Environmental Technologies Industries

Environmental Technologies Industries

Market Plans

Central and Eastern Europe Export Market Plan

Chapter 5: Slovakia

Summary of Findings

In 1995, total country spending on environmental protection amounted to 232 mln USD. The level of spending has been declining slightly over the last three years. In the period 1992-1995, water protection accounted for 44% of the total environmental spending, followed by air protection accounting for 43%, and waste management for 12%.

Table 5.1: Basic Country Information

Indicator	Czech Republic	Hungary	Poland	Slovakia
Population (Millions)	10.3	10.3	38.5	5.3
Area (Sq. Km)	78,900	93,000	312,700	49,000
GDP ($Billions US)	44.7	43.8	115.7	16.0
GDP Growth (%)	4.4	0.5	5.4	6.9
Foreign Direct Investment ($Billions US)	7.2	15.0	12.0	0.9
Unemployment (%)	4.1	10.6	13.5	13.6
Average Monthly Wage ($ US)	360	382	350	315
Real Wage Growth (%)	11.8	-6.4	5.1	2.4
Inflation (%)	7.3	18.9	17.3	6.0
Exchange Rate to the US Dollar	29.3	176.2	3.1	33.1

Source: Business Central Europe, April '97. Poland International Economic Report 1995-1996. World Economy Research Institute, Warsaw 1996.

The government covers just over a half of total environmental expenditures. Two-thirds of the financing from the national budget is allocated to the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and sewage collection systems, and to public water supply projects. The remaining part of state financing is mainly spent on air protection and waste management projects, where a large part of project costs are covered by industrial plants and municipalities. Foreign assistance programs make up a minor source of financing environmental investments. The PHARE program is the major foreign donor.
The State Environmental Fund is the most important governmental source of financing for environmental projects. Between 1992 and 1995, expenditures on wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems accounted for 41% of Fund’s expenditures, followed by air protection (25%), water supply systems (20%), and waste management activities (8%).
Draft government policy envisages that, by the year 2000, the national budget will cover only 10% of environmental expenditures, with bank sources, foreign investments, and resources of individual enterprises and municipalities each covering approximately 30%.
The environmental products and services market is a rapidly developing sector of the economy, but accurate information on the market size is not available. The size of the environmental technology market in Slovakia in 1995 was estimated at 174 mln USD.
Air pollution is the most serious environmental problem in Slovakia, especially with respect to SO2, toxic substances and heavy metals, particulates, and carbon dioxide. There are also major problems with water quality, waste management, and agricultural and forestry practices. Environmental priorities are outlined in the State Environmental Policy (policy statement), and in the related National Environmental Action Plan (implementation plan). The priority areas include: air protection against pollutants; sufficient supply of high quality drinking water; decreasing the pollution of water resources to acceptable levels; soil conservation; proper disposal or utilization of waste; reduction of waste generation; preservation of biodiversity; and the conservation and rational use of natural resources.
The National Environmental Action Plan, developed in 1995, identifies 1356 specific measures (projects of various nature). Of the total of the 3.4 bln USD required for the implementation of the Plan, measures related to air and ozone layer protection account for 41% of the required financing, followed by projects focusing on the protection of water resources, and promotion of rational use of water (20%), protection and rational use of natural resources, soil and forests (17%), nature conservation and landscape protection (12%), and waste management (8%).
Major project opportunities identified in the Plan include :

Air and energy - installation of desulphurization equipment in coal-fired power plants; introduction of fluidized bed boilers and energy co-generation in power plants; switch from coal to natural gas as the energy source; introduction of low-sulfur fuels; and use of geothermal energy.
Water and wastewater - upgrading and expansion of existing water and wastewater treatment plants; construction of new sewage collection and treatment facilities; and reconstruction and extension of sewage collection networks.
Waste management - construction of landfills for solid and hazardous waste disposal; regional incineration plants for hospital waste; remediation and revitalization of old landfills.
Other fields - disposal of radioactive waste; environmental improvements in the nine most contaminated areas in the country; and elimination of factors damaging forests.

Main sources of information used by Slovak companies include personal contacts and participation in environmental fairs, followed by directories and governmental organizations. Companies often create their own rudimentary information databases. Awareness of official sources of information was very limited. Environmental fairs play an important role as a source of information. Best known fairs in Slovakia include Komunal in Zilina, Aqua in Trencin, Racioenergia in Bratislava, and Enviro in Nitra. Tenders announced in the Commercial Bulletin of the Slovak Republic, are not considered a useful source of information on business opportunities.
Major sources of information used prior to purchasing environmental technologies include respondents’ own information databases, governmental organizations (e.g., Ministry of Environment), and catalogues of domestic and foreign environmental fairs.
High demand was identified for technologies related to waste management, and water and wastewater. Demand for environmental technologies related to energy and air quality was moderate, and demand for noise, vibration and OHS technologies was low.
In the air sector, high demand was identified for instrumentation and process control/software for gaseous emissions. Growth in demand was expected for technologies related to emission abatement and cleaner production; equipment for air sampling/laboratory analysis for both ambient air and gaseous emisions; and air pollution control/flue gas purification equipment.
Demand for water and wastewater technologies was high. Specifically, high demand was identified for technologies for inspection and reconditioning of existing water supply and municipal wastewater collection networks; monitoring equipment for industrial wastewater; equipment for cleanup, decontamination, and quality restoration of surface and ground water; and for technologies for the construction of municipal and industrial wastewater collection networks. Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to standard wastewater treatment processes for water and wastewater; instrumentation, process control, and software for industrial wastewater; and sampling/laboratory analysis equipment. Growth in demand was also expected for technologies related to the construction of water supply networks; sludge treatment and disposal of municipal and industrial wastewater); and advanced (tertiary) treatment processes for water and wastewater.
Identified demand for waste management technologies was highest among the five surveyed sectors. Significant opportunities are expected in hazardous waste disposal, followed by radioactive and industrial waste management. Very high demand was identified for technologies related to landfill disposal (all waste categories); equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site remediation and contaminated land clean-up; equipment for waste collection/transportation and storage (all waste categories); and technologies related to recycling and resource recovery in the area of hazardous waste. Other technologies in high demand included pollution prevention/waste minimization equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste; equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site monitoring, and radioactive waste sample analysis/waste characterization; and, finally, technologies for hazardous waste incineration. Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to spillage control/ decontamination for industrial, hazardous, and radioactive waste; tchnologies for recycling and resource recovery for industrial and municipal waste; sample analysis/waste characterization equipment for industrial and municipal waste; and equipment related to industrial waste site monitoring, remediation, and cleanup.
Demand for energy-related technologies was moderate. Specific technologies in high demand included new/ efficient energy and heat generation systems, and alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants. Growth in demand was expected for instrumentation; process management and control equipment; and in “other industrial sectors” for technologies related to retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems. Surprisingly, only moderate demand was identified for heat recovery and energy savings technologies, and for retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems in the enegry sector.
Demand for technologies related to noise, vibration, and occupational health and safety was low.
Major end-users of environmental technologies in most technology categories include the chemical industry and the energy sector. Local governments (municipalities) are a significant user of technologies related to water and wastewater, and waste management. The mining and processing of mineral resources sectors are an important end-user for waste management and energy-related technologies.
Eighty percent of respondents stated that they use only best-technology or best-practice criteria when purchasing environmental technologies, although further discussion usually revealed that, in practice, they favored domestic products because of lower prices. Sixty percent of interviewees preferred to buy foreign products from a local in-country representative, while forty percent would buy directly from the producer abroad.
Major strengths of foreign environmental technologies in comparison with domestic products included reliability and durability of products (80% of respondents) and high product quality (70%). Good value for money, after-sales service, and user-friendly design were mentioned by 30% to 40% of respondents.
The greatest barriers to buying foreign environmental technologies included high price (70% of respondents) and the lack of reliable product information (50%). About a third of respondents specified as other barriers import restrictions and high customs duty, limited information available about suppliers, and problems with access to authorized technical service.
Perception of foreign environmental technologies was ranked between good and excellent, well above the perception of domestic products. In the air sector, American, German, Austrian and Scandinavian technologies were ranked particularly high. German, American, French, Dutch and Scandinavian products were best perceived in the water and wastewater sector. German, American, French and Scandinavian technologies were ranked high in the waste management sector, while the energy sector seemed to be dominated by Scandinavian, German, American and Dutch products. Scandinavian and German products rated high in the noise and vibration sector.
Foreign companies are most active in the water and wastewater sector, followed by waste and energy. Air pollution control, and noise, vibration and OHS were represented to a lesser degree. Most active in the water and wastewater sector are German companies, followed by Czech and American suppliers. Danish, Austrian, and French firms seem to dominate among foreign companies in the waste sector, while in the energy sector, German and American presence is notable.
Twenty percent of respondents expressed an opinion on suppliers and environmental technologies from the United States. Although direct US presence in the market is limited, overall experience with American environmental technologies was rated as excellent. Particularly high opinions were expressed about laboratory analytical and monitoring equipment, instrumentation, and process management and controls.
To increase their sales in Slovakia, American suppliers should concentrate on providing an attractive financing package. Ensuring a reliable technical service should also be one of priority areas.

