Every year, on the occasion of the World Environment Day, the Minister of Environment of the Slovak Republic grants the award for outstanding achievements or long-term contribution in the care of environment to selected towns or villages, companies, civic associations and individuals or teams. This year, 23 nominations were received altogether. 
In the category „Town or Village“ the award went to Nesvady and Turzovka. The town of Turzovka closed three large-capacity solid fuel boiler rooms in 1999 and in 2000 put a central heating source into operation. In the category „Company“ the award was granted to the paper mill Assi Domän a.s. Štúrovo that, besides the primary raw materials, processes also secondary raw materials. In 1998, the company obtained the ISO 14001 certificate. It organises various events in order to raise public environmental awareness. In the category „Civic Association“ the award went to SOSNA mainly for the campaign „Save the Slovak Karst“ and in the category „Individual or Team“ to Juraj Hraško - the former Minister of the Environment, to Michal Kalaš – the voluntary nature guard and to the Secondary Chemical School in Nováky for its activities in the field of environmental protection. Helicopter aircrews from Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia were awarded for their assistance in extinguishing the fire in Slovenský raj in October 2000.