial map and the establishment of a dedicated administrative court 
system, which was expected to cause temporary delays.  

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption  in  the  public  sector  is  high.  In  the  2024  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  by 
Transparency International, Slovakia scores 49/100 and ranks 22nd in the European Union and 
59 globally47. After several consecutive years of improvement, this perception is where it was 
five  years  ago48.  The  2025  Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  78%  of 
respondents  consider  corruption  widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  69)  and  31%  of 
respondents  feel  personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  30).  As 
regards  businesses,  85%  of  companies  consider  that  corruption  is  widespread  (EU  average 
63%) and 64% consider that corruption is a problem when doing business (EU average 35). 
Furthermore, 26% of respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter 
people from corrupt practices (EU average 36), while 10% of companies believe that people 

43   Slovak  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  28.  The  focus  was  on  streamlining  and  developing  existing 
information  systems,  e.g.  Business  Register.  Work  was  done  also  on  other  already  existing  information 
systems. 

44   Slovak  Government  (2025),  written  input,  pp.  29-31.  The  envisaged  finalisation  is  in  November  2027. 

Country visit Slovakia, Ministry of Justice. 

45   Figure 21, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
46   Country visit Slovakia, the Rule of Law Initiative. 
47   The level of perceived corruption is categorised as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (between 79-60), 

relatively high (between 59-50), high (below 50). 

48   In 2020, the score was 49, while in 2024, the score is 49. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes more than five points; improves/deteriorates (changes between 4-5 points) and is relatively stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. For Slovakia, the situation has overall worsened: In 2021, it 
went up to 52, in 2022 up to 53, in 2023 up to 54. 

9 

 
 
 
and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are  appropriately  punished  (EU  average 
33)49.  

A  new  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  2024-2029  and  related  Action  Plan  are  in 
preparation50. The  strategy  will  include measures on corruption risk management  and  will 
support integrity in public administration51. The action plan will focus on capacity building, 
education, corruption risk management, and data collection for monitoring.  The submission 
of the strategy to the Government for intergovernmental consultation is planned to take place 
soon in 2025.  

Whereas  adjustments  have  been  made  to  ensure  the  protection  of  the  EU’s  financial 
interests  and  the  Slovak  government  has  engaged  actively  to  this  end,  with  the  entry 
into force of the criminal law reform of 2024, previously identified risks appear to have 
to a certain extent materialised. The amendments reported on last year, notably relating to 
the statute of limitation periods and sanctions for corruption offences52, impacted on several 
ongoing  corruption  investigations  and  prosecutions53,  including  of  high-level  officials, 
politicians and businessmen closely affiliated to politics. Some cases, including several high-
level  corruption  cases,  were  irretrievably  affected  due  to  the  introduction  of  more  lenient 
sanctions  (lex  mitior),  with  no  opportunity  to  reopen  the  cases  on  the  basis  of  the  same 
evidence (ne bis in idem). The effective seizure of assets acquired through criminal activity 
was  also  negatively  affected54.  Concerns  had  previously  been  raised  regarding  the 
effectiveness  and  deterrence  of  reduced  corruption  sanctions,  the  shortened  statute  of 
limitation  periods,  and  their  alignment  with  the  PIF  Directive55.  Several  additional 
amendments  were  adopted  in  the  second  half  of  2024  to  address  the  PIF  Directive-related 
concerns.  These  amendments  aim  at  guaranteeing  that  the  EU’s  financial  interests  remain 
protected,  ensuring  that  the  EPPO  is  fully  enabled  to  pursue  at  least  fraud  and  corruption 
affecting the EU budget. 

There  has  been  no  progress  on  the  recommendation  on  investigating  and  prosecuting 
high-level  corruption  with  a  view  to  establishing  a  robust  track  record56.  In  2024,  the 

49   Data from Special Eurobarometer 561 (2025) and Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025). 
50   Adopting a new strategy is a commitment in the Government Programme Statement of 2023. 
51   For  the  annual  monitoring  of  sectoral  anti-corruption  measures  of  the  individual  ministries,  most  of  the 
ministries have provided ex-post information to the Government Office by mid-2024, not reporting however 
against  measurable  indicators.  The  Council  of  Anti-Corruption  Coordinators,  who  are  placed  in  all 
ministries, continued to serve as an advisory body for the Head of the Government Office. 

52   2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, pp. 4 et seq., and 13-14 et seq. 
53   According to data collected by some stakeholders, the amendments may have affected the prosecution of at 
least 1 324 individuals, with 446 convicted persons released from prison. Zastavme Korupciu (2025), written 
input, p. 2. Official data reported by the government show that, in the period from 6 August to 31 December 
2024, 104 prosecutions stopped due to statutes of limitations; 252 stopped as the act is no longer a criminal 
offence;  831  cases  transferred  to  misdemeanour  or  disciplinary  proceedings  due  to  reclassification  of  the 
criminal act. 

54   In  some  specific  cases,  the  accused’s  property  acquired  by  criminal  conduct  remained  seized,  Slovak 
Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  69.  On  systemic  weaknesses  of  the  Asset  Management  Office, 
Supreme Audit Office report (2025). 
55   For more details, see above in pillar 1. 
56   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Slovakia  to  ’[e]nsure  the  effective  and  independent 
investigation and prosecution of high-level corruption cases with a view to establishing a robust track record, 
including by preventing any undue interference in such cases and by restricting the use of the Prosecutor - 
General’s  powers  to  annul  final  investigatory  and  prosecutorial  decisions.”  Similarly,  European  Semester, 

10 

 
 
 
 
Prosecutor  General  continued  to  use  his  powers  to  annul  those  final  police  and  prosecutor 
decisions deemed to be illegal57, which has resulted in the closure of investigations, including 
as  regards  several  high-profile  defendants.  The  Prosecutor  General  is  now  also  able  to 
reassign high-level corruption cases formerly in the competence of the Special Prosecutor’s 
Office  (SPO)  and  give  direct  instructions  to  the  previously  more  autonomous  SPO 
prosecutors at all stages of the investigation58. At the same time, the reassignment of former 
SPO prosecutors to other priorities than corruption, risks leading to delays in practice in the 
prosecution  of  complex  and  high-level  corruption  cases  in  a  situation  where  criminal 
proceedings are generally already lengthy.  Government statistics show a drop of corruption 
cases  being  investigated59  and  prosecuted60  in  the  second  half  of  2024,  partly  also  do  to 
organisational  changes  following  the  dissolution  of  the  specialised  police  and  prosecution 
agencies61.  The  split  of  NAKA’s  exclusive  corruption  competence  among  several  general 
police entities at different levels may carry risks of less effective investigations62. The newly 
created  central  Bureau  for  Combating  Crime  (UBOK)  has  competence  to  investigate  a 
number  of  crimes  unrelated  to  corruption,  but  focuses  primarily  on  the  investigation  of  the 
most  serious  corruption  crimes63.  Other  corruption  cases  are  transferred  to  various  lower-
level police departments64. Several stakeholders and the EPPO highlight significant shortages 
of  specialised  corruption  investigators  and  financial  analysts,  even  for  the  central  police65. 

Slovakia  (2024)  recommends  ‘that  adequate  safeguards  for  the  effective  investigation  and  prosecution  of 
high-level corruption cases are in place.’ 

