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EU Court: Slovakia has failed its obligations regarding flood risk

by AI | 06.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The EU Court confirmed the lawsuit against Slovakia for failing to fulfill its obligations in the area of flood risk.

The EU Court of Justice ruled in favor of the European Commission in a lawsuit against Slovakia regarding flood risk. PHOTO: TASR

Bratislava – The Court of Justice of the European Union granted the European Commission (EC), which sued the Slovak Republic in connection with failing to fulfill its obligations in the area of flood risk. “The judgment, concerning the errors of previous government cabinets, does not contain any financial penalties,” clarified the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic (MoE) on Thursday, which also emphasized that it has prepared remedial measures to quickly resolve the situation, reports TASR.

The Slovak Minister of the Environment Tomáš Taraba (nominee of SNS) reminded that Slovakia was supposed to ensure the update of flood risk management plans by December 22, 2021, but did not do so.

“The competent authorities did not review and update the documents needed as a basis for adopting flood risk management plans, that is, flood hazard maps and flood risk maps,” warned the head of the environment department, criticizing the ministry’s leadership during Ján Budaj’s era (then OĽANO), also for the approach towards the Slovak Water Management Enterprise (SVP), which is responsible for reviewing and updating flood risk management plans.

Taraba emphasized that the current government caught up with the lag and at the beginning of January this year, Slovakia fulfilled its commitments, which the environment department has already reported to the European Commission. He added that the necessary measures relate to stabilizing the activities and operations of the SVP.

“The Slovak hydrologists, together with the Slovak Environmental Agency, prepared an update of the flood risk management plan in the sub-basins of the Slovak Republic. It is a strategic document that also went through the EIA process,” the minister noted.

The formal announcement, infringement, of the European Commission for the incomplete revision of flood risk management plans according to the requirements of the flood directive within the set deadline was received by the environment department in February 2023.

In connection with the unfinished revision of flood risk management plans according to the requirements of the flood directive within the set deadline, at that time, a formal notification was also received by another 15 European Union member states. (February 6)