Methodology

Sources of Information Used in the Survey
Fifty-three formal interviews were the main source of information for the report. A full list of interviewed parties is provided in Appendix B. Additionally, several informal discussions were held with governmental officials and professionals from areas not directly involved with environmental technologies. Finally, internal information sources of the researcher and publications specified in Appendix C were also used. Sources of information are referenced throughout the text wherever appropriate. Numbers in brackets refer to publications listed in Appendix C.
Profile of Respondents
The organizations targeted for the survey were identified and selected using existing directories of environmental businesses and governmental bodies, and various other business databases (specific sources included 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 21). The interviewed experts were chosen so as to ensure:

coverage of all environmental fields;
a variety of perspectives on the subject (in addition to interviews with businesses, some interviews were held with experts from the Ministry of Environment, Environmental Protection Fund, universities, and other state bodies);
balance between technology producers, suppliers, and environmental service providers;
representative cross-section of companies of different size and geographic distribution;
input from major environmental technology related R&D centers and universities

Four experts requested that their responses be considered as their personal views and not those of their organization or company.
Overall, 70% of the respondents were from environmental businesses, 10% from State authorities, and 10% from R&D organizations. The remaining 10% of interviewees specified another type of organization, especially budget-funded professional organizations, universities, etc.
As regards business activity, 40% of respondents were producers of environmental technologies, 30% were dealers or distributors, 55% specified environmental consultancy, and up to 70% considered services as one of their main activities. The percentages do not add up to 100% because many organizations were classified in more than one category - on average, companies specified two fields of activity.
With respect to the area of environmental expertise, the highest proportion of respondents specialized in water and wastewater (50%) and in waste management (50%), followed by air (40%), energy (20%), and noise, vibration and industrial health and safety (10%). Again, the total does not add up to 100%, as some companies worked in more than one area. The most frequent combinations included water and waste, and air and energy.
More than 60% of the interviewed organizations were set up between 1990 and 1993. Approximately 20% were set up before 1990, and over 10% were new organizations, established after 1994.
The majority of interviewed parties were small and medium in size - 55% of the companies had between 10 and 50 employees, and just under 30% had less then 10 employees. Organizations employing between 50 and 100 employees (10% of respondents), and more than 100 employees (5%) are considered large in the environmental market in Slovakia. The size distribution discussed above corresponds well with the subjective assessment of respondents’ own organizations, where only one organization rated itself to be very large, 10% considered themselves large, 50% medium-size, and 25% considered themselves to be a small organization.
Only three out of five experts responded to the question on annual revenues from environmental activities. Among those who responded, 30% specified a sum above 1 mln USD, 50% specified annual revenues between 100 thousand and 1 mln USD, and the remaining 20% indicated figures below 100 thousand USD.
As for geographic distribution, 45% of respondents were located in Bratislava, 45% in other major cities, and 10% in small towns. The scope of operations was mixed - 90% of organizations stated that they carry out business activities on the national level, 50% on the international level, and 40% work on the local level. Common combinations included local and national, and national and international.
Problems Encountered
Generally, Slovak companies are not used to market research questionnaires. Many of the respondents considered the survey as industrial espionage, and were very cautious in their answers, often improvising or avoiding clear and unambiguous answers to direct questions. During the interviews, many company representatives had problems answering questions which were supposed to be quite easy given their overall backgrounds.
Collecting timely statistical information is a general problem in Slovakia. Official governmental sources (i.e., Economic Department of Ministry of Environment and Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the Slovak Statistical Office) publish information, limited in scope anyway, with long time delays.
Another problem was the timing of the survey which took place around the end of the year. Most respondents were very busy with annual reporting, completing 1996 activities, and budgeting and planning activities for the coming year. Therefore it was common, despite verbal agreements, for the questionnaires - delivered in advance, before the interviews - to remain untouched. The interviews thus began with a repeated explanation of the project. Additionally, some of the meetings were postponed several times.
A major problem during the interviews was that respondents did not give detailed answers to some of the questions. Sometimes, they did not want to reveal their own contacts or business plans. In most cases, however, they tended to answer in general terms because of a genuine lack of knowledge (e.g., demand for certain environmental technologies, perception of foreign suppliers, largest foreign-owned companies, experience with American suppliers, etc.) Answers were frequently vague, and it required a lot of patience to elicit more specific answers. There were frequent problems with keeping interviews within the time limit. The shortest interview lasted 30 minutes, while the longest, with an interviewee who was selected as the main consultant in formulating the survey findings, was 6 hours (including general discussion about the problems of environmental technologies, financing and the input of foreign companies into the Slovak environmental market).
Senior representatives of environmental companies who offer their own technologies tended to bias their answers preferring their own business interests, and did not want to draw attention or give credit to competitors. Therefore, paradoxically, the researcher received most precise and objective answers from the respondents from the state administration.
In conclusion, the researchers participating in the survey agreed that to obtain information about the need for environmental technologies it would also be recommended to interview a wide cross-section of major polluters. Therefore, to make the results of the survey of demand for environmental technologies more precise, the researcher recommends that the same survey be conducted among environmental polluters, especially large industrial companies, who are end-users of environmental technologies.