57   See Independence section, above; some criminal proceedings were also re-opened. The Prosecutor General 
issued  resolutions  to  annul  corruption  accusations  in  five  cases,  in  response  to  his  serious  investigative 
conclusions  on  fundamental  deficiencies  in  the  concept  of  the  factual  sentence  of  the  resolution  to  bring 
charges, on  the  selective  evaluation of  the  results  of  the  evidence, on  the  failure  to  deal with  the negative 
condition  of  criminal  prosecution  in  the  form  of  its  statute  of  limitations,  or  on  the  basis  of  the  criminal 
prosecution  of  a  specific  person  on  evidence  obtained  in  violation  of  the  Criminal  Procedure  Code,  as 
reported by the Government. See also Slovak Government (2025), written input, p. 34. 

58   2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 17. 
59   The Ministry of Interior recorded 149 new corruption cases (241 in 2023):  93 at NAKA (January-August), 
and 56 at UBOK (August-December). Slovak Government (2025), written input, p. 63. Enforcement levels 
of  foreign  bribery  remain  low.  The  Government  Programme  contains  a  commitment  to  develop  a  public 
police information system with up-to-date crime statistics. Currently, less analytical data is provided to the 
public and policymakers, with analytical units closed at the Ministry of Justice, of Defence, of Culture, and 
of Finance. 

60   In 2024, 137 were registered for criminal prosecution (in 2023, 160). According to the  Slovak Government 
(2024), written input, pp. 63-66, the decrease in the number is not related to the activities of the prosecutor's 
office, but to the police, referencing also the significant organisational changes within the Police Presidium, 
both in terms of investigators and operatives. This transitional period may reflect the temporary decrease in 
the number of criminal cases. 

61   Slovak Government (2025), p. 68. See also Zastavme Korupciu (2025), written input, pp. 1. See also 2024 

Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 13.  

62   Order of Police Force President (27 August 2024) on competence as governed by Regulation No. 175/2010, 

introduced “selective competence”. 

63   Following the Criminal Code reform, fewer cases qualified as serious (corruption) crimes. UBOK also has 
less autonomy and less specialisation compared to NAKA. Slovak Government (2025), written input, pp. 41 
et seq. 

64   The  Government reports that since 1 June 2025, Regulation No. 56 (27 May 2025) as a  non-public  police 
internal  order  on  activities  in  detecting  crimes  and  on  the  procedure  in  criminal  proceedings  is  in  place, 
following Regulation No. 175 (30 December 2010) which introduced the ‘selective competence’ of the new 
UBOK. See also, Council of Europe (2001), p. 8; UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. 
65   The Recovery and Resilience Plan includes corruption trainings only for NAKA, see component 16. Ca. 100 
officers  were  reassigned  to  regional  or  local  district,  Slovak  Government  (2025x),  p.  43.  EPPO  (2025), 

11 

 
 
 
 
Operational questions remain on the coordination and effectiveness of interlinked corruption 
and organised crime investigations, which are now in the competence of separate entities66. 
The effectiveness of police investigations continues to be hampered by the lack of a central 
electronic  information  exchange  system  and  central  access  to  databases67.  Against  this 
background, there has been no progress on the recommendation made in the previous years. 

While  the  whistleblower  protection  framework  remained  in  place,  low  reporting  and 
reduced  institutional  cooperation  impact  its  effectiveness.  The  Ministry  of  Interior  ran 
internal  and  social  media  awareness  raising  campaigns  to  promote  the  whistleblower 
protection framework in 202468.  Reporting  remains however low, especially in  areas where 
the  private  sector  engages  with  the  state69.  The  processing  of  whistleblower  reports  in 
practice by the police is negatively affected by the dissolution of NAKA, with risks of delays 
in  handling  corruption  reports  and  a  reported  lack  of  clarity  as  to  which  police  entity  is 
dealing with reports previously submitted to NAKA70. In a decision of 23 October 2024, the 
Whistleblower  Office  found  that  the  Ministry  of  Interior  had  violated  the  law  by  not 
consulting  the  Whistleblower  Office  before  it  suspended,  as  previously  reported,  ten  anti-
corruption investigators who had the status of protected whistleblowers and imposed on the 
Ministry a EUR 90 000 fine71. The Ministry of the Interior disagreed with the fine and court 
proceedings  are  currently  ongoing  in  the  matter72.  Several  amongst  the  NAKA  anti-
corruption  investigators  concerned  appealed  against  the  Ministry’s  suspension  decisions 
(cases  pending  at  first  instance).  This  context  impacted  the  interinstitutional  cooperation 
between Government entities and the Whistleblower Protection Office73.  

There  has  been  no  progress  to  regulate  lobbying  activities74.  Lobbying  in  Slovakia 
remains  unregulated.  In  its  Programme  Statement,  the  Government  committed  to  propose 
legislation to regulate the contacts of public officials with persons representing the interests 
of individuals or organisations to  strengthen transparency in  the decision-making process75. 
In  December  2024,  members  of  Parliament  from  the  government  coalition  submitted  to 

written  input,  p.  56:  Due  to  institutional  changes  and  retirements,  a  considerable  number  of  experienced, 
specialised investigators have left the police. 

66   The  reintroduced  line-unit  management  per  individual  crime  topic  was  abolished  after  the  Jan  Kuciak 
murder and replaced by a cross-crime, regional approach to allow for holistic investigations of interlinked 
crimes.  

67   Tax data can only be requested causing delays in investigations, 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 20.  
68   Country visit Slovakia, Ministry of Interior. 
69   High-risk corruption areas in this context are  in particular bribes from entrepreneurs to public officials for 
the provision of subsidies, non-refundable financial contributions, and lucrative contracts, among others. See 
also 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 22. 

70   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Office  for  the  Protection  of  Whistleblowers.  In  law,  the  handling  of  corruption 
reports is defined in section 196 Criminal Procedure Code and a new police internal order (Regulation No. 
56 of 27 May 2025, in force since 1 June 2025). 

71   Decision  UOO-453/2024,  No  4806/2024.  The  decision  is  final  but  subject  to  administrative  review.  2024 

Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 21. 

72  The  Ministry  of  Interior  pointed  out  that  the  mentioned  investigators  were,  however,  accused  of  criminal 
activity, and according to the law, a police  officer must be temporarily suspended from state service if his 
continuing  service  endangered  an  important  interest  of  the  state  service  or  the  course  of  clarifying  their 
conduct, and that there is reasonable suspicion that they had allegedly committed a criminal offense (section 
46 (1) of Act No. 73/1998 Coll.). 

73   Country visit Slovakia, Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers. See also the Office for the Protection of 

Whistleblowers (2025). 

74   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Slovakia to “introduce proposals to regulate lobbying […].” 
75   Slovak Government (2023c). 

12 

 
 
 
Parliament  different  amendments  to  the  legislation  on  non-governmental  organisations 
(NGOs),  first  to  increase  transparency  of  foreign-funded  NGOs76  and,  at  a  later  stage,  to 
regulate  NGO  lobbying  activities77.  The  amendments  raised  public  criticism  for  their 
exclusive scope on lobbying by NGOs78 and for failing to take into account international and 
European  standards  on  lobbying79.  These  amendments  were  ultimately  withdrawn80.  The 
Ministry of Interior reports to have begun drafting a lobbying regulation law and first expert 
consultations  have  taken  place  with  representatives  from  the  Government,  Parliament,  non-
governmental  and  academic  sectors,  and  the  European  Commission81.  Overall,  initial  steps 
have been taken, but since no legislation is proposed, there has been no progress yet on the 
recommendation. 

