The Slovak Water Management Company (SVP) has begun a massive cleanup of neglected state-owned lands. In the first phase, the effort focuses on the Little Carpathian wine-growing region, with plans to expand to other areas across Slovakia. At a Wednesday press conference in Modra, Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee) announced that the Ministry of Environment had secured sufficient funding from the Environmental Fund to ensure that the land cleanup mechanism can be implemented on an annual basis.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. We are talking about cooperation that we will expand to the entire territory of Slovakia. Here and in this place, it is easiest to see the state of affairs 36 years after lands were returned to people following the fall of communism and the extent of neglect these lands have reached,” the minister said.
He described the initiative as a historic milestone marking a new stage of cooperation between the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Slovak Land Fund (SPF), and SVP regarding the maintenance of state-managed lands. “We have reached an agreement in which the Ministry of Environment will have the mandate to send financial resources to SVP, which will begin cleaning neglected lands starting today,” he added.
Regarding unmaintained lands, the minister also mentioned potential sanctions for their owners. Initially, owners could receive a warning, and if cleanup does not occur, the state could impose penalties. “We will likely define vineyards that were designated as protected upon Slovakia’s EU accession as a certain form of biotope,” the minister indicated.
He also pointed out that the state has not yet found a way to maintain lands with unknown owners. SPF General Director Richard Šmída welcomed the signing of a memorandum between the responsible institutions, which will establish the framework for future action. According to his deputy Rastislav Juhár, the fund will also adopt a stricter approach to land rental arrangements.
Source: TASR
