News

On September 10, 2025, the first meeting of the Energy and Heating task force took place. It followed an initial meeting at the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic (MoE SR), organized to facilitate inter-ministerial cooperation on air protection, initiated by the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project (Populair). The task force’s task is to identify areas beyond the competencies of the environment ministry and develop solutions to improve air quality for the health of Slovak citizens and to comply with international obligations.

September 7 marks International Day of Clean Air. On this day, UN member states draw attention to measures for improving air quality. The common goal is to enhance living conditions for residents and minimize the negative effects of air pollution on health and the environment. This year’s slogan, “Racing for Air”, emphasizes the need to accelerate solutions and take joint action to ensure clean air for everyone.

Following the successful campaigns “Spin Away Waste” and “Climate Yourself”, the Slovak Environmental Agency (SEA) is launching a new educational campaign in September called “Something hangs in the Air”, aimed at individuals, schools, and teachers. The campaign, focused on air protection, was developed in cooperation with the LIFE Populair team.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI), in cooperation with the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, has launched a statistical survey focused on the traffic behavior of Slovak residents. The aim of the survey is to collect input data necessary to improve the emission inventory of selected pollutants and greenhouse gases from the transport sector. The survey is conducted as part of the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project.

To maintain good air quality in the Trnava Region, the District Office of Trnava signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic. The purpose of the memorandum is to collaborate on preparing a draft Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for the Trnava Region zone. The strategic document aims to improve air quality at local and regional levels and reduce public exposure to harmful pollutants. The currently valid program was issued in 2013, so its update is a key task for the upcoming period.

The District Office of Nitra issued and published the Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) on July 30, 2025. This marked the conclusion of a more than two-year process since the start of work on preparing the AQMP draft for the Nitra Region zone. The goal of the AQMP is to achieve good air quality in the defined area through the proposed measures. A new aspect compared to previous programs was the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, which also contributed to the extended release time.

In the last week of June, the Slovak Environmental Agency organized a study trip to Copenhagen to showcase examples of good practice in the field of sustainable mobility and energy. The trip was intended for representatives of local governments, with the aim of demonstrating how measures can be implemented to improve air quality. Among the participants were also representatives of the LIFE IP – Improvement of Air Quality project.

From June 3 to 5, 2025, a multilateral workshop was held in Martin, organized by the LIFE IP – Air Quality Improvement project, with the participation of representatives from air quality projects in Hungary and Slovenia. The aim of the meeting was to share challenges, good practices, and proposals for potential collaboration.

On May 27, 2025, an initial working meeting took place at the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic with the aim of fostering interdepartmental cooperation in the field of air protection. The meeting of representatives of ministries, organizations representing municipalities, and other relevant stakeholders was opened by State Secretary Mr. Filip Kuffa. As a result of the discussions, which were also attended by State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic Mr. Jozef Smatana, working groups have been established. Their task will be to identify areas beyond the competencies of the environmental sector and seek solutions to improve air quality in the interest of public health and compliance with international commitments.

In early November 2024, an indicative measurement of air pollution caused by ultrafine particles (UFP – ultrafine particles) was carried out in locations in western and eastern Slovakia, focusing on major sources of air pollution. The aim was to determine to what extent industrial activity contributes to UFP air pollution in Slovak agglomerations – Bratislava and Košice. The measurements focused on industrial emissions were carried out within the activities of the Populair project in cooperation with the civic association CEPTA.