New

The Air Quality Management Plan for the Nitra Region zone is available on the website of the District Office of Nitra and on the environmental web portal Enviroportal.

The need for a new program arose from the air quality assessment by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI), which, as the authorized organization under the Air Protection Act, concluded based on measurements that in the village of Plášťovce in 2022, the permitted number of exceedances for the daily average concentration of PM10 and the annual average concentration of PM2,5 were exceeded, as well as the target value for the carcinogenic pollutant benzo(a)pyrene. The source of pollution is local heating, i.e., households.

Based on a new method of integrated assessment of municipalities regarding the risk of poor air quality, an additional 60 municipalities were identified, assigned a final risk level (RL) 1 to 3. In these municipalities (RL1-RL3), air quality is expected to be worsened mainly due to local household heating, but also due to large industrial pollution sources, transport, and unfavorable dispersion conditions. Using this methodology, 15 municipalities were identified with RL1, 40 municipalities with RL2, and 6 municipalities with RL3. Municipalities assigned RL3 are also considered Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) under the Air Protection Act. The priority and supporting, or cross-cutting, measures listed in the program apply specifically to municipalities with RL2 and RL3.

Municipalities with RL2
Bajtava, Bíňa, Cabaj-Čápor, Čaka, Čata, Demandice, Dolné Smrekovce, Farná, Gbelce, Hronovce, Hurbanovo, Chľaba, Jedľové Kostoľany, Kamenica nad Hronom, Kolárovo, Kolta, Komárno, Kubáňovo, Leľa, Lontov, Málaš, Malé Kosihy, Neded, Nesvady, Nýrovce, Pastovce, Plavé Vozokany, Prašice, Pukanec, Rybník, Selice, Sikenica, Súlovce, Šurany, Tekovské Lužany, Tekovské Nemce, Topoľčianky, Vlčany, Vyškovce nad Ipľom, Želiezovce

Municipalities with RL3
Ipeľské Úľany, Ipeľský Sokolec, Plášťovce, Šahy, Salka, Zlaté Moravce

As priority measures meeting the conditions of § 9(4)(d) of Act No. 146/2023 Coll. on air protection and amendments to certain acts, the advisory committee established under the Methodological Guideline of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic for air quality management identified the following measures:

Monitoring compliance with proper heating practices in solid and liquid fuel devices

Public information and awareness campaigns on air protection

The first measure aims to ensure that operators of small combustion devices using solid or liquid fuels comply with the requirements of the Air Protection Act. Inspection of small combustion devices may be carried out after two prior written warnings from the municipality if there is reasonable suspicion that a small source is operated in violation of the Air Protection Act. Inspections may include checking the operation of the combustion device, as well as sampling fuel, ash, and soot from chimneys, and checking emission limits (smoke darkness). Inspections will be carried out by the municipality (as the air protection authority) and the Slovak Environmental Inspectorate (SEI), or a professionally qualified person appointed by the inspectorate. They have the right to enter residences for inspection purposes.

Municipal competencies in air protection are clearly outlined in the Guide for Municipalities and Towns on Air Protection prepared by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic.

Violations of the ban on burning prohibited fuels and waste can result in fines: up to €500 for individuals and €200–€10,000 for operators of small pollution sources who are legal or business entities.

The second measure aims to raise awareness among small source operators about the impact of burning solid fuels on air quality, the importance of proper maintenance and operation, and the choice of appropriate fuel. Public information should target all age groups and include both individuals and legal entities operating small pollution sources, with an emphasis on health risks associated with improper heating, information on its impact on air quality, and options for changing heating methods—proper heating techniques, fuel quality and storage, chimney and flue cleaning obligations, and the ban on waste burning.

Municipalities designated as AQMAs with RL3 are required to:

Organize an awareness meeting with residents, representatives of the district office, relevant permitting authorities, inspectorate, regional government, operators, authorized organization, affected authorities, organizations, regional air quality managers working under the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project, and their project partners.

Publish information through their usual channels (local radio, municipal website, public notice board, municipal app, etc.) about the impact of solid fuel burning on air quality, health effects, proper maintenance and operation, and appropriate fuel selection.

For RL2 municipalities, only the second point applies. For awareness purposes, municipalities can use resources and information prepared under the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project, including an Awareness Package with leaflets, video spots, and local radio announcements advising the use of suitable fuels and proper heating techniques.

Supporting measures contribute to reducing pollutant emissions or improving the implementation of priority measures and thereby improving air quality in the region. Cross-cutting measures involve integration across sectors, policies, and strategic plans, as emissions are, as noted by the National Emission Reduction Program, an undesired output of various sectoral activities.

RL2 and RL3 municipalities selected supporting and cross-cutting measures individually from the catalog of measures prepared by the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement team in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, including:

• Database of small air pollution sources up to 0.3 MW
• Requirements for newly installed small pollution sources up to 0.3 MW
• Municipal regulations allowing technical requirements and operating conditions for small sources
• Support for replacing high-emission heating devices with low-/zero-emission devices
• Reducing energy consumption of buildings
• Requirement for new small sources to meet eco-design standards
• Construction of bypasses around towns and villages
• Addressing traffic bottlenecks
• Financial support for public transport
• Support for cycling infrastructure
• Support for pedestrian infrastructure
• Improving traffic flow in built-up areas (road surface reconstruction)
• Cleaning roads from pollution caused by traffic and winter salting
• Planting linear and area greenery to capture secondary dust

Implementation of these measures will be monitored through established indicators. Non-compliance may lead to municipal requests for correction or other actions.

The District Office at the regional seat will review the AQIP every three years and publish results on its website and Enviroportal. If additional measures are needed to achieve or maintain good air quality, the office will update the AQIP within 18 months in accordance with the Air Protection Act.

Public consultation on the Strategic Document Assessment Report and the draft program took place on March 11, 2025. The preparation of the Air Quality Improvement Program for the Nitra Region involved active participation from staff of the District Office of Nitra, the Office of the Nitra Self-Governing Region, and the Air Quality Manager from the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic allocated for the Nitra Region.

Positions of Air Quality Managers (AQM) were established across Slovakia under the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project. AQM positions create a link between national and local air quality management. These roles were created to coordinate and improve implementation of air quality improvement measures in regions, primarily through advice and support to regional and local authorities and decision-makers for planning effective air quality actions, such as revising and updating AQIP programs.

Currently, for technical reasons, the inspectorate does not collect ash or soot samples during inspections. Once technical obstacles are removed, inspections will be carried out in full scope.