There has been some progress to reform Slovakia’s conflicts of interest rules82. Conflicts 
of interest rules remain fragmented with some aspects being regulated in sectoral acts, ethical 
codes and guidelines for judges, prosecutors and members of the financial administrations83. 
For  high-level  public  officials,  some  regulations  are  in  place84.  In  2024,  the  Government 
Office  in  cooperation  with  the  Council  of  Anti-Corruption  Coordinators  prepared  a  draft 
Code  of  Conduct  for  persons  in  high  executive  Government  functions,  which  it  expects  to 
present  in  July  202585.  No  such  Code  of  Conduct  currently  exists  for  members  of 
Parliament86.   While some general post-employment  restrictions  exist to  prevent  conflict  of 

76   Amendments were proposed for: Act on non-profit organisations providing generally beneficial services, Act 
on  foundations;  Act  on  non-investment  funds;  Act  on  associations  of  citizens;  Act  on  the  conditions  of 
activity of organisations with an international element in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic; and Act on 
the Registry of Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organisations. 

77   The amendments were supported by the Government, see Opinion of the Government Office on the proposal 
to regulate lobbying in the National Council (2024). Slovak Government (2024); (2025), written input, p. 54. 

78   Council of Europe (2025); Via Iuris (2024a). 
79   Council  of  Europe  (2017);  OECD  (2024).  The  amendments  lacked  comprehensive  legal  definitions  for  all 
interest  representatives  regardless  of  their  nature  and  legal  status,  as  recommended  also  by  European 
Parliament  (2024a)  resolution  of  17  January 2024 on  transparency  and  accountability  of  NGOs  funded by 
the  EU  budget  (2023/2122(INI).  Similarly,  the  European  Commission  (2023)  proposal  for  a  Directive  on 
interest representation carried out on behalf of third countries.  They also did not provide for definitions of 
lobby activities and targets, effective sanctions for undue lobbying, a mandatory transparency register or a 
legislative footprint. 

80   On 16 April 2025, Parliament ultimately adopted a law which concerns financial transparency of NGOs. See 

pillar IV below for details on this law. 

81   Ministry of Interior (2025). 
82   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Slovakia to’[s]trengthen the legislation on conflicts of interest 

[…]’ for members of Parliament, judges, prosecutors, public officials, and civil servants. 

83  See, for public officials, Constitutional Act no. 357/2004; for civil servants, Act no. 55/2017; for the police, 
Act no. 73/1998; for judges, see Act no. 385/2000. Detailed recommendations, including on expanding the 
definition of conflicts of interest and the scope of incompatibilities also in UNCAC (2023), p. 10. 

84   The Constitutional Act No. 357/2004 Coll. applies to the president, members of Parliament and Government, 
heads  of  central  state  administration  bodies,  state  secretaries,  general  secretaries.  The  Code  of  Ethics  for 
Civil Servants is not obligatory for all ministries and central authorities as to vulnerable high-level positions. 
A  methodology  to  identify  positions  at  risk  is  provided  for  by  the  Government  Office,  but  it  is  not 
mandatory,  while  institutions  identify  their  own  risks  in  their  own  way.  See  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report, 
Slovakia, p. 24. 

85   Aimed at covering Government members, heads of Cabinets, political advisors and secretaries of state.  See 

Government commitment, Slovak Government (2023). 

86   UNCAC (2023), p. 4. Cf. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 23. 

13 

 
 
 
interests,  specific  regulations  on  revolving  doors  for  high  level  officials  are  not 
comprehensively in place87. There has therefore been some progress on the recommendation. 

There  was  no  progress  to  strengthen  Slovakia’s  asset  declaration  system,  whereas 
restrictions  to  public  access  to  asset  disclosures  are  being  considered88.  The  system  of 
asset declarations for members of Parliament, judges, prosecutors, public officials, and civil 
servants remains decentralised and fragmented89. The Government reports current budgetary 
constraints for not yet having advanced further on the commitment to introduce single rules 
for all public officials’ asset declarations and an electronic submission system90. In view of 
security  concerns,  the  Government  is  considering  restricting  access  to  currently  publicly 
available  asset  declarations  system,  including  access  upon  request  only91,  reducing 
transparency  and  monitoring  opportunities.  Therefore,  there  has  been  no  progress  on  the 
recommendation. 

Amendments  to  the  political  party  finance  law  are  at  an  initial  stage  with  a  draft  law 
submitted  for  public  and  inter-ministerial  consultation92.  The  Government  intends  to 
modify the main law regulating the financing of political parties to ensure that public funds 
earmarked for political party operations are used exclusively for this purpose93. Since such a 
new legal obligation would be open to legitimate and independent audit controls, it carries the 
risk  of  excessive  access  by  the  Government  to  information  on  the  internal  operations  of 
political parties, when comprehensive transparency requirements on political parties’ finances 
are  already  in  place94.  The  reform  is  envisaged  for  the  end  of  2025.  For  these  purposes,  a 
proposal has been put forward by the Ministry of Interior for an inter-ministerial consultation 
procedure  on  30  June  2025  and  a  public  consultation  has  been  launched95.  As  to  campaign 
finance,  stakeholders  continue  to  flag  the  lack  of  effective  control,  enforcement  and 
incidents  of 
oversight, 

to  political  appointments96.  Also  for  2024, 

including  due 

87   They are partially covered under Constitutional Act no. 357/2004 Coll. but not covering all top executives. 
Slovak Government (2025), written input, p. 53. See also GRECO (2024), recommendation ix, p. 5, paras. 
24-27, on the introduction, proper monitoring and enforcement of a Code of Conduct for persons with top 
executive  functions  (i.e.  ministers,  states  secretaries,  political  advisors  and  senior  civil  servants  closely 
associated with decision-making). 

88   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Slovakia  to  “[s]trengthen  the  legislation  on  […]  asset 

declarations.” 

89   There  are  eight  different  norms  in  legislations  for  different  categories  of  obliged  persons,  all  requiring 
different information and disclosure levels. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 24, reported since 2021. 
90   Country  visit  Slovakia,  Government  Office.  Slovak  Government  Programme  Statement  (2023).  An 
electronic asset declaration system would necessitate several amendments, including the  Constitutional Act 
No. 357/2004 Coll., requiring a 3/5 parliamentary majority. Two Government studies have been conducted 
since 2021, see 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, pp. 24-25. 

91   Slovak Government (2025), written input, p. 55. Legislative amendments are also planned for the Cadastral 
Act, restricting access to cadastre real estate ownership information by mandatory authentication obligations. 
 92  Act  No.  85/2005  Coll.,  on  Political  Parties  and  Movements,  largely  reflecting  GRECO  recommendations. 
Donations to political parties of up to EUR 300 000 per calendar year are permitted, while donations from 
foreign  entities  and  anonymous  donors  are  banned.  Failure  to  comply  can  result  in  a  fine  by  the  State 
Commission on Election in the amount of double the income from the donation or the gratuitous service. 

93   Slovak Government (2023).  
94   Parties  are  already  required  to  report  their  finances  annually  to  the  State  Commission  for  Elections  and 
Control of Funding for Political Parties. The publicly available reports are overseen by Parliament and must 
reveal  financial  information  on  election  campaigns  and  donors’  identity  (section  22(5)  Act  on  political 
parties and political movements). 
95   Slovak Government (2024), p. 16.  
96   Decision of the Bratislava District Office. Transparency International (2024a). 

14 

 
 
 
circumvention of the transparency obligation in party campaign finance have been reported97, 
with non-transparent campaign funding channelled through party-affiliated companies98.  