Overview of the Market

Slovakia, with a population of 5.3 mln, and an area of 49 thousand sq.km. (19 thousand sq.mi., approximately equivalent to the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined) is a small country by East European standards.
Following the breakup of Czechoslovakia, the environment has moved down the list of governmental priorities due to pressing economic problems. However, environmental legislation, based on that of the former Czecho-Slovak Federation, is in place, and a new environmental policy and regulations have been adopted. Economic transition has had a largely negative impact on the environment, reducing its political importance and cutting the budget.
Slovakia is rich in natural resources, with large national parks and conservation areas. However, extensive damage has been caused by unmanaged forestry, intensive tourism, and waste and air emissions from the energy sector (including nuclear energy). Air pollution is the most serious environmental problem in Slovakia, especially with respect to SO2, toxic substances and heavy metals, particulates, and carbon dioxide. There are also major problems with water quality, waste management, and agricultural and forestry practices. Environmental pollution is particularly severe in industrialized areas where chemical, petrochemical, metallurgical, steel, cement, paper, and aluminum enterprises are located.
Major environmental initiatives in the future will include better enforcement of regulations, institutional improvements, environmental training and awareness raising, introduction of clean technologies, and priority capital investments in air emission controls, and the management of waste and treatment of wastewater.

Total National Spending on Environmental Protection
In 1995, spending on environmental protection in Slovakia amounted to 232 mln USD. Table 5.2 presents details of environmental expenditures in the period 1992-1995.

Table 5.2: National environmental protection expenditures, 1992-1995 (mln USD)

Area	1992	1993	1994	1995
Water protection	117	115	114	99
Air protection	115	120	87	101
Waste use and disposal	23	40	29	31
Agricultural recultivation	0.2	0.3	0.9	1
Limit of physical factors	1.3	9	3.8	N/A
Total (USD mln)	256.5	284.3	234.7	232
Share in GNP (%)	N/A	0.9	40.8	N/A

Source: Statistical Office of the SR, Bratislava ‘96 “Environment in the SR (Selected indicators in 1990-1995)"

As shown in Table 5.2, the level of environmental spending has been declining slightly over the last three years. During the 1992-1995 period, water protection accounted for some 44% of the total environmental spending, followed by air protection, amounting to 43% of the total. Expenditures on waste management totaled 12% of overall expenditures.
The main sources of financing for environmental projects in Slovakia include the state budget (mainly Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Economy), the State Environmental Fund, individual enterprises’ resources, foreign assistance programs (e.g., PHARE, US AID, the World Bank, EBRD) and bilateral cooperation projects. The draft National Industrial Policy prepared by the Ministry of Economy estimates that, by the year 2000, the national budget will cover only 10% of environmental expenditures, while bank sources, foreign investments, and resources of individual enterprises and municipalities will cover approximately 30% each.
Table 5.3 presents the breakdown of environmental investments from the national budget in the period 1993-1994.

Table 5.3: Structure of Environmental Investments From The National Budget 1993-1994 ($Million US)

	Expenditures ($Million US)
Sector	1993	1994
Public water supply	17.1	9.4
Wastewater treatment and sewage facilities	51.7	14.1
Other water management activity	0.22	0.8
Air pollution control	12.0	21.2
Waste management	3.0	8.6
Other	N/A	4.8
Total	84.0	78.9

Source: “The Environment in SR“, MOE SR, Bratislava, 1995

As can be seen in Table 5.3, the bulk of environmental financing from the national budget was allocated to the construction of wastewater treatment and sewage facilities, and to public water supply projects (70% of the 1993-94 total), followed by air protection (20%), and waste management (7%). The low percentage in the latter two categories can be explained by the fact that air pollution control investments are largely financed by industrial enterprises which are the major source of air pollution, while waste management has been decentralized, and municipalities are primarily responsible for financing in this field.
Another source of financing environmental projects and investments is various state funds. The State Environmental Fund is by far the most important in this respect, followed by the State Fund for Soil Protection, the State Forestry Fund, and the State Water Management Fund. In 1995, the State Environmental Fund supported 962 projects, with the total value of about 34 mln USD. While official statistics for 1996 are not available yet, projects with an estimated value of 42.8 mln USD were supported by the Fund in 1996.
Table 5.4 presents the breakdown of revenues of the State Environmental Fund in the period 1992-1995.

Table 5.4: Revenues of the State Environmental Fund 1992-1995 ($Million US)

Source	1992	1993	1994	1995
Collections for discharging wastewater	13.5	9.8	7.4	6.9
Collections for ground water withdrawal	1.8	0.7	0.6	0.6
Penalties in the field of water management	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3
Taxes for air pollution	3.2	7.9	12.0	12.9
Penalties in the field of air protection	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.1
Taxes for waste landfills	0.1	0.6	1.8	4.9
Penalties in the field of waste	0.01	0.2	0.6	0.6
Penalties in the field of nature protection	0.02	0.02	0.01	0.04
Taxes for EIA examination	--	--	--	0.01
Interest on funds and loans	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.5
State fee	30.9	12.0	9.0	8.3
Donations and other subsidies	4.6	--	--	0.02
Other sources	0.6	0.1	0.01	0.03
Total revenues	52.7	32.6	32.6	35.3

Source: Slovak Statistical Office, “Environment in the Slovak Republic - Selected Indicators in the years 1990 -1995“, Bratislava 1996

In the period 1993-1995, the revenues of the Fund were relatively steady, between 32 and 35 mln USD per year. Major sources of revenue included state fees, and collections for wastewater discharge and air pollution. A decline in revenues from collections for wastewater discharge, groundwater withdrawal, and the state fee is notable. Increasing revenues are collected from air pollution taxes, and taxes for waste landfills. Interestingly, the share of penalties is marginal, which suggests that the enforcement of regulations is poor.
It is necessary to note that the charges listed in Table 3.1c constitute only a part of environmental expenses in industry. Significant amounts are paid additionally as a direct expense for processing industrial waste, wastewater discharges, etc.
Table 5.5 presents the breakdown of expenditures from the State Environmental Fund in the period between 1992 and 1995.

