The Government intends to reduce the intensity of arable land use where growing conditions are most costly, and harmonize the economic and environmental aspects of farming. Other activities include the sodding of 150-180,000 hectares of steep slopes and plowed areas threatened by erosion in order to convert them to pasture or meadowland.

The Government will designate approximately 80-100,000 hectares of emission-damaged land for non-human consumption purposes, as well as introduce biotechnologies and alternative methods of soil management in protected regions of natural curative waters and sources of natural mineral drinking water. The Government will increase support for entrepreneurial activities aimed at fulfilling the "aesthetic function" of landscaping, improve the ecological stability of the land, and apply traditional farming methods on hilly or mountainous areas with low-density farm settlements.

The proportion of acreage of agricultural land in Slovakia is low (49.9 % of the Slovak territory; 0.46 hectare per capita). Arable land comprises some 30.2 % of the Slovak territory and its acreage is constantly decreasing. High yielding soils represent less than one-ninth of agricultural land. While the acreage of vineyards, gardens, orchards, permanent meadows and pastures increased between 1994 to 1996, some 205,676 hectares of agricultural land were lost.

Among soil types, brown land, podsolic soil and podsol are the most predominant. The acidity of soil has increased in many places due to the polluted environment. As a result of this unfavorable development in soil acidification, some 700 hectares of agricultural land show reactions below pH 5.5.

Acidification of land, indiscriminate land cultivation, especially draining, excessive use of chemicals, increased wind, and water erosion are the main factors that negatively impact environmental land functions and agricultural production.

The transmission of emissions, agricultural chemicals, excessive use of pesticides, nitrogen and potassium based fertilizers, and the use of phosphorous fertilizers with high levels of heavy metals are important sources of soil contamination. A significant drop in the consumption of manufactured fertilizers has been recorded since 1995.

In the Slovak Republic, 1.5 million hectares of agricultural land is jeopardized by erosion, of which 670 thousand hectares require urgent conservation. The estimated annual soil loss caused by erosion is 2.8 million tons. Wind erosion, which affects mostly the plains, is associated with approximately 390 thousand hectares of arable land.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: The Government intends to implement a programme for greening residential areas and agricultural and industrial facilities. The Government will also implement a programme to document land use planning for the larger territorial units in order to optimize sustainable land use and achieve integrated planning of land resources.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

STATUS REPORT: The territory of Slovakia, with its forested area of 1,991,463 hectares, is one of the most forested countries in Central Europe (40.6 % of the area). This area is critical for the sustainable development of the territory. The forested land per capita ratio (0.37 sq. kilometres) of Slovakia ranks behind Austria and France. Although the increase in forest coverage has exceeded its loss (366 hectares in 1993), the unfavorable health status of forests adversely impacts ecological stability.

There are more than 4,200 hectares of deforested land above the tree line, while another 3,800 hectares are in the stages of deforestation in Slovakia. There are some 1.5 million hectares of farmland threatened with erosion, 670,000 of which urgently require protection.

Only about 15 to 20 % of the renewed forests is recovered by natural forest coverage regrowth, although by applying optimal natural conditions, up to 50 or 60 % can be renewed. There is an acute need to reforest at least 60,000 hectares in Slovakia, according to expert estimates.

The area of specially designated forest has increased to 14.2% of total forest area, facilitating the stabilization of the ecosystem and contributing to the public function of forests. The annual harvest volume of forests has decreased from the original 6 million m3 per year to 5 million m3 per year, while the share of random harvests has increased (40-50% of the annual harvest volume on average). Approximately 180,000 hectares of land is estimated to be suitable for forestation, including 60,000 hectares of land requiring acute forestation.

The current status of the Slovak forests, with its mix of species, is incongruent with today's climatic conditions. The most precarious environmental conditions are found in the low-lying forest vegetation altitudes (up to 500 m) where the lack of rainfall is pronounced. Plans to modify the species composition of the most endangered forest coverage requires a time frame of at least 40 to 50 years.

The health status of forests significantly deteriorated during the past decade due to emissions. Ninety-two percent of elms, 41% of firs, 11% of oaks and 10% of pines have become extinct in Slovakia. Deterioration can be detected in younger age groups, too. The most afflicted coniferous tree is the pine (40 %), followed by the fir (36%), and the spruce (29%). The average value of defoliation, calculated from research during a period of 7 years, has reached 27%. Persisting emission exposure and the weakening of forecast capacity increased tree defoliation and thinning of tree cover. Accidental tree cutting reached 60.4 % of overall lumbering in 1994.

Sustainable forest policy and its implementation is conditioned by available financial sources and by the constraints of the transfer of ownership process after 1989.