Legislative amendments to prevent corruption in agriculture are still ongoing99. Overall, 
agriculture continues to  rank among Slovakia’s high-risk corruption and fraud areas100. The 
criminal proceedings covering significant fraud, bribery and money laundering associated to 
EU  funding  from  the  Agricultural  Paying  Agency  are  still  being  heard  at  court101.  The 
practice  of  publishing  lease  contracts  signed  by  the  Land  Fund  has  increased  transparency 
allowing  to  monitor  free  and  leased  land.  This  progress  is  counterbalanced  against  the 
inoperability of the systems  to  geolocate leased parcels and to link lease  contracts  with  the 
cadastre.  

New  public  procurement  rules  lower  requirements  and  safeguards,  while  corruption 
presents  a  high  risk  for  businesses.  The  Flash  Eurobarometer  on  Businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU shows that 49% of companies in Slovakia (EU average 25%) 
think  that  corruption  has  prevented  them  from  winning  a  public  tender  or  a  public 
procurement  contract  in  practice  in  the  last  three  years102.  Companies  report  that  there  are 
increasing  levels  of  businesses’  dissatisfaction  for  the  perceived  lack  of  prosecution  of 
corruption  by  the  competent  authorities  as  one  of  the  main  factors,  as  well  as  an  overall 
worsening  of  the  business  climate,  including  a  negative  trend  of  the  economic  policy 
conditions impacting their operations103. The Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard 
on access to public procurement in Slovakia reports 33% of single bids for 2023 (EU average 
29%).  Amendments  to  the  Public  Procurement  Act  and  the  related  law  on  emergency 
measures for strategic investments have been adopted to simplify public procurement rules104. 
However,  by  excluding  in  practice  approximately  half  of  the  tenders  from  the  scope  of  the 
Public  Procurement  Act,  and  thus  from  the  reach  of  criminal  law,  they  risk  undermining 
effective  corruption prevention and oversight105. The lack of prior publication requirements 
for  the  tender  notice  raises  concerns  about  transparency106,  and  as  such  about  effective 

97   Country visit Slovakia, Zastavme Korupciu/ Transparency International. Also Dennik N. (2024b). 
98   Supreme  Audit  Office  (2024b)  stating  that  finances  entering  party  budgets  through  fictitious  donors 
undermine democratic principles. The National State Commission for Elections considered that legislation 
(section 15 Electoral Campaign Act) is in principle satisfactory, see also 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, 
p. 26.  

99   Amendments to the Act on Land Modifications, Arrangement of Land Ownership, Land Offices, Land Fund 
and Land Communities; the Act on the lease of agricultural land, agricultural enterprise and forest land; to 
Government Regulation on the conditions of lease, sale, exchange, and acquisition of real estate by the Land 
Fund. 

100  In 2024, the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) concluded extensive casework on agricultural payments. Since 
2019,  OLAF  issued  financial  and  administrative  recommendations  to  correct  EU  budget  fraud  and 
irregularities and to highlight weaknesses in the administration, monitoring and control of the relevant funds. 
101  NAKA detained several high-ranking Land Fund officials allegedly involved in corruption schemes between 

2016 and 2020, see 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 26. 

102  Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2025).  This  is  24 

percentage points above the EU average.  

103  Country  visit,  Rule  of  Law  Initiative/  National  Union  Employers/  American  Chamber  of  Commerce, 

reporting that companies consider moving abroad due to worsened business environment. 

104  Act No. 179/2024 Coll., amending Act No. 343/2015  Coll., on public procurement, and Act  No. 142/2024 
Coll.,  Extraordinary  Measures  for  Strategic  Investments  and  for  the  Construction  of  the  Trans-European 
Transport Network. 

105  Contracts with a value up to EUR 50 000 are now excluded. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 28. 
106  Authorities would only be obliged to publish contracts awards ex-post. Zastavme korupciu (2024). Country 
visit Slovakia, Transparency International. For tender data, OpenTender Slovakia, https://opentender.eu/sk. 

15 

 
 
 
safeguards  against  corruption  and  favouritism  that  risk  impacting  a  fair  and  competitive 
market.  While  only  31  %  of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public 
procurement review body (the Public Procurement Office) as very or fairly good107, the law 
on  strategic  investments  has  raised  questions  as  to  the  Public  Procurement  Office’s 
independence  and  effective  controls,  as  previously  reported108.  Government  procurement  in 
the infrastructure, construction, IT and health sectors feature amongst the highest corruption 
prone areas in Slovakia109, providing for an uncertain business and investment environment. 
According  to  stakeholders,  the  two  new  pieces  of  legislation  do  not  address  the  challenges 
observed  in  practice,  such  as  the  systemic  misuse  of  tenders  and  the  level  of  professional 
expertise affecting the quality of public tenders110. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

Draft  amendments  to  the  Media  Services  Act  aims  to  expand  the  competences  of  the 
national regulator. The draft Media Services Act seeks to align Slovak legislation with the 
European Media Freedom Act. It would expand the competences of the regulator, update the 
rules  on  ownership  transparency,  introduce  rules  on  the  allocation  of  state  advertising  and 
adapt the obligations of providers of audience measurement systems. Under Chapter 12 of the 
Media Services Act, the Council for Media Services performs a market analysis of the media 
landscape  with  a view to assessing  risk of disruption to  media plurality.  It  can withhold its 
consent  to  a  market  operation  if  it  concludes  that  a  particular  operation  would  lead  to  a 
‘decisive interference’ with media plurality in the country. Based on the current situation, the 
Media Pluralism Monitor 2025 considers the independence of the regulator and the allocation 
of state advertising to be areas presenting, respectively, very low and low risk111. 

There has been no progress on the recommendation to enhance the autonomy of public 
service  media112.  Following  the  entry  into  force,  in  July  2024,  of  the  Act  on  Slovak 
Television  and  Radio  (STVR),  which  dissolved  the  previous  entity,  some  stakeholders 
continue to raise concerns about the implications for the independence of the public service 
broadcaster113.  Under  the  Act  on  STVR,  five  Council  members  are  elected  and  may  be 
dismissed  by  Parliament  following  nominations  made  by  a  parliamentary  Committee  for 
Culture  and  Media,  while  four  members  are  now  appointed  and  may  be  dismissed  by  the 
Minister for Culture (one of whom is proposed by the Minister for Finance). According to the 
new  law,  the  Director-General  of  STVR  is  elected  directly  by  the  STVR  Council.  The  Act 
establishes the professional requirements and qualifications of its members and establishes an 

107  Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
108  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Slovakia,  p.  28.  This  is  due  to  the  newly  created  possibilities  to  exert  direct 
political  influence  over  large-scale  investment  procurements  through  the  creation  of  a  new  post  of  Vice-
Director in charge of such specific procurements. 

109  Country  visit  Slovakia,  Government,  Transparency  International,  Zastavme  Korupciu.  The  Ministry  of 
Finance’s  Value  for  Money  Unit  will  no  longer  assess  all  strategic  assessments.  For  projects  that  are 
designated  as  strategic  by  the  cabinet,  accelerated  procedures  will  apply.  Euractiv  (2024b).  Country  visit 
Slovakia,  Rule  of  Law  Initiative/  National  Union  of  Employers/  American  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
highlighting that, according to data, the same firms tend to win state procured contracts. 

110  See 25 CSOs (2024). 
111  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 15 and 26.  
112  The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Slovakia to  ’[s]trengthen the rules and mechanisms to restore 
and further safeguard the independent governance and editorial independence of public service media taking 
into account European standards on public service media.’ 