Table 5.5: Expenditures of the State Environmental Fund 1992-1995 ($Million US)

Expenditure	1992	1993	1994	1995
Water supply systems	10.9	4.4	5.1	6.7
Wastewater treatment plants and sewerage	26.4	10.8	9.9	9.1
Other activities in water management	--	0.5	0.1	0.3
Air protection	5.2	12.0	8.2	9.2
Wildlife protection	0.02	0.2	0.3	0.3
Waste management	1.1	2.3	3.7	3.3
Research and development	--	0.2	0.7	0.4
Other	--	0.3	1.8	4.6
Total funds used	43.6	30.8	29.9	34.1

Source: Slovak Statistical Office, “Environment in the Slovak Republic - Selected Indicators in the years 1990 -1995“, Bratislava 1996

In the period 1992-1995, expenditures on wastewater treatment plants and sewerage accounted for 41% of the total, followed by air protection (25%), water supply systems (20%), and waste management activities (8%). Support from the Fund was declining for wastewater treatment and sewerage, and air pollution, while increasing for water supply systems and waste management.
Foreign assistance programs make up another, albeit minor, source of financing for environmental investments. An estimated 6 mln USD in foreign aid was available in 1993, or approximately 3% of the total environmental expenditure. The main source of foreign financing is the PHARE Program. Until 1993, thirteen environmental projects were implemented with a total value of 13.6 mln ECU (approx. 16 mln USD) Interestingly, significant PHARE support was made available for developing the Environmental Revolving Investment Fund, which will provide long-term credits with a low interest rate for the development of the environmental infrastructure and other projects. The Revolving Fund should replace the State Environmental Fund in the future.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Fund was created to assist in the implementation of strategic environmental goals, and GEF grants are available for environmental projects. The Slovak Republic has received a grant for the conservation of biodiversity totaling 2.3 mln USD. Part of this amount is available to private enterprises.
Environmental Technology Market
With respect to total expenditures on environmental technologies, the Slovak Statistical Office does not track spending on environmental technologies as a separate category. Moreover, neither in the Slovak environmental nor economic policy is the term “environmental industry” defined. As a result, accurate estimates of the current environmental market in Slovakia do not exist.
According to the Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Governmental Environmental Policy prepared by the Ministry of Environment in 1993: “...the accumulation of environmental problems increases the so-called environmental liability, currently estimated at 100-130 bln SK (approx. 4.3 bln USD) in industry alone, which is required to reach a level complying with the applicable legislation. It is composed of absolute environmental liabilities (so-called “old stress“) consisting of old landfills, polluted water sources, damaged forests, contaminated soil and the like, and relative environmental liabilities, the latter including expenditures for replacing environmentally harmful methods of manufacturing with environmentally safe ones (e.g., elimination of pollution sources) and constructing facilities (wastewater treatment plants, separators, filters, managed landfills, etc.) to reduce or eliminate the further release of undesirable, noxious substances into the environment. These shall comprise increased health care expenditures, losses resulting from high sickness rates, reduced durability of materials, erosion and contamination and the consequences of changes in the gene pool and disruption of ecologically stable ecosystems in the landscape.”
With the current estimate of absolute environmental liability at 150 bln SK (approx. 5 bln USD), and relative environmental liability estimated at 72 bln SK (approx. 2.4 bln USD), the total environmental liability in Slovakia amounts to approximately 220 bln SK, or 7.4 bln USD.
To give at least some indication of the size of the environmental technology market in Slovakia, one can assume that about 75% of environmental expenditures are allocated for environmental technologies (see Section 3.1 in the Hungarian chapter for justification). Therefore, in 1995, the environmental technology market in Slovakia can be estimated at 174 mln USD. However, the significance of the figure should not be overestimated.
Environmental products and services are a rapidly developing sector of the economy in Slovakia. Table 5.6 presents the growth in the number of environmental product and service providers since 1989.

Table 5.6: Growth of Environmental Product and Service Providers

Year	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Number of business	40	100	160	240	350	450	690	1250*

Source: Internal materials of PB Consulting.
* includes qualified (certified) individuals, companies, departments of universities, and R&D institutes

Since the socio-economic changes in the early nineties, and the related economic recession, many Slovak firms have collapsed or lost their markets in the former Eastern bloc countries. The industrial framework, built up over the years, has collapsed, and many qualified engineers and scientists became unemployed.
Nonetheless, as shown in Table 5.6, after the initial adjustment period, business activity in the environmental market has increased significantly. The annual growth in the number of environmental companies since the early nineties averages 50%. Some firms have been created through the entrepreneurial skills of individuals, others resulted from the fragmentation of large enterprises and privatization, while many manufacturing companies completely changed their names and orientation. The competitiveness of Slovak companies is increasing, although it is largely based on lower price levels and the good knowledge of the domestic market and conditions.
It should also be noted that the growth in the number of companies has occurred in the period of flat environmental expenditures.

Priority Areas for Environmental Protection

Environmental priorities in Slovakia are outlined in the State Environmental Policy, while the implementation plan is presented in the National Environmental Action Plan. The funding priorities of the State Environmental Fund are based on the Policy and the Action Plan.
Priorities of the State Environmental Policy
The environmental priorities in the Slovak Republic are based on a 1993 document entitled The Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Governmental Environmental Policy. Table 5.7 presents the five priorities identified in the Policy :

Table 5.7: Priorities in the State Environmental Policy

I	Air protection against pollutants; improving global environmental security
II	Providing a sufficient amount of drinking water, and decreasing the pollution of water resources to acceptable levels
III	Soil conservation and protection against degradation, and securing the purity of foodstuffs and other products
IV	Proper disposal or utilization of waste, and minimization of waste generation
V	Preservation of biodiversity, conservation and rational use of natural resources, and optimization of land use

Source: “The Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Environmental Policy”, Ministry of Environment, Bratislava 1993

The Slovak Policy also specifies a set of guiding principles for its implementation. The rules are presented in Table 5.8.

Table 5.8: Guiding Principles in the State Environmental Policy

1. Preference to preventive measures instead of the end-of-pipe approach.

2. Application of the state environmental policy to all branches of industry.

3. Understanding the solution to environmental problems as the solution to the problems of society.

4. Recognition of the responsibility of today’s society for the environment of future generations.

5. Approaching environmental problems in a comprehensive way, with systematic elimination of the synergystic effect of pollutants already introduced into the environment and those currently being discharged.

6. Paying for expenses related to the removal of pollution or the remediation of the damage of the environment by those who pollute or damage it (“polluter pays principle”).

7. Evaluation of the influence and impact of environmental degradation on the population’s health, various sectors of the environment, living organisms, natural and cultural heritage. Study on the gradual exhaustion of non-renewable resources, and the rational use of renewable natural resources.

8. Improving the state of the environment as one of the basic steps in reversing the adverse trend in the health of the population.

9. Recognizing that forests are the main environmentally stabilizing factor in the landscape, and that soil is a crucial element for the maintenance of the biodiversity of the environment, nutrition, and the existence of life.

