OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Slovak Republic …

1 OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Slovak Republic 2011 This work is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member cite this publication as:OECD (2011), OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Slovak Republic 2011, OECD 978-92-64- 12182-9 (print) ISBN 978-92-64- 12183-6 (PDF) Series: OECD Environmental Performance Reviews ISSN 1990-0104 (print) ISSN 1090-0090 (online) Photo credits: Cover illustration Krwawy Jaroslav Machacek to OECD publications may be found on line at.

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3 Slovak Republic 2011 OECD 2011 ForewordSince joining the OECD in 2000, and the European Union in 2004, the Slovak Republic has made major strides in protecting the environment and enhancing the quality of life of its people. Despite growing at the fastest rate among OECD countries from 2000-08, the Slovak Republic managed to stabilise or reduce emissions of a range of pollutants. Positioned at the heart of Europe, it has actively pursued Environmental co-operation with its neighbours, particularly for the protection of wetlands. However, much remains to be done.

4 The energy consumed, and pollution produced, to generate each unit of GDP is among the highest in the OECD, and Slovakia has paid a high price for a series of floods in recent Slovak Republic was severely hit by the global economic and financial crisis: GDP fell by about 5% in 2009. Although the economy rebounded quickly, driven by strong external demand, it is still vulnerable to fluctuations in economic activity in its trading partners. To boost living standards durably, the Slovak Republic must raise the productivity and competitiveness of its economy. At the same time, it needs to reinvigorate its Environmental institutions after a period of change and instability.

5 Fully integrating environment into its strategy for economic and social development would be the best way to address these twin challenges in a coherent way. In doing so, the Slovak Republic can draw on the OECD Green Growth Strategy that was presented to the annual meeting of Ministers of Economy and Finance in May Environmental Performance review aims to provide further support to Slovakia s Environmental progress. It presents 35 recommendations, with special emphasis on climate change and energy, and the integration of agricultural and Environmental policies. Some of the key recommendations are to: Develop a new Environmental strategy as an integral part of Slovakia s strategy for economic and social development.

6 Improve general innovation capacity as a prerequisite for promoting eco-innovation. Consolidate the framework for developing and implementing climate, energy and transport policies in a coherent way. Make environmentally related taxes more efficient and effective. Better target Environmental outcomes when designing support schemes for agriculture and rural development. Strengthen dialogue and co-operation with business, NGOs and other review is the result of a searching and co-operative dialogue between the Slovak Republic and other members and observers of the OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance .

7 We are confident that this collaborative effort will be useful to advance the policy debate on how best to tackle the shared and common Environmental challenges that OECD members and their partners Gurr aOECD Secretary-GeneralFOREwORD PREFACE5 OECD Environmental Performance REvIEwS: Slovak Republic 2011 OECD 2011 PrefaceThe principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance review programme is to help member and selected partner countries to improve their individual and collective Performance in Environmental management by: helping individual governments to assess progress in achieving their Environmental goals; promoting continuous policy dialogue and peer learning; stimulating greater accountability from governments towards each other and the public present report reviews the Environmental Performance of the Slovak Republic since the previous review in 2002.

8 Progress in achieving domestic objectives and international commitments provides the basis for assessing 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 a country s historical Environmental record, present state of the environment, physical endowment in natural resources, economic conditions, and demographic OECD is indebted to the Government of Slovakia for its co-operation in providing infor-mation, for the organisation of the review mission to Slovakia (26 September-5 October 2010)

9 , and for facilitating contacts both inside and outside governmental are also due to all those who helped in the course of this review , to the representatives of member countries participating in the OECD working Party on Environmental Performance , and especially to the examining countries: the Czech Republic and team that prepared this review comprised experts from reviewing countries: Ms. Klara wajdova (the Czech Republic ), Mr. Pedro liberato (Portugal); members of the OECD Secretariat: Mr. G rard Bonnis, Ms. Ivana Capozza, Mr.

10 Brendan Gillespie, Mr. Krzysztof Michalak, Mr. Tappei Tsutsumi, Mr. vaclav vojtech, Ms. Fr d rique Zegel, and Ms. Sara Moarif and Mr. Tom Jones (consultants). Ms. Carla Bertuzzi, Mr. Shayne Maclachlan and Ms. Sarah Sentier (OECD Secretariat) and Ms. Rebecca Brite (consultant) provided statistical and editorial support during the preparation of the OECD working Party on Environmental Performance discussed the draft Environmental Performance review of Slovakia at its meeting on 20 June 2011 in Paris, and approved the assessment and TABlE OF CONTENTS7 OECD Environmental Performance REvIEwS: Slovak Republic 2011 OECD 2011 Table of contentsExecutive summary.