Foreword
The principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance Review (EPR) programme is to help member and selected partner countries improve their individual and collective performance in environmental management by:
helping countries assess progress in achieving their environmental goals
stimulating greater accountability from governments towards each other and public opinion.
This is the third EPR of the Slovak Republic. It examines the country’s environmental performance since the previous review in 2011. Progress in achieving domestic objectives and international commitments provides the basis for assessing Slovakia’s environmental performance. Such objectives and commitments may be broad aims, qualitative goals or quantitative targets. A distinction is made between intentions, actions and results. Assessment of environmental performance is also placed within the context of Slovakia’s historical environmental record, present state of the environment, physical endowment in natural resources, economic conditions and demographic trends.
The OECD is grateful to the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic for providing information and comments, organising the review mission (13-16 June 2023) and virtual policy mission (3 October 2023), as well as for facilitating contacts inside and outside government institutions.
Thanks are also due to the representatives of the two examining countries, Ladislav Miko (Czechia) and Hanno Zingel (Estonia), for participating in the review.
The authors of this report are Marek Engel, Edward Perry and Frédérique Zegel of the OECD Environment Directorate, under the co-ordination of Frédérique Zegel. Nathalie Girouard and Frédérique Zegel provided oversight and guidance. Carla Bertuzzi provided statistical support, while Lydia Servant provided administrative support. Natasha Cline-Thomas provided communications support. Mark Foss copy-edited the report. Preparation of this report also benefited from inputs and comments from, Ivana Capozza, Federica De Pace, Kathleen Dominique, Jane Ellis, Catherine Gamper, Katia Karousakis, Marijn Korndewal, Roger Martini, Mikaela Rambali, Oliver Roehn, Katarina Svatikova, Stew Turner, Julia Wanjiru and Urszula Ziebinska of the OECD Secretariat.
The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance discussed the Environmental Performance Review of the Slovak Republic at its meeting on 24 January 2024 and approved the Assessment and Recommendations.