10. Showing respect for life in all its forms and for all natural and cultural values.

Source: “The Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Environmental Policy”, Ministry of Environment, Bratislava 1993
Policy guidelines referring to the preference for preventive measures instead of the end-of-pipe approach, the application of the State Environmental Policy to all branches of industry, and the “polluter pays principle” have a strong bearing on the environmental technology market.
The National Environmental Action Plan
The National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) was developed in 1995 as an instrument for the implementation of the priorities of the State Environmental Policy. The NEAP defines the necessary legislative, organizational and educational measures, and investment priorities which are needed to achieve the adopted goals. The plan which was developed based on environmental information provided by relevant Ministries and regional administration units, includes 38 regional programs prepared for the original administrative districts (note that the original districts were changed in 1996 during the reform of the regional administration system).
The NEAP includes 1,356 approved measures (projects of various nature) to be implemented by the year 2010. Among those, 1236 measures (91% of the total number) require expenditures not exceeding 100 mln Sk (approx. 3.2 mln USD). The key areas include:

Protection of water resources and rational use of water 433 measures
Air and ozone layer protection 307 measures
Waste management 233 measures
Nature conservation and landscape use 187 measures

Some of the measures are to be implemented by 1998, others by the year 2000 or 2005. An update and revision of the activities is planned for the year 2000.
The activities set out in the National Environmental Action Plan are divided into ten sectors. Table 5.9 presents the sectors and the estimates for required funding. More details regarding the sectors relevant to this survey are presented in Section 4.1 on project opportunities.

Table 5.9: National Environmental Action Plan - Structure and Estimated Investments

Sector	Focus	$US Million	% of Total
Sector A	Air and ozone layer protection	1,410.7	41%
Sector B	Protection and rational use of water	678.5	20%
Sector C	Waste management	265.6	8%
Sector D	Risk factors and nuclear safety	67.7	2%
Sector E	Nature conservation, landscape protection and use	399.3	12%
Sector F	Protection & rational use of geological and other natural resources, soil & forests	585.2	17%
Sector G	Economy of the environment	1.3	< 1%
Sector H	Environmental informatics and monitoring	0.5	< 1%
Sector I	Environmental education and promotion	1.2	< 1%
Sector J	Organization and management of environmental protection	N/A	N/A
Total		3410.3	100%

Source: “The National Environmental Action Plan“, Ministry of Environment, Bratislava 1996
Note: the total funding requirement includes funding for measures that are already underway.

As shown in Table 5.9, the National Environmental Action Plan identifies several key priority areas. Of the total of 3.4 bln USD required for the implementation of the Plan, measures related to air and ozone layer protection account for 41% of the required financing, followed by projects focusing on the protection of water resources, and promotion of rational use of water (20%), protection and rational use of natural resources, soil and forests (17%), nature conservation and landscape protection (12%), and waste management (8%).
As regards the source of financing, the NEAP envisages that 44.3 % will be covered by individual companies, 42.5 % by the national budget (various Ministries), and 13.2 % by municipalities. This does not rule out the use of funding from the State Environmental Fund for individual projects.
State Environmental Fund
The Slovak State Environmental Fund was set up by Law No. 128 / 1991 Zb. The funding priorities of the Fund are based on the State Environmental Policy and the National Environmental Action Plan. The allocation of financial resources has to be approved by the Slovak Ministry of Environment after the evaluation and approval of proposals submitted to the Fund’s Council.
The Fund’s support is available in the form of subsidies, grants, loans, and supplementary funding for the payment of interest. Applicants can request support for investment and non-investment projects related to the protection of the environment. Out of 22 applicable areas, grouped in nine categories (as of 1995), specifically related to environmental technologies are the following:

construction of equipment that contributes to a decrease in the pollution of the environment;
reconstruction, modernization and extension of equipment for the protection of the environment, including increasing its efficiency (e.g., switching to natural gas as fuel in energy generation);
changes in production processes and production technologies, with the objective to decrease or eliminate of the discharge of pollutants;
measures for the protection of the quality of water resources (surface and underground water), including monitoring of industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, and water quality analysis;
construction of facilities for the safe disposal of pollutants;
construction of facilities for sorting, utilizing, and final disposal of waste, including construction of safe landfills, selective waste treatment, and use of secondary resources;
measures for the protection of land, including decontamination of polluted soil and water resources;
improving water supply to remote settlements.

The key conditions for the provision and use of the resources of the Fund are specified by Regulation No. 176/1992 Zb. The specific requirements, harmonized with the State Environmental Policy, are periodically updated and published by the administrator of the Fund.
In principle, the applicant submits a request for support to the relevant District Office of the Environment. The application must contain all information and appendices specified by the Regulation 176/1992. The District Office rates the applications according to the priorities and needs of their regional environmental policy, and forwards them to the State Environmental Fund (twice a year, by 30th June and 31st December). The Fund forwards the applications to the Ministry of Environment (i.e., Fund’s Council), which is responsible for evaluating the applications according to the priorities of the State Environmental Policy. Based on the recommendation of the Fund’s Council, the Minister of Environment approves or rejects the application, or postpones the decision until any outstanding issues are clarified.
In theory, it is possible to obtain financing up to 100% of the total project cost, but in practice, the Fund covers only a part of the cost, with the remainder paid for by the investor (e.g., municipality, industrial plant). The share of the Fund contribution to the total project cost varies depending on the type of the project and the applicant.
Tax Incentives
Another insight into environmental priorities in Slovakia is provided by examining tax incentives and exemptions applicable in the field of environmental protection. The Ministry of Finance, charged with creating and enforcing tax regulations can provide tax exemptions or relief (e.g., on income from the facility operation) in projects involving the following environmental technologies:

small hydropower plants, up to an installed power output of 1 MW;
facilities with joint production of heat and energy;
windmill power plants;
heat pumps;
regeneration and recycling equipment for the processing of substances which deplete the ozone layer;
solar energy equipment;
equipment for the production of biogas;
technologies for the production of biologically degradable materials;
equipment for the use of geothermal energy.

Tax exemptions apply to the income generated in the first five years of facility operation (based on Law 347/1990 Zb).
Additionally, the local tax administration (i.e., municipality where the stationary installation is located) can, depending on local conditions, provide tax incentives for new facilities which:

improve the state of the environment, if such installations are not required by law (e.g., introduction of clean sources of energy, such as a small hydropower unit, windmill power plant, installations using biogas);
replace solid fuel (mainly coal) as energy source for heating systems with gas, electrical energy, or systems using renewable sources of energy (solar or wind energy, biomass, etc.);
introduce other changes related to those listed above which substantially decrease energy consumption.

Finally, according to Regulation No. 261/1993 Zb. and related directives issued by the Ministry of Finance, foreign investors in the area of environmental technologies can be exempt from import duties and VAT. The non-financial contribution of a foreign person for a production activity based in Slovakia (on behalf of a Slovak legal person) is free from import duties on environmental technology products if:

the participation of a foreign person in the basic property of a Slovak legal person is at least 35 %, and the non-financial input is valued at at least 10 million Sk (approx. 320,000 USD);

imported goods are unused and not older than one year, and the Slovak legal person will use them for the specified purpose for at least two years.