113  International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), written input, and ECPMF (2024).  

16 

 
 
 
advisory  Ethics  Commission  whose  task  is  to  ensure  adherence  of  all  employees  and 
collaborators  of  STVR  with  a  statute  drawn  up  by  this  body.  It  may  issue  non-binding 
opinions  and  recommendations  subject  to  approval  by  the  Council.  Funding  for  STVR  is 
pegged  by  the  Act  to  a  specific  amount  which  is  guaranteed  independently  from  political 
decisions.  The  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2025  concludes  that  these  developments  taken 
together represent increased politicisation and a regression in the overall independence of the 
public  service  broadcaster,  confirming  its  high-risk  analysis  for  this  area114.  Overall,  no 
progress has been made on the recommendation. 

The Freedom of Information Act has been amended, raising criticism from stakeholders 
as  regards  potential  restrictions115.  These  amendments,  which  came  into  force  in  March 
2025, provide that fees may be charged for certain access to information requests, namely in 
the case of ‘exceptionally extensive searches for information’116. Stakeholders have pointed 
out that the amendment lacks clear definitions, raising concerns in  relation to the discretion 
left to officials and the possibility of erecting paywalls in relation to critical information. The 
standard time limit established for responding to citizens’ requests has been extended from 8 
to  12  days.  The  amendments  have  been  challenged  before  the  Constitutional  Court  by  the 
Public Defender of Rights and a group of MPs. The Court has suspended the application of 
the  said  provisions  until  a  final  decision  is  pronounced117.  The  Media  Pluralism  Monitor 
nonetheless still considers this to be an area presenting low risk overall118. 

There  has  been  no  further  progress  to  improve  the  safety  of  journalists119.  The 
Government  has  confirmed  that  previous  plans  to  amend  the  Criminal  Code  to  reform  the 
institute  of  defamation,  and  the  Constitution  to  introduce  additional  guarantees  for  media 
freedom,  have  been  abandoned120.  The  Platform  for  the  Support  of  Press  Freedom  and  the 
Protection  of  Journalists  established  by  the  Government  in  2023  and  bringing  together 
representatives from ministries, the police, other public institutions, journalists, media owner 
associations and self-regulatory bodies has not been operational, due to disagreements among 
the representatives121. A separate independent platform dedicated to the safety of journalists 
in  Slovakia  published  its  second  report  in  2024,  documenting  various  forms  of  attacks  and 
intimidation  of  journalists122.  A  website  established  by  the  Ministry  of  Culture  provides 
information on SLAPPs including information on defences under civil procedural law and a 
focal point123. Since July 2024, the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of 
journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  published  five  new  alerts  which  relate,  respectively,  to 
the  Prime  Minister  lodging  a  SLAPP-like  case  against  an  author  and  publisher;  the  PM’s 

114  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 13-14. 
115  Act No 401/2024 Coll., amending Act No 211/2000 Coll., Freedom of Information Act. 
116  According to the Government, the amendment was inspired by the Czech Act on Free Access to Information. 
According  to  the  explanatory  memorandum,  the  amendments  intend  to  introduce  a  mechanism  that  will 
enable  obliged  persons  to  manage  the  process  of  providing  information  more  efficiently  and  to  ensure 
reimbursement of the costs associated with the extensive search and disclosure of information.  

117  Decision No. PL. ÚS 6/2025 of 12 March 2025. 
118  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 26-27. 
119  The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Slovakia to “[a]dvance with the process to establish legislative 
and other safeguards to improve the physical safety and working environment of journalists, including the 
reform of defamation law, taking into account the European standards on the protection of journalists.” 

120  Country visit Slovakia, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Justice. 
121  Country visit Slovakia, Jan Kuciak Investigative Centre. 
122  ICJK (2025). 
123  Ministry of Culture (2025).  

17 

 
 
 
 
harsh  criticism  of  journalists  at  a  press  conference;  the  attack  on  a  journalist  while  on 
assignment; an injunction against a news outlet and concern over a proposed bill on the right 
of  reply124.  Stakeholders  point  out  that  the  environment  for  journalists  has  been  rendered 
increasingly hostile with an increase of verbal attacks125. The 2024 Mapping Media Freedom 
monitoring report flags  thirteen new alerts which include other cases of politicians singling 
out media outlets, verbal threats and harassment of journalists, and concerns in relation to the 
possible  establishment  of  specialised  tribunal  to  hear  cases  against  journalists  and  media 
outlets126. Referring to the increase in threats, intimidation and physical attacks on journalists 
and challenging  work conditions  overall, the Media Pluralism  Monitor 2025 concludes that 
this remains an area presenting medium-high risk127. Overall, there has been no progress on 
the  recommendation  in  relation  to  improving  the  safety  of  journalists  and  their  working 
environment.  

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

There  has  been  no  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  ensure  effective  public 
consultation,  including  by  avoiding  excessive  fast-track  procedure  in  the  law-making 
process128.  Last  year’s  Rule  of  Law  Report  noted  the  lack  of  systematic  involvement  of 
stakeholders  in  the  legislative  process,  as  well  as  frequent  use  of  the  fast-track  legislative 
procedure129. Whereas the Government adopted new Legislative Rules of the Government to 
align  it  with  the  rules  of  Parliament  and  strengthening  the  role  of  local  governments  in  the 
legislative process130, which is a positive development, lack of effective public participation, 
including  in  accelerated  procedures,  and  the  use  of  such  accelerated  procedures  remain  an 
issue.  In  2024,  58  of  the  131  laws  enacted  were  adopted  under  circumstances  that  limited 
public participation131. Out of these 58 laws, 28 were adopted in fast-track procedure132 and 
30  were  adopted  based  on  a  proposal  of  a  member  of  Parliament,  which  requires  a  more 
limited  consultation  process133.  Stakeholders  reported  that  in  numerous  cases,  they  have  no 
means  to  effectively  express  their  views  in  the  law-making  process134.  Stakeholders  also 
report  that  this  lack  of  consultation  of  key  stakeholders  extends  to  significant  pieces  of 

124  Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025). 
125  International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2025), written input, and ECPMF 

(2024).  

126  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025).  
127  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 14-15. 
128  The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Slovakia  to  “[e]nsure  effective  public  consultation  and 
stakeholder  involvement  in  the  law-making  process,  including  by  avoiding  excessive  use  of  the  fast-track 
procedure.” 

129  2024 Rule of Law Report, Slovakia, p. 3. 
130  Slovak Government (2025), written input, pp. 84 et seq. Government Resolution No. 561 of  25 September 

2024. 

131  Parliament (2024); Country visit Slovakia, Public Defender of Rights. 
132   Parliament (2024). 
133  While  the  initiation  of  the  legislative  process  by  a  member  of  Parliament  is  not  contested,  the  overuse  of 
such procedure results in limiting stakeholder consultation, which can lead to less transparent and inclusive 
laws.  Such  practices  were  used  for  example  for  the  introduction  of  important  amendments  to  the  Act  on 
NGOs. 

134  Country  visit  Slovakia,  Via  Iuris,  Zastavme  korupciu,  Transparency  International,  Slovak  National  Centre 
for Human Rights, the Public Defender of Rights, American Chamber of Commerce, and Republiková únia 
zamestnávateľov. 

18 

 
 
 
 
legislation135,  and  note  a  lack  of  substantial  justification  for  the  use  of  the  fast-track 
procedure136. Overall, there has been no progress on the recommendation. 