1. Decision-Making Structure: The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for developing and implementing sustainable forest policy.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information,

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

STATUS REPORT:

The International Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Drought and/or Desertification

Particularly in Africa : No information.

Additional comments relevant to this chapter

No information.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

The priority targets for environmental improvement and the protection of soil have been harmonized in the Strategy of State Environment Policy and also in the Concept and Principles of the Policy of Soil Management (both documents have been approved by the Parliament) as follows: to lower the intensity of the productive use of agricultural land areas; to harmonize the entire agricultural sector's economic and environmental considerations; to cover 150 to 180 thousand hectares of steep and erosion-prone arable land with grass, and to convert it to meadow and pasture land; to use approximately 300 thousand hectares of pasture land in its natural form for extensive grazing only; to use around 80 to 100 thousand hectares of land damaged with pollutants exclusively for non-food production while a gradual decontamination takes place; to introduce an organic way of agricultural land management and to increase support of those entrepreneurial activities which serve agriculture and the settlement of rural areas.

Currently, the land market is stagnant in Slovakia due to a number of factors such as: uncompleted restitution processes, incomplete identification of land ownership, absence of realistic land market prices, low capital revenues in agriculture, and the insolvency of farming entities.

The quality of agricultural land expressed in official prices signals that nearly two-thirds can be found in the poorest land bracket, i.e. up to SK 50 thousand per hectare.

The loss of agricultural land has been reduced in the past years, thanks to the consistent enforcement of the Act on the protection of soil and a phase-down of building activities in Slovakia. Land adjustments are being performed which prevent increased erosion.

National parks, protected land areas and water protection belts comprise 23 % of all agricultural land of Slovakia (550 thousand hectares).

Compared to other developed countries, Slovakia's citizens spend more than 38 % of their income on food, which is twice the EU average. The state has guaranteed a level of agricultural production which is consistent with the threshold of food safety. In the context of an open market, the Government intends to keep production resources and home production volume at 90 % of the expected real consumption of basic commodities coming from domestic production, especially in regards to daily food consumption.

1. Decision-Making Structure:

Food control is carried out by the Slovak Food and Agricultural Inspection, the State Veterinary Administration of the Slovak Republic as well as other health protection bodies within the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

The Convention on Biological Diversity was ratified.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora : No information.

Additional comments relevant to this chapter

Slovakia's lowlands and plains have been almost completely deforested and nearly all remnants of their natural ecosystems have been cleared. This process, combined with air pollution, has caused a retreat of sensitive plant types. Degrading processes and unfavorable factors are also encroaching on the few remaining ecostabilizing areas - the 87 registered biocentres of national significance, covering the area of 271,000 hectares (5.5% of the area of Slovakia).

The negative influence of changing conditions on wildlife is manifested in decreased biodiversity, including the extinction of some species. Out of 2,500 taxons of naturally-occurring vascular plants, 1,326 (53%) were included in the Red List in 1993, including 31 that are deemed to be extinct (1.23%). Of non-vascular plants, 41% of lichen species, for example, have become extinct. Of the 751 taxons of vertebrates living in the wild, 27 fish, 20 amphibians, 19 reptiles, 79 birds and 30 mammals (23.3% vertebrae) are endangered or extinct.

Achieving ecological stability will require changes in the approach to land use, improvement in forest conditions, the greening of towns and farm land, and significant long-term investment in the renewal of land.

Protected areas help mitigate the areas vulnerable to environmental stress. Of special importance are five national parks, covering 199,724 hectares, (4% area of Slovakia), and sixteen protected areas in the countryside covering 660,493 hectares (13.4% area of Slovakia). The 448 state wildfire preserves encompassing 90,999 hectares (1.85% area of Slovakia), also perform an important eco-stabilizing function. 104 protected habitat areas, comprised of 6,974 hectares, are intended to protect endangered plant and animal species.

An additional nineteen research areas, one protected park, three protected gardens, and 936 protected natural elements (646 trees, 45 caves, abysses, and other natural phenomena) are legally protected as special parts of nature. In addition, special protection is afforded to trees growing outside of forests; to 226 taxons of wild-growing plants (127 of them completely, 13 partially, 86 territorially); and to 176 species of animals living in the wild.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed and ratified in 1996.

No information.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

Of the entire 8,210 km of economically important rivers, 3,723.3 km are monitored. In 1991, approximately 88,000 tons of insoluble substances, 506 tons of inorganic salts, and 1,857 tons of oil and other petrochemicals were released into the river system. While 83.2% of the population is supplied by water from public piping, only 37.1% of the population used the public sewage system and only 635 million m3, or about 42% of waste water released in 1991 was treated.