Project Opportunities

Major Environmental Problems Listed
Table 5.10 presents the major environmental problems listed by respondents. As shown in Table 5.10, respondents interpreted the term “major environmental problems” differently. Major issues listed by the interviewees can be divided into three different categories:

Specific environmental problems, which include: heavily polluted sites; air pollution from coal- and lignite-fired power stations; poor water quality and lack of wastewater treatment facilities (70% of the population is connected to drinking water supply, while only 50% of the population is connected to sewage treatment systems); groundwater contamination by industrial plants; improper storage of hazardous waste; existence of heavily polluted regions with compounded environmental problems.
Problems with the existing system for environmental protection, which include: lack of information about environmental projects, incomplete legislation, and poor dissemination of information.
Issues related to financing of environmental projects, especially for high-quality and expensive environmental technologies. In this context, insufficient economic tools on the one hand, and the failure to use all the possibilities provided for in legislation on the other, were often mentioned.

Table 5.10: Major Environmental Problems Specified by Survey Respondents

Category	Problem description and expected duration	Geographic location
Air	Continuous-basis monitoring, 10 years	Nationwide
	Heavily polluted city of 250,000, 15 years	Kosice
Water and air	Measurement of radioactivity, 5 years	Nationwide
Water	High energy demand of old water treatment plants, 10 years	Nationwide
	Sources of drinking water for Southeastern Slovakia, 5 years	Trebisov, Michalovce
	Insufficient supply of drinking water, 20 years	Hornad river basin
	High water losses in distribution	Nationwide
	Obsolete regulations for water analysis, 3 years	Nationwide
	New water law and ensuing regulations, 3 years	Nationwide
Water and soil	Contamination of railway stations and railways, 20 years	Nationwide
Waste	Separation and recycling of waste polyethylene bottles for engine oil, 2 years	Bratislava
	Lack of economic tools for waste minimization, 5 years	Nationwide
	Disposal of mixed plastic materials, 5 years	Nationwide
	Biotechnological disposal of waste, 10 years	Nationwide
Energy	Reconstruction of boiler houses (municipal and industrial), 15 years	Nationwide
	Low, state subsidized price of energy, 5 years	Nationwide
	Limited use of low emission burners, high energy consumption, 15 years	Heavily polluted areas
	Low use of solar energy, 20 years	Nationwide
Environment	Harmonization of old technologies with legislation	Nationwide
	Impact of nuclear power plants, ongoing	Nationwide
	Impact of the mining of magnetite, 20 years	Jelsava, Lubenik
	Impact of the mining of brown coal, 25 years	Handlova, Prievidza
OHS	Risks of chemical pollutants, 15 years	Chemical industry
	Decontamination of industrial floors, 10 years	Industry
	Lab. analysesDevelopment and sale of reference materials, 3 years	Nationwide
	GenerallyInsufficient information on ET and marketing, 10 years	Nationwide

Note: Indicated number of years represents approximate duration

Problems listed in categories 2 and 3 are not environmental issues which could be solved by the use of environmental technologies, but they do represent barriers to growth of the environmental market. As supplementary information, listed below are specific measures included in National Environmental Action Plan (see Section 3.3) :
Air and Energy

installation of desulphurization equipment at the coal-fired power plant in Zemianske Kostolany;
replacement of the boilers in the Zemianske Kostolany power plant by fluidized bed boilers;
co-generation power plants in Bratislava, Presov and Kosice;
switching to natural gas as the energy source in the sugar factory in Rimavska Sobota;

Water

upgrading of the water treatment plant, and disposal of phenols and cyanides, at VSZ Kosice; in the second phase, a new water treatment plant for the city of Kosice, and modernization of a wastewater neutralization/treatment plant at VSZ;
modernization and extension of the water treatment plant in Zvolen;
extension of the water treatment plant in Humenne; construction of a water treatment plant and a sewage collection and treatment system in Krompachy;
construction of sewage collection and treatment systems for the towns and villages of the Zitny Ostrov area;
construction of a water treatment plant and sewage collection and treatment system in the city of Trencin;
reconstruction and extension of the sewage collection and treatment system in Banska Bystrica.

Waste

collection, processing and safe disposal of hazardous waste from VSZ Kosice;
construction of a landfill for solid and hazardous waste from ZSNP in Ziar nad Hronom;
treatment and disposal of waste from the PSB Brezova;
landfill for ashes and sludge from VSZ Kosice;
network of regional facilities for the disposal of waste from medical facilities;
construction of a regional incineration plant for hospital waste in the district of Zilina and Liptovsky Mikulas;
waste management facilities in the leather processing plant in Liptovsky Mikulas;
remediation of the landfill of Halna - Krompachy - Kovohuty Krompachy;
recultivation of the industrial landfill at the ZSNP in Ziar nad Hronom;
recultivation of a part of the landfill in Sered;
remediation of a landfill at Petrochema Dubova.

Other

measures for the disposal of radioactive waste;
environmental improvements in the nine most contaminated or threatened areas in the country;
elimination of factors damaging forest eco-systems.

Significant Environmental Projects Currently in Progress
The projects listed in response to the question about ongoing or upcoming environmental projects can be divided into two basic categories:

specific projects, including location;
general activities, without an exact location (mainly nationwide need);

The listed projects represent a whole spectrum of environmental activities, and include :