Discussions  on  amendments  to  the  constitution,  which  could  raise  certain  concerns 
related  to  the  principle  of  primacy  of  EU  law,  were  postponed.  On  9  April  2025, 
Parliament  adopted,  in  the  first  reading,  a  Government  proposal  to  amend  the  Slovak 
Constitution. The amendments introduce, among others, provisions which, if adopted, could 
raise  certain  concerns  related  to  the  principle  of  primacy  of  EU  law137.  Discussions  in 
Parliament  have  been  postponed.  The  Commission  has  been  engaging  in  an  intensive 
dialogue with  the Slovak authorities  since the initial drafts, communicating its position and 
recommending reconsidering their adoption. 

Less than half of the companies surveyed in Slovakia express high levels of confidence 
in the effectiveness of investment protection. 36% of companies are very or fairly confident 
that investments are protected by law and courts138. The main reason among companies for 
their lack of confidence is the unpredictable, non-transparent administrative conduct, and the 
difficulty to challenge administrative decisions in court (50%)139. 40% of companies perceive 
the level of independence of the national competition authority (The Antimonopoly Office) as 
very or fairly good140. There are no judicial mechanisms in place at the level of the Supreme 
Administrative Court to ensure the implementation of administrative court judgments141.  

On  1  January  2025,  Slovakia  had  31  leading  judgments  of  the  European  Court  of 
Human  Rights  pending  implementation,  an  increase  of  2  compared  to  the  previous 
year142.  At  that  time,  Slovakia’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had 
been implemented was at 41% (compared to 47% in 2024; 59% remained pending), and the 
average time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 3 years and 9 months 
(compared  to  3  years  and  3  months  in  2024)143.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation for more than 12 years, concerns the excessive length of civil proceedings144.
As  regards  the  respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December  2024  there  were  4  cases  in 

135  Amendments  to  the  disciplinary  proceedings  submitted  without  prior  consultation  of  the  Supreme 
Administrative Court. Country visit Slovakia, Supreme Administrative Court. Adoption of the consolidation 
package  without  consultation  of  business  associations.  Country  visit  Slovakia,  American  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  Amendments  to  the  Criminal  Code  adopted  without  proper  public  consultation,  Slovak  Bar 
Association  (2025),  written  input,  p.  17.  Amendments  to  several  acts  related  to  the  functioning  of  NGOs 
adopted without proper public consultation and while limiting the time of the parliamentary debate. 

136  Civil  Liberties  Union  for  Europe  (2025),  p.  880.  Act  on  the  Rules  of  Procedure  of  the  National  Council, 
section 89 stipulates that fast-track legislative procedure is conceivable “in exceptional circumstances, where 
fundamental human rights and freedoms or security may be threatened or where the State is threatened with 
significant economic damage”. Slovak Bar Association (2025), written input,  p. 17; Association of Judges 
(2025), written input, p. 14. 

137  Parliamentary Bill No. 733, proposed amendments to Article 7(6-7) of the Slovak Constitution. 
138  Figure 54, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
139  Figure 55, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 49% and 47% of the surveyed investors, respectively, perceive the 
frequent changes in legislation or concerns about quality of law-making process, and the quality, efficiency 
or independence of justice, respectively, as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment protection.  

140  Figure 60, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
141  Figure 49, EU Justice Scoreboard 2025. 
142  For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.  
143  All  figures  calculated  by  the  European  Implementation  Network  (EIN)  and  based  on  the  number  of  cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 8. 
144  Judgment of the ECtHR, 44482/09, Maxian and Maxianova v. Slovakia, pending implementation since 2012.  

19 

 
 
 
 
total awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 24 in 2023)145
number of leading judgments pending implementation had increased to 33146. 

. On 16 June 2025, the 

The  civil  society  environment  faces  further  pressure,  and  a  recent  legal  framework 
introduced new reporting and information disclosure obligations. The civil society space 
in  Slovakia  is  considered  as  ‘narrowed’147.  A  law  amending  several  acts  related  to  the 
functioning  of  NGOs  was  adopted  on  16  April  2025,  laying  down  annual  reporting 
obligations  and information  disclosure obligations  for NGOs, introducing  additional burden 
for  civil  society  organisations148.  Stakeholders  reported  on  increased  administrative  control 
and burden on NGOs during the reporting period149. Since 5 March 2025, ministers and heads 
of public bodies are obliged to inform the Government of any contracts they plan to conclude 
with NGOs. Some NGOs active in certain fields, especially advocating for human rights, lost 
funding  under  state-supported  grant  schemes  awarded  in  previous  years150.  Polarisation  of 
public debate has increased, with statements by politicians attacking NGOs and media151. The 
Slovak National Centre for Human Rights152 continues in its efforts to strengthen the rule of 
law culture through various initiatives and activities153. 

145  Council of Europe (2025), p. 157.  
146  Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
147  CIVICUS (2024). 
148  The amendments of 27 March 2024, reported on in 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 35, originally intended to 
introduce foreign agent labelling, were altered in December 2024 by a proposal seeking to establish lobbying 
regulation and reporting obligations for NGOs, and amended shortly before the parliamentary discussion by 
leaving  out  the  aspect  of  lobbying.  According  to  the  Government,  the  transparency  of  civil  society  was 
increased  by  creating  a  unified  framework  of  reporting  and  information  disclosure  obligations  for  civil 
society organisations. 

149  Namely  extensive  or  repeated  audits.  Country  visit  Slovakia,  Slovak  National  Centre  for  Human  Rights; 

ENNHRI (2025), Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 891. 

150   ENNHRI (2025), p. 8. According to the Government, while some NGOs lost funding, other NGOs received 
it  (changes  in  the  list  of  supported  NGOs  happen  every year),  and  the overall volume  of  financing  in  this 
subsidy scheme remained unchanged. 

151   Country visit Slovakia, Transparency International Slovakia and Zastavme korupciu. ENNHRI (2025), p. 8; 

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 890; UN OHCHR (2025). 

152  Mandated as National Human Rights Institution and equality body accredited with B-status. 
153  Country visit Slovakia, Slovak National Centre for Human Rights. 

20 

 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en. 

found 

be 

at 

25  civil  society  organisations  (2024),  comments  on  the  draft  law  on  extraordinary  measures  for 
strategic investments and for the construction of the trans-European transport network (Original title 
https://api.mojapeticia.sk/media/campaign/attachment/34f318f9-54b2-48a8-bcfb-
in 
39fcc15be579.pdf. 

italics), 

CCJE (2024), Opinion No. 27 on the disciplinary liability of judges, https://rm.coe.int/opinion-no-27-
2024-of-the-ccje/1680b2ca7f. 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2025),  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2025,  Country 
report for Slovakia, https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-pluralism-monitor/.  

CIVICUS (2024), https://monitor.civicus.org/globalfindings_2024/. 

Civil  Liberties  Union 
https://www.liberties.eu/f/vdxw3e. 

for  Europe 

(2025),  Liberties  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report, 

Council of Europe (2025), Expert Council on NGO Law, CONF/EXP(2025)2, The draft amendments 
to  the  Slovakia  framework  regulation  governing  non-governmental  organisations  introducing  the 
supported  organisations,  https://rm.coe.int/expert-council-opinon-on-the-
concept  o 
amendments-to-the-slovakia-ngos-laws-doc-/1680b3f82b.  

‘foreign 

Council of Europe (2001), European Code of Police Ethics, 4831 ID 5652 Rec(01)10 Ethique Police 
E. 

Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025), 
Slovakia, https://fom.coe.int/en/pays/detail/11709578.   