Ground water quality has begun to deteriorate significantly. In 1991, 87% of water samples were judged unsuitable for consumption (only 63% in 1983). Slovakia's ground water contains high levels of iron, manganese, active carbon dioxide, as well as chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, ammonium ions and petrochemicals.

In order to protect natural sources of water, ten areas of natural water accumulation have been designated as protected, as well as 58 rivers and their catchment areas, a number of areas of hygienic protection, and 24 areas of natural curative waters and natural mineral water sources.

Among the Government's medium-term objectives for this sector are: (1) a 50% reduction in the amount of pollutants in discharged waste water; (2) bridging the gap between the volume of water extracted and discharged; (3) reduction in agricultural use of underground water to 30%, with exceptions for the food and pharmaceutical industries; (4) watering of livestock and poultry; (5) exportation of geothermal waters; (6) boosting the proportion of total waste water purified with high-efficiency (biological, chemical) methods and of small waste-water treatment plants by 20%; (7) 30% decrease in the consumption of drinking water monitored by measuring consumption via water metres; (8) eliminating at least half of the leakage in the water distribution system (to 10-15% of total volume); (9) assigning priority to the completion of waste water treatment plants under construction, and the construction of treatment plants near sources of enormous water pollution; (10) 60% increase in the volume of waste-water purified; and (11) resolving the deficit of drinking water in 16 districts, with priority for Kosice-county, Velky Krtis, Lecenec, Rimavska Sobota, Prievidza, Spisska Nova Ves, and Roznava districts.

1. Decision-Making Structure: No information.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: The quantity and quality of different groups of surface and ground waters in the Slovak territory are monitored by a partial monitoring system. The quality of ground waters has been monitored in Slovakia since 1982 in 26 key water management areas by the Slovak Institute of Hydro-Meteorology. The monitoring network of ground water comprises 344 monitoring units in all. The most significant of these areas is part of 10 protection areas of natural water accumulation. In addition, some 24 protection zones of natural healing resources and natural spring water resources have been registered. The most dense monitoring network has been created in the Ostrov area which is the largest drinking water source in Central Europe.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

The Good Laboratory Practice principles are applied in laboratories, which undertake tests and analysis for registration. This Act will also allow the banning or severe restriction of the use of chemicals or chemical preparations which are harmful to human health and the environment. The Act will also cover the information exchange on the export of banned or severely restricted chemicals and chemical preparations.

The systematic investigation of existing chemicals is part of the management system for chemicals. The Inventory of Chemicals and Chemical Preparations, initiated in 1992-1993, was a preparatory phase of the program of investigation of existing chemical substances, risk reduction and assessment of their potential impact on the environment. This program resulted in a survey of chemicals and chemical preparations in Slovakia and provided data on their physical-chemical, toxic and eco-toxic properties. The data base is gradually being up-dated.

The second phase supporting the management of chemical security is the proposed Act on Risk Assessment of Existing Chemicals. The Act will deal with the systematic identification and evaluation of existing chemicals including risk assessment. According to the timetable of the Government's legislative tasks, the principles of the Act will be submitted to the government in 1998 and the Act will be adopted in 2000. Drafting of the legislation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy.

1. Decision-Making Structure:

The responsibility for management of chemical and of chemical preparations is shared among a number of ministries and other government authorities in the Slovak Republic. The most important of which are: Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The coordination of activities in chemical management is provided through:

- crossectorial committees whose members are appointed by ministries ( for example, working groups for new legislation),

- an intersectorial consultation process for documents prepared for government sessions,

- intersectorial meetings.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups:

The government intends to establish a coordination working group for the chemical and pesticide sector, which will include all affected parties, including NGOs. This working group will cooperate with international institutions.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was ratified.

The latest information was provided to the Basel Convention Secretariat in 1996.

Additional comments relevant to this chapter

Of the 25.7 million tons of waste that are produced annually in Slovakia, 2.5 million are designated as hazardous wastes. The government has stated that its medium-term strategy on waste management will encompass the disposal of improperly stored hazardous waste and protection against the undesired import of waste; construction of a network of hazardous waste recycling centres and a container system for handling hazardous wastes; and disposal of hazardous and medical waste with appropriate procedures and equipment.

1. Decision-Making Structure: The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic and Regional offices are responsible for the sound management of hazardous wastes.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: The private sector is involved in capacity-building issues related to the management of hazardous wastes.

3. Major Groups: VSZ Koice, Slovnaft Bratislava.

4. Finance: The private sector, municipalities, and the state budget are involved in finance issues related to the sustainable management of hazardous waste.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: Basel Convention, OECD, EU, bilateral contacts.

The Minister of the Environment issued the Waste Management Program of the Slovak Republic in 1993. It is a conceptual document that establishes waste management goals by the year 1996, 2000 and 2005, as well as defines concrete measures for their realization.