Research into waste incineration, and measuring of emissions;
Waste and water analysis, ecotoxicological tests, tests for biodegradability;
State scientific and technological project “Collection and regeneration of organic substances in consumer industry”;
PHARE Project on machinery noise levels (noise labeling) in line with EU regulations; introduction of the “CE” mark;
Accreditation of a calibration laboratory by the British National Accreditation body NAMAS, British Know-How Fund;
Preparation and implementation of projects for transportation and storage of waste products by so-called stabilization (products of traditional incineration, fluidized bed incineration, and desulphurization) at the Slovak Electricity Company Power Plant in Novaky - Zemianske Kostolany;
Regional landfill for solid waste for about 80 000 inhabitants in the town of Topolcany and villages of the region;
Recycling of PE bottles, compacting of mixed plastic waste;
Modernization of procedures and thechnologies in water purification and wastewater treatment;
Improvements in the water treatment plant in Zilina;
Improvements in the water treatment plant in Stibske Pleso;
System for monitoring the tightness of landfill lining at the landfills in Spisska Nova Ves and Ziar nad Hronom; monitoring of the influence of a sludge field near Hlohovec on underground waters and the river Vah; risk studies for old landfills in the district of Lucenec and Poltar;
System for monitoring the tightness of landfill linings at landfills in Korea and Belgium;
Water mains management information system in Bratislava;
Turcek water reservoir, water management information system;
Water management scheme in Zilina, and water management and information system in Nova Dubnica; heating energy optimatization and management;
Chemosvit - modernization of production processes;
Bukoza - modernization of production processes;
Petrol stations - protection of the environment;
Duslo Sala - introduction of advanced environmental technologies;
National climatic programme;
Geochemical atlas of the Slovak Republic, and soil analysis;
Evaluation of environmental pollution in the Ziar valley (e.g., water, soils, sources of contamination);
Development of a new absorber for the solar panel; research into improvements of mechanical and chemical properties of a selective conversion surface layer of the solar panel absorber;
Cleaning up oil pollution of the soil at the location of the railway accident at Turna nad Bodvou;
Disposal of heavy oil at VSZ Kosice;
Processing of industrial rubber waste at Matador Puchov;
Production line for composite plastic materials, Nitra;
Management of by-products of welding;
Assistance in the preparation of a new Water Law;
Pilot projects for monitoring and evaluation of water quality in border rivers;
Environmental improvements at the heat generation plant in Slovnaft (boiler K3, boilers K7 and K8)
Reconstruction and upgrading of the incineration plant in Bratislava; retrofitting of the energy source at Matador Bratislava; optimization of the heating system at Skloplast Trnava;
Upgrading of aeration systems in municipal wastewater treatment plants;
Development of a new aeration system for wastewater treatment;
Treatment of oil-polluted industrial wastewater;
Risk assessment at Slovnaft;
Environmental impact assesment at Slovnaft, Novaky Chemical Plant;
Hotel Borik, Zvolen castle, Hotel Bystrina - reconstruction of boiler houses, introduction of modern process control systems, upgrading of the heat distribution network;
Decontamination of groundwater resources;
Noise reduction at the drinking water pump station at Hanusovce nad Toplou;
Post-closure revitalization of mining areas.

Only 20% of respondents declared that in the future they will continue projects similar to their current activities. About 60% of interviewed experts considered their future plans confidential, and 20% could not define their plans beyond present activities.

Major Sources of Information on Business Opportunities
Main sources of information about business opportunities used by Slovak companies include personal contacts and participation in environmental fairs, followed by the use of directories and, sporadically, assistance from various organizations. Companies often create their own rudimentary information databases based on promotional materials, newspaper articles, and professional magazines.
Awareness of official sources of information was very limited, which reflects the fact that there indeed are few such sources in Slovakia. Respondents usually specified governmental organizations, such as the Ministry of the Environment (20% of respondents) and the Slovak Agency for the Environment (15%). About 10% of respondents listed organizations that are involved in information dissemination professionally, e.g., the Association of Industrial Ecology (ASPEK), the Slovak Inspectorate for Energy - Energy Agency, ALLDATA Slovakia plus Ltd., and PB Consulting. Many organizations were mentioned only once. The most important sources are listed in Table 5.14.
Several respondents stated that they do not use official sources of information, and instead, have their own channels for information about projects. While no specific details were offered, in most cases those “own channels” were based on personal contacts.
For comparison, Table 5.11 presents breakdown of major information sources, based on a 1995 survey of 150 environmental businesses in Slovakia carried out by the Regional Environmental Center.

Table 5.11: Major Sources of Information on Environmental Business Opportunities

Source of Information Respondents
Personal contacts 94%
Referrals from associates 88%
Daily press 76%
Trade shows and fairs 73%
Regular post 70%
Conference attendance 69%
Business publications 69%
Fax 53%
Local and Regional Government 53%
Environmental publications 51%
Environmental Ministry 51%
Professional Associations 49%
Ministry of Industry / Trade 37%
Chamber of Commerce 34%
University / Academy of Science 31%
Other 17%
Email 10%
Source: REC Report “Emerging Environmental Market” 1995

The findings of this survey correspond well with the picture from Table 5.11, where personal and/or professional contacts are the major source of information, followed by trade shows and fairs, and business and environmental publications.
Table 5.12 presents the main business and environmental publications in Slovakia read by environmental professionals, as identified in the same 1995 survey.

Table 5.12: Main Business and Environmental Publications

Publication Respondents
Hospodarsky Noviny 50%
Trend 38%
Ekonomicky a prany poradca 36%
Profit 19%
Odpady 14%
Obchodny Vestnik 9%
Zivotne prostredie 9%
Ekonom 7%
Planeta 6%
Source: REC Report “Emerging Environmental Market” 1995

Interestingly, almost half of the respondents stated that they did not read any environment-related publications. Finally, based on the 1995 survey, the role of environmental and trade associations in Slovakia is very limited - more than half of respondents did not belong to any association. Only 18% of respondents belonged to the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 14% were members of the Association of Industrial Ecology (ASPEK)
Important Environmental Fairs
Interviewed experts often mentioned environmental fairs as a source of information about environmental business opportunities and a place to establish business contacts. About half of the respondents listed up to three environmental fairs in Slovakia. Most respondents seemed to have their favorite fairs, in which they participate regularly. Interestingly, fairs were ranked as an important information source even by those respondents those who do not personally participate in them, which reflects the widespread importance of personal contacts among Slovak entrepreneurs.
Table 5.13 lists major environment-related fairs in Slovakia. Highlighted in bold are the events regarded by the respondents as the most important.

Tab. 5.13: Major Annual Environment-Related Fairs in Slovakia

Name of Fair City Approximate date Focus
Ekostavby Bratislava March Environmental technologies and construction
Komunal Zilina April International exhibition of environmental technologies
Enviro Nitra April Environmental technology
Cleanservice Trencin April Cleaning technologies
Sanprot Bratislava April Occupational health and safety protection equipment
Racioenergia Bratislava May Int'l exhibition on rationalization of fuel/energy consumption
Aqua Trencin June Focus on water
Interekotechnika Bratislava June Int'l exhibit equip. & technologies for environmental protection
Envirex Banska Bystrica June Int'l fair, focus on forestry, woodprocessing & environment
Chemorisk Bratislava September Risk management, detection devices
Ekotherm Kosice September Regional exhibition, focus on energy efficiency
Ekoenergo Kosice December Emissions measuring and control instruments
Klimatherm Kosice December Regional exhibition for industrial air pollution controls
Note: Highlighted in bold are events most frequently mentioned by respondents

