YEAR 2000 AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Reforms in the environmental sector that are to be implemented in 2000, will comply with the EU legislation. The Waste Law is in the preparation, legal stadards for air and Earth´s ozone layer protection, for environmental impact assessment, physical planning, building order, etc. will be updated. The draft National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Slovak Republic will be completed this year and submitted to the Slovak Government and the National Council of the Slovak Republic, public administration reform is under preparation and it includes the transfer of some environmental competencies to self-governments. It will also bring changes in the environmental state administration and strengthening of inspection functions of the state, mainly of the Slovak Environmental Inspection. Also the Slovak Environmental Agency, the Administration of National Parks and nature protection itself will undergo changes. The Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic has been developing a new model of environmental financing. A comprehensive system for environmental experts’ education and raising the environmental public awareness is also planned for this year through the Ecological Academy project.