As of 1995, there was no efficient waste management system in operation in the Slovak Republic. As a result of landfill registration, which was performed in 1992 and 1993, 8,372 waste dumps were listed. Following the Directive of the Minister of the Environment No. S-1/1993, each of the landfills has a registered certificate for its evaluation and assessment. Of 34 industrial waste incinerators, 11 of them have no facility to trap exhaust gases.

As part of its foreseen medium-term strategy, the government intends to process 80% of biodegradable waste to produce organic fertilizers, create economic incentives for the expanded collection and utilization of secondary raw materials (for example, used oils, glass, metals, paper, etc.), introduce separate collection for a 50% reduction of the volume of municipal waste designed for disposal, construct a network of waste sorting equipment for separating out secondary materials, dispose of all unusable municipal waste in landfills meeting technical standards and not threatening the environment, engage in the systematic clean-up and reclamation of landfill areas threatening the environment, and reduce the number of recorded dumps in half.

WASTE WATER. Public sewerage linkages in the Slovak Republic territory can be expressed by the percentage of inhabitants living in houses that are connected to the public sewerage. In 1990, 50.6% of residents had access to public sewage and in 1995, this figure increased to 52.6%. Compared to public water linkages equivalent to 73.4 % in 1990 and 79.4% in 1995, one can view a considerable lag of development of public sewerage in relation to public water supplies.

From the point of view of protecting the basins of the Danube river tributaries, the most unfavourable conditions in sewerage infrastructure are in the Bodva, Bodrog, Ipel, Slaná, Nitra and Morava Rivers basins.

Of the total number of villages and towns in the Slovak Republic exceeding the number 2800, only 285 villages have created sewerage systems, while a number of them provide only partial sewage or sewage without waste water treatment.

1. Decision-Making Structure: Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic and Regional offices are primarily concerned with the sound management of solid waste and sewage related issues in Slovakia.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: The private sector is involved in capacity building issues related to the sound management of solid wastes.

3. Major Groups: VSZ Koice and Slovnaft Bratislava.

4. Finance: : The private sector, municipalities, and state budgets are involved with finance issues related to the sound management of solid waste.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: Basel Convention, OECD, EU, bilateral contacts.

In the declaration No 538/1995, the Slovak government accepted restrictions on the illegal transport of radioactive materials in the Slovak Republic. Detection equipment was installed on some of the borders (especially on the eastern frontiers) in order to control the movement of radioactive materials along and within the state.

In questions of spent nuclear fuel, the convention was signed by the ministers of the environment, interior, economy, transport and Nuclear Regulatory Authority concerning the physical safety of these materials in the area of the Slovak Republic. The Ministry of Environment is taking part in the coordination group which is responsible for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel.

It is anticipated that the nuclear power plants in Jaslovske Bohunice and Mochovce will be able to process almost all kinds of waste from nuclear power plants as well as any radioactive waste from other originators into a form suitable for final storage. For the final storage of the processed low- and medium-active waste, a storage facility is being built in Mochovce. However, the long-term safe storage of radioactive waste that will not be accepted for the storage in Mochovce has not been resolved yet. Radioactive waste from nuclear facilities is currently stored in nuclear power plants.

1. Decision-Making Structure: The Nuclear Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Health are responsible for the safe management of institutional wastes. The import of nuclear active sources and their utilisation is also regulated by these institutions.

2. Capacity-Building/Technology Issues: No information.

3. Major Groups: No information.

4. Finance: No information.

5. Regional/International Cooperation: No information.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION: No information.

STEPS TAKEN TO ENHANCE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING, IMPROVE LONG TERM SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT, BUILDING OF CAPACITY AND CAPABILITY: No information.

STATUS REPORT:

CURRENT SITUATION IN THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN SLOVAKIA

Environmental training and education in the Slovak Republic are ensured first of all by the present school system. Another important role in implementing environmental training and education is played by non-governmental organizations.

Environmental publicity that is extending the greatest influence on the creation of public environmental awareness is ensured by means of several specialized periodicals. This subject is dealt with sporadically by the daily press, radio or television.

Based on the Declaration of the Slovak Government Programme, the Ministry of the Environment committed itself in the document entitled "Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Environmental Policy", to establish complete school and extra-curricular systems of environmental education by 1997.

The main objective of the "Complex Project of Public Environmental Training and Education" in Slovakia is to improve the current state of the public's reception to environmental principles which is targeted to all ages and social groups.

The given Project is divided in three stages while for the time being its first stage has been worked out namely analytical one.

ROLE OF MAJOR GROUPS: No information.

FINANCING AND COST EVALUATION OF THE LABOUR ACTIVITIES: No information.