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025),  Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments  and 
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, 18th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers, 
https://rm.coe.int/gbr-2001-18e-rapport-annuel-2024/1680b4d77d. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2010),  Report on the Independence of the Judicial System 
Part  I:  The  Independence  of  Judges,  CDL-AD  (2010)004,  https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice-
commission/-/CDL-AD(2010)004-e. 

Council  of  Europe  (2017),  Recommendation  on  the  legal  regulation  of  lobbying  activities  in  the 
context  of  public  decision  making,  CM/Rec(2017)2,  ES190060_Prems  057917  GBR  2017 
CMRec(2017)2 et Expose Motifs 8439 WEB A5.pdf. 

Dennik  N.  (2024),  Will  a  non-transparency  and  unfair  presidential  campaign  be  the  new  normal? 
(Original 
https://dennikn.sk/blog/3997628/bude-netransparentna-a-neferova-
in 
prezidentska-kampan-novym-normalom/. 

italics), 

title 

Dennik N. (2024a), All 23 investigators who stood up for the accused colleagues will be reassigned. 
And  the  whole  NAKA  ends  (Original  title  in  italics),  https://dennikn.sk/4132990/vsetkych-23-
vysetrovatelov-ktori-sa-zastali-obvinenych-kolegov-odsunu-na-obvodne-oddelenia/. 

21 

 
 
EPPO (2023), ‘Statement regarding the legislative amendments proposed by the Slovak government’ 
https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/news/statement-regarding-legislative-amendments-proposed-slovak-
government.  

Euractiv  (2025),  European  Prosecutor:  Fico’s  reforms  negatively  impacted  fraud  investigations, 
https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/european-prosecutor-ficos-reforms-negatively-
impacted-fraud-investigations/  

Euractiv  (2024a),  Smer  and  Hlas  hijacked  the  European  elections  to  related  agencies  (Smer  a  Hlas 
uniesli eurovoľby do spriaznených agentúr), https://euractiv.sk/section/digitalizacia/news/smer-a-hlas-
uniesli-eurovolby-do-spriaznenych-agentur/  

Euractive (2024b), Slovakia will evaluate the benefits and costs of strategic projects from up to EUR 
40  million  (Slovensko  bude  hodnotiť  prínosy  a  náklady  strategických  projektov  až  od  40  miliónov 
eur), 
https://euractiv.sk/section/klima/news/kamenicky-analyza-strategicke-projekty-nad-40-
milionov-eur-hodnota-za-peniaze/. 

European  Centre  for  Press  and  Media  Freedom  (ECPMF)  (2024),  fact-finding  mission  to  Slovakia, 
Media  freedom  in  Slovakia  under  threat,  https://www.mfrr.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MFRR-
Slovakia-Mission-Report-
2024.pdf#:~:text=The%20following%20report%20presents%20an%20urgent%20assessment%20of,b
y%20the%20Media%20Freedom%20Rapid%20Response%20%28MFRR%29%20partners.  

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025), Media Freedom Rapid Response – Slovakia, 
https://www.mfrr.eu/monitor/. 

European  Commission  (2023),  Proposal  for  a  DIRECTIVE  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT 
AND  OF  THE  COUNCIL  establishing  harmonised  requirements  in  the  internal  market  on 
transparency  of  interest  representation  carried  out  on  behalf  of  third  countries  and  amending 
Directive 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
2019/1937, 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023PC0637#:~:text=This%20proposal%20aims%20to%20cont
ribute%20to%20the%20proper,activities%20when%20carried%20out%20in%20the%20internal%20
market.  

(EU) 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgement  of  24  July  2012, Maxian  and  Maxianova v. Slovakia, 
44482/09. 

European Implementation Network (EIN) (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (ENNHRI)  (2025),  written  input  for  the 
2025  Rule  of  Law  Report.Greco  (2024),  5th  Evaluation  Round  –  Second  Compliance  Report, 
Slovakia, GrecoRC5(2023)9. 

European  Parliament  (2024),  Parliament  concerned  about 
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240112IPR16770/parliament-concerned-
about-the-rule-of-law-in-slovakia. 

the  rule  of 

law 

in  Slovakia, 

European  Parliament  (2024a),  P9_TA(2024)0036  –  Transparency  and  accountability  of  non-
governmental  organisations  funded  from  the  EU  budget  –  European  Parliament  resolution  of  17 
January 2024 on the transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations funded from 
the EU budget (2023/2122(INI)), EUR-Lex - 52024IP0036 - EN - EUR-Lex. 

Explanatory memorandum to the Government Bill amending Act. No. 385/2000 Coll. on judges and 
judges adjudicators and on amending and supplementing certain acts, as amended, and amending and 

22 

 
 
supplementing 
https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Dynamic/DocumentPreview.aspx?DocID=565165. 

certain 

acts, 

ICJK  (2025),  Number  of  recorded  attacks  against  journalists  more  than  halved  in  2024  (Počet 
zaznamenaných  útokov  voči  novinárom  sa  v  roku  2024  zvýšil  o  viac  ako  polovicu), 
https://www.icjk.sk/377/Pocet-zaznamenanych-utokov-voci-novinarom-sa-v-roku-0-zvysil-o-viac-
ako-polovicu.  

Ministry of Culture (2025), Anti-SLAPP, https://www.culture.gov.sk/ministerstvo/anti-slapp-2/. 

Ministry of Interior (2025), Press Release: We are starting an expert discussion on the parameters of 
legislation  regulating  lobbying  (Začíname  odbornú  diskusiu  o  parametroch  legislatívy  upravujúcej 
https://www.minv.sk/?tlacove-spravy&sprava=zaciname-odbornu-diskusiu-o-parametroch-
lobing), 
legislativy-upravujucej-lobing. 

OECD  (2024).  Recommendation  of  the  Council  on  Transparency  and  Integrity  in  Lobbying  and 
Influence, OECD/LEGAL/0379. 

Office  for the  Protection  of  Whistleblowers,  Annual report  on the activities of the  Office for 2024: 
How 
(2025), 
https://www.oznamovatelia.sk/zverejnili-sme-vyrocnu-spravu-za-rok-2024/  

shortcomings 

and  where 

did  we 

do  we 

2024 

see 

do 

in 

the  National 

Opinion of the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic on the proposal to regulate lobbying 
in 
2024), 
https://www.vlada.gov.sk/tlacove-spravy/stanovisko-uradu-vlady-sr-k-navrhu-upravy-lobingu-v-
narodnej-rade-sr/ 

(4  December 

Republic 

Council 

Slovak 

the 

of 

Parliament  (2024),  Brief  overview  of  the  legislative  activity  of  the  National  Assembly  of  the  SR 
SR), 
(Stručný 
.https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Dynamic/DocumentPreview.aspx?DocID=557911. 

legislatívnej 

prehľad 

činnosti 

NR 

Parliamentary  Bill  No.  733,  Draft  Constitutional  Act  amending  the  Constitution  of  the  Slovak 
Republic No. 460/1992 Coll., as amended. 

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Slovak Government (2023), Programme Statement of the Government of the Slovak Republic, 2023-
2027 
2027), 
Republiky, 
https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Dynamic/DocumentPreview.aspx?DocID=535376. 

(Programové 

Slovenskej 

vyhlásenie 

vlády 

2023 

- 

Slovak Government (2025a). Robert Kaliňák in TV programme V politike in TA3, 2 February 2025, 
https://www.ta3.com/clanok/978535/bradaty-gruzinec-mal-zvrhnut-vladu-co-bude-dalej-jednorozce-
a-hadojasteri-pytal-sa-valasek-ste-smiesny-reagoval-kalinak. 

