Ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment in the Slovak Republic

 

Legal background

 
The requirement for ex-ante impact assessment and consultation with the public prior government session was introduced in the Slovak legislation in 2001, when the government amended the Legislative Rules of Slovakia 241/1997. According to this law, draft laws, amendments to laws and directives have to be accompanied with information about future effects. The Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of Material for Government Session of the Slovak Republic No. 512/2001 was introduced with the intention to provide clearer explanation of the Legislative Rules. This document also contains information about the requirement of Impact Assessment in the regulatory process. However since there is inconsistency with regard to terminology in the two documents, therefore the draft laws, amendments to laws and directives follow the requirements of the Legislative Rules whereas the legislative intentions, reports, and concept papers follow the Guidelines. According to these documents, the impacts of the future piece of legislation have to be listed in an explanatory memorandum which has to be prepared for government sessions to support the policy proposal.
 
Environmental Impact Assessment was introduced by an act of 1994. The strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 2006 has however replaced it.
 

Institutional background

 
There is no central body in Slovakia that would be responsible directly for the coordination and the monitoring of integrated Impact Assessments. The quality of Fiscal Impact Assessment conducted for all kinds of legislation proposals is though monitored by the Ministry of Finance.
 

Relevant areas of IA

 
Both the Legislative Rules and the Guidelines require the ministries to include assessment of impacts in fiscal, economic, employment and environmental issues. Fiscal assessments are the most often conducted (and basically the only) impact assessments in Slovakia. The Ministry of Finance is in charge of approving fiscal impact assessments, meaning those impacts that will affect the state budget or budget on local municipalities or higher territorial units. Since without the approval of the ministry the draft law would not be approved by the government, this is the IA requirement that is mostly followed by policy makers.
 

Related activities

Content to be uploaded
 

Existing guidelines

 
Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of Material for Government Sessions of the Slovak Republic No. 512/2001
 

Documents, links