Komunal, held annually in April in Zilina, is the best known environmental fair in Slovakia. The event, indicated by half of respondents, focuses on municipal environmental services and technologies. About a third of respondents listed Aqua in Trencin (water management), Racioenergia in Bratislava (energy) and Enviro in Nitra (environment in general).
About 10% of interviewees specified smaller regional exhibitions, such as Interekotechnika in Bratislava, Ekotherm in Kosice, Ekoenergo in Kosice, Envirex in Banska Bystrica, and Ekostavby in Bratislava.
Some respondents also mentioned that they visit or participate in non-environmental fairs because of potential clients from a specific industry. The fairs mentioned included Incheba in Bratislava (chemical industry), Coneco in Bratislava (construction technologies), Klimatherm in Kosice (heating, air conditioning), Agrokomplex in Nitra, and Weldtech in Bratislava (welding technologies).
Interestingly, one in ten respondents participated in Envibrno, the most important Czech environmental fair.
Public Procurement Procedures
Investments which involve the use of public funds in Slovakia are subject to regulations specified in the Public Procurement Law of 1996. The regulations are applicable to expenditures from the central budget and investments made by municipalities.
According to the current provisions, if the project value exceeds 100,000 Sk (approx. 3,500 USD) the investor is obliged to announce a project tender in the Commercial Bulletin of the Slovak Republic (Obchodny Vestnik). For projects with the value exceeding ECU 130,000 (approx. 150 thousand USD), the investor is required to publish a call for tender in foreign commercial periodicals.
In practice, most experts agree that the Slovak purchasing law is rather vague. Under the current rules, deadlines can be set so soon that potential bidders cannot respond in time unless they have an advance knowledge of the project. Another way in which the law is circumvented is that a major proportion of project financing is earmarked for the participation of budget-funded enterprises, which is then exempt from public competitive tendering.
Overall, at this stage, the tenders announced in the Commercial Bulletin are not considered a useful source of information on business opportunities.
Useful Contacts
Table 5.14 lists useful contacts for information about environmental project opportunities.

Table 5.14: Important Contact Points for Environmental Project Opportunities

Name and address of organization	Contact information
Ministry of the Enviroment nam. L. Stura 1 , 812 35 Bratislava	Mr. Jaroslav Halas, Head Environmental Organization and Publicity Department tel.(07)5161111
	Mr. Karol Egyud, Director Geological & Natural Resources Division tel. (07) 5161111
	Mrs. Anna Violova Department of Air Protection tel. (07) 5161111
	Mr. Alexander Dano, Head Dept. of Environmental Impact Assesment tel. (07)5161111
	Mr. Ivan Zavadsky,Director Environmental Elements Protection & Environmental Risks tel. (07)5161111
	Mr. Milan Matuska, Head Department of Water tel. (07) 5161111
	Mr. Galovic Advisor for Waste tel. (07) 5161111
Ministry of Soil Management Dobrovicova 12, 812 66 Bratislava	Mr. Jozef Taric, Director Water Management Division tel. (07)364276
Ministry of Transport, Communications and Public Works Mileticova 19, 820 06 Bratislava	Mr. Vojtech Lieskovsky, Director Department of Technological Policy and Transport tel. (07)2040225
State Environmental Fund Karloveska 2, 842 18 Bratislava	Mr. Pavol Mertus tel. (07) 724909
Ministry of Economy Mierova 19, 827 15 Bratislava	Mr. Juraj Pavlinec Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry tel. (07)2998285
Slovak Environmental Agency (SAZP) Tajovskeho 28, 974 00 Banska Bystrica	Mr. Miroslav Toncik, Director tel. (088)735131
Slovak Environmental Agency (SAZP) Hanulova 9/A, 821 01 Bratislava	Mr. Miroslav Lacuska, Director tel. (07)765552
Slovak Environmental Agency (SAZP) Zvonarska 23, 042 65 Kosice	Mr. Peter Bohus, Director tel. (095) 622 4812
Slovak Environmental Agency (SAZP) Kollarova 8, 917 77 Trnava	Mr. Miroslav Rusko, Director tel. (0805) 20406
Slovak Inspectorate of the Environment Karloveska 2, 842 22 Bratislava	Mr. Rudolf Otrusinik, Director tel. (07)727942
	Mr. Ivan Rajnak, Head Air Protection tel. (07) 727 696; fax. (07) 720 055
	Mr. Hornak, Head Waste Management tel.: (07)792352
	Mr. Daniel Geisbacher, Head Water Protection tel.: (07) 726950
Association of Industrial Ecology (ASPEK) Drienova 24, 826 03 Bratislava	Mr. Andrej Soltys tel. (07) 230 833, (07) 299 7327 fax. (07) 579 7546
Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) Gorkeho ul. 9, 816 03 Bratislava	Mr. Anton Lisy tel. (07)526 9670,
Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) Namestie Legionarov 3, 080 01 Presov	Mr. Dusan Kovac Working Group for the Environment tel. (091)732818
Cleaner Production Centre, Slovak Univ. of Technology Radlinskeho 9, 812 37 Bratislava	Mr. Anton Blazej
	Mr. Igor Surina tel. (07) 4273 26021
Slovak Association of Engineering Geology Mlynska dolina G, 845 15 Bratislava	Mr. Rudolf Ondrasik, Associated Professor tel. (07)328981
Slovak Association of Hydrogeology Mlyn. Dolina 1, 812 37 Bratislava	Mr. Juraj Kralik, Director tel. (07)328003
Slovak Association of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry Drienova 24, 826 03 Bratislava	Mr. Jelencik, General Secretary tel. (07) 235 226 fax. (07) 233 542
National Committee Association of Water Quality Radlinskeho 11, 812 37 Bratislava	tel. (07)321184
Water Management Research Institute Nabr.arm.gen.L.Svobodu 5, 800 00 Bratislava	Dept. of Technologies for Water Management tel. (07)343345
Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) Jeseniova 17, 833 15 Bratislava	Mr. Ivan Zuzula tel. (07)384052
Slovak Energy Inspectorate - Energy Agency Rudlovska cesta 53, 974 28 Banska Bystrica (also offices in Bratislava and Kosice)	Mr. Michal Klemanic tel. (088)742333, 742353
Association of Secondary Raw Materials Economics Drienova ul. 3, 826 28 Bratislava	tel. (07) 522 9492 fax. (07) 239 203
Slovak Association of Inventors and Innovators Kocelova 15, 812 37 Bratislava	tel. (07)5262991
Slovak National Accreditation System Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology, and Testing Stafanovicova 3, 814 39 Bratislava	(list of certified environmental experts) tel. (07) 396 411 fax. (07) 391 050
ALLDATA Slovakia plus Ltd. Keratsinske nam. 1, 080 01 Presov	Mr. Ladislav Dolza tel. (091)701267
PB CONSULTING Masarykova 10, 080 01 Presov	Mr. Peter Burda, Director tel/fax . (091)734 751, 734 394

Note: Since March 1, 1997, international access code for Slovakia has been changed from (42) to (421)

Sources of Information on Available Environmental Technologies
In answering the question on sources of information used in purchasing environmental technologies, a majority of respondents (60%) indicated that they maintain their own information databases, based on promotional materials, newspaper articles, and professional magazines.
Approximately 30% of respondents noted that environmental technologies are approved at the Ministry of Environment, and they therefore assumed that, when needed, information can be obtained from governmental organizations.
Several interviewees considered catalogues of domestic and foreign environmental fairs to be an important source. Some also used specialized professional catalogues, available from the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and from foreign embassies. Some respondents also mentioned professional magazines and conferences.
Representatives of governmental organizations usually did not answer the question on sources of information used in purchasing environmental technologies.

Demand for Environmental Technologies

Demand