Slovak Government (2025b), Press conference of 22 January 2025 (Prime Minister Robert Fico on the 
convening of the Security Council, 7:55 and 8:14) (Tlačová konferencia predsedu vlády SR Roberta 
Fica na tému: Zvolanie Bezpečnostnej rady), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvjTfiiW3NE. 

Slovak Government (2024), Framework plan of legislative tasks for the 9th electoral period. 

SME.sk  (2024),  Susko  changed  his  mind  with  the  analytical  centre:  he  is  going  to  restore  it  on  a 
smaller  scale  (Susko  si  to  s  analytickým  centrom  rozmyslel.  Chystá  sa  ho  obnoviť  v  menšom), 
https://domov.sme.sk/c/23392644/susko-si-to-s-analytickym-centrom-rozmyslel-chysta-sa-ho-
obnovit-v-mensom.html. 

23 

 
 
SME.sk (2025a), The beginnings are no longer being prosecuted in the Tipos  case: the case is time-
barred after the change in the criminal code (Počiatka už nestíhajú v kauze Tipos. Prípad je po zmene 
trestných 
https://domov.sme.sk/c/23438601/jan-pociatek-kauza-tipos-
lemikon.html. 

premlčaný), 

kódexov 

Supreme  Audit  Office  (2025),  The  seized  property  is  managed  inefficiently  by  the  state,  legislation 
need  to  be  adapted  to  international  practice,  https://www.nku.gov.sk/web/nku-en/-/the-seized-
property-is-managed-inefficiently-by-the-state-legislation-needs-to-be-adapted-to-international-
practice. 

Supreme Audit Office (2024b), SAO Slovakia organises a conference on party and campaign finance 
audit, 
https://www.nku.gov.sk/web/nku-en/-/sao-slovakia-organises-a-conference-on-party-and-
campaign-finance-audit.  

Teraz.sk  (2025),  The  Ministry  of  Culture  abolishes  the  Institute  of  Cultural  Policy  (Ministerstvo 
kultúry  ruší 
Inštitút  kultúrnej  politiky),  https://www.teraz.sk/spravy/ministerstvo-kultury-rusi-
institut/816923-clanok.html.  

Transparency  International-Slovakia  (2024a),  Instead  of  controlling  the  campaign,  the  Minister  of 
Interior  himself  violates  the  rules  by  paid  attacks  on  Korcok:  Presidental  Elections  2024  (Minister 
vnútra  namiesto  kontroly  kempane  sám  porušuje  pravidlá  platenými  útokmi  na  Korčoka), 
https://volby.transparency.sk/prezident2024/aktuality/minister-vnutra-namiesto-kontroly-kampane-
sam-porusuje-pravidla-platenymi-utokmi-na-korcoka. 

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) (2025), Experts alarmed by 
deterioration  of  fundamental  freedoms  and  civic  space  in  Slovak  Republic,  Experts  alarmed  by 
deterioration of fundamental freedoms and civic space in Slovak Republic | OHCHR. 

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) (1979), Code of Conduct for 
Law  Enforcement  Officials,  https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/code-
conduct-law-enforcement-officials. 

against  Corruption 

UNCAC  (2023),  Implementation  Review  Group:  State  of  the  implementation  of  the  United  Nations 
2023), 
Convention 
Executive 
CAC/COSP/IRG/II/4/1/Add. 
6, 
https://www.unodc.org/documents/treaties/UNCAC/WorkingGroups/ImplementationReviewGroup/4-
8September2023/CAC-COSP-IRG-II-41-Add.6/CAC-COSP-IRG-II-41-Add.6-E.pdf. 

September 

Summary 

(4-8 

– 

Via  Iuris  (2024),  Slovak  anti-NGO  bill  analysis  (Analýza  zákona  proti  mimovládkam), 
https://viaiuris.sk/aktuality/analyza-zakona-proti-mimovladkam-slovak-anti-ngo-bill-analysis/. 

VSquare  (2024),  Slovak  Ruling  Party  attacks  journalist  investigating  Government  spending, 
https://vsquare.org/slovak-ruling-party-attacks-journalist-investigating-government-spending/. 

National legislation 

Act No. 211/2000 Coll. on free access to information 

Act No. 215/2004 Coll. on protection of classified information 

Act No. 264/2022 Coll. on media services and amending certain acts (Media Services Act) 

24 

 
 
 
Act  No.  265/2025  Coll.  on  publishers  and  on  the  register  for  media  and  audiovisual  fields  and  on 
amendments to certain acts (Publications Act) 

Act No. 350/1996 Coll. on the Rules of Procedure of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. 

Act No. 213/1997 Coll. on non-profit organisations providing generally beneficial services. 

 Act No. 34/2002 Coll. on foundations and on the change of Civil Code. 

Act No. 147/1997 Coll. on non-investment funds and on supplementing Act No. 207/1996. 

Act No. 83/1990 Coll. on associations of citizens. 

Act No. 116/1985 Coll. on the conditions of activity of organisations with an international element in 
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. 

Act  No.  346/2018  Coll.  on  the  Registry  of  Non-Governmental  Non-Profit  Organisations  and  on 
Amendments and Supplements to Certain Laws, as amended.  

Act No. 330/1991 Coll. on Land Modifications, Arrangement of Land Ownership, Land Offices, Land 
Fund and Land Communities. 

Act No. 504/2003 Coll. on the lease of agricultural land, agricultural enterprise and forest land. 

Act No. 85/2005 Coll., on political parties and political movements. 

Act No. 162/1995 Coll., on the cadastre of immovable property and on the registration of ownership 
and other rights to immovable property (Cadastral Act). 

Act. No. 300/2005 Coll., Criminal Code. 

Act No. 301/2005 Coll., Criminal Procedural Code. 

Act  No.  432/2021  Coll.,  on  Disciplinary  order  of  the  Supreme  Administrative  Court  of  the  Slovak 
Republic. 

Government Regulation No 238/2010 laying down details on the conditions of lease, sale, exchange, 
and acquisition of real estate by the Land Fund. 

25 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Slovakia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2025 with: 

Investigative Centre of Jan Kuciak  

•  American Chamber of Commerce  
•  Association of Judges  
•  Association of Television Broadcasters of Slovakia 
•  Association of Radio Broadcasters of Slovakia 
•  Chamber of Non-Governmental Organisations 
•  Constitutional Court of Slovakia 
•  Government Office – Corruption Prevention Section  
• 
•  Judges For Open Judiciary  
•  Judicial Council  
•  Ministry of Culture  
•  Ministry of Interior  
•  Ministry of Justice  
•  National Centre for Human Rights  
•  National Union of Employers 
•  Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers  
•  Parliament administration (replies received in writing)  
•  Praesidium of Slovak Police Force  
•  Prosecutor General’s Office  
•  Public Defender of Rights  
•  Regional Prosecutor’s Office 
•  Rule of Law Initiative  
•  Serious Organised Crime Unit (UBOK) 
•  Slovak Bar Association  
•  Slovak Council for Broadcasting  
•  Slovak Land Fund (replies received in writing)  
•  Slovak Print and Digital Media Association  
•  Slovak Public Procurement Office 
•  Slovak Syndicate of Journalists  
•  Supreme Administrative Court  
•  Supreme Audit Office  
•  Supreme Court  
•  Transparency International Slovakia 
•  Via Iuris  
•  Zastavme korupciu (Let’s stop corruption foundation) 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  

26 

 
 
 
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe  
•  Civil Society Europe  
•  European Civic Forum  
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  
• 
• 
•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International 

International Commission of Jurists  
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

27