Responsibilities in the Administration, Funds and Programmes
Public administration
Ministry of Economy (MHSR)
The MHSR is responsible for policy-making in the energy sector, and bears the mandate to develop energy legislation. Within the MHSR it is the "Section of Manufacturing And Energy Branches Policy", Department of Policy, Department of EU Integration, that is in charge for the related tasks.
The Ministry of Economy is also the central body of state administration in charge of the state owned part of the power industry.
Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO)
The Office was established in 2001 and is responsible for the technical and financial regulation ot the energy sector. It is setting the way of calculating the energy prices in the area of heat, gas and electricity generation, distribution and transmission. ÚRSO is also regulating prices for drinking water supply and discharge and treatment of waste water.
Besides energy and water pricing, ÚRSO is handing out licences and authorising new supply plants. (Concerning nuclear power plants the license can only be issued after authorisation by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority - see below).
Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJD)
Pursuant to the Act No 130/1998 Coll. on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority is in charge of supervision of nuclear safety. The main purpose of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority is to ensure that all nuclear energy facilities in Slovakia are designed, built, operated and decommissioned according to valid legislation. Another important responsibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority is to control nuclear materials, special materials and facilities, i.e. items that could be abused in certain circumstances and used for other than peaceful purposes.
The UJD has three principal regulatory functions:
- estabilish standards and regulations
- issue licenses for nuclear facilities organizations, selected personnel and users of nuclear materials
- inspect facilities organizations and users of nuclear materials
State Energy Inspectorate (SEI)
The actual compliance and performance supervision with regard to act 70/1998 is done by a specialised agency: the State Energy Inspectorate (SEI), created in 1952, has a main office in Trencin and eight regional branches employing 135 persons within three branches: the Energy Inspectorate, the Energy Institute and the Energy Agency.
Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA)
Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency - SIEA - is the national energy agency in the Slovak Republic, established by the Ministry of Economy. SIEA acts as advisory body of the Ministry of Economy as well as of the Regulatory Office and is involved in creation of legal framework and its harmonization with the EU energy acquis. SIEA participates in the development of local and regional policies and cooperates with other state administration bodies on development of legal and economic instruments supporting efficient and environmentally friendly utilisation of energy. SIEA participates in transnational activities and networks, i.e. Energy Charter Treaty, EnR, OPET. The SIEA is in charge of the implementation of energy demand management programmes (dsm-programmes) and will be acting as the implementing agency for EU structural funds in the area of energy efficiency and renewable sources. SIEA has headquarters in Bratislava and 4 regional offices.
Ministry of Environment (MoE)
The MoE is the main public contact point and authority responsible for the providing of information, policy-making, and legislation development in the field of the environment, including air pollution. All international documents and national strategies on environmental protection are processed by MoE representatives.
Slovak Environmental Agency (SAE)
The Slovak Environmental Agency is led by the Ministry of Environment and focuses on environment protection and landscape planning in accordance with principles of sustainable development. The purpose of its establishment is the fulfillment of technical tasks related to environmental protection. Its operations include theoretical, conceptual, methodological, coordinative, documentational, informative, educational, and promotional activities.
Regional responsibilities
Additional responsibilities have been given to the newly elected regional councils in term of education, health and environment. For that reason regions will have an important role to play in energy conservation and in the promotion of renewable energy. In view of the accession to the EU in 2004, and the following introduction of the structural funds in Slovakia, they will need to further acquire competencies in energy and environmental management.
Energy related organisations
Research Institutes
For the Slovak energy sector it is mainly the following institutes:
- Nuclear Power Engineering Research Institute, a.s. Trnava
- Power Engineering Research Institute, s.r.o. Bratislava (EGU) and
- the National Forest Centre
Energy Centre Bratislava OPET Slovakia
The Energy Centre Bratislava is a non-governmental, not-for-profit information and consulting organisation which has been working in the Slovak Republic since 1993. In 1998, the Energy Centre Bratislava and the Slovak Energy and Innovation Agency became a member of the EU OPET/FEMOPET network.
The mission of the Energy Centre Bratislava is to promote the rational use of energy and the utilisation of renewable sources of energy. This mission is carried out by the following:
- transfer of innovative energy technologies and support in implementation
- participation in national and international RTD projects concerning energy efficiency
- data collection and elaboration of energy information
- direct advising and consulting services to industry, SMEs and private households
- organisation of seminars, training courses, workshops, trade fairs and conferences.
The main target groups include the public sector, industry, small and medium enterprises, universities and households.
Energy related funds and programms
Support programmes
Projects using RES for the production of electricity and heat can benefit from the following support programmes:
Resource | Technology | Support level (%/total investment) | Start year | End year | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Environmental Fund | Solar thermal systems |
95 % | Current year (application till the end of October) | Grant should be applied till the end of 1. year after application | Public sector only |
Biomass boilers | |||||
Heat pumps | |||||
EU Structural Funds | All RES technologies except wind turbines and large hydro | Not specified yet. |
2008 |
2013 |
Relevant operational programmes approved; state support schemes have not been finally approved yet; waiting for calls for proposals |
Financial Mechanism of Norwegian Kingdom and EEA | All RES technologies | Up to 90 % for public sector; private sector - up to 50 % |
2004 |
2009 |
|
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Aid Scheme de minimis DM-003/03
This programm supports energy savings and the use of RES in form of financial assistance funded from the state budget. Beneficiaries include SMEs, associations of natural and legal persons registered in the Slovak Republic, organisations established by the state and public administration bodies which conduct business activities, particitpate in economic competition and in which public sector holds a share equal to or higher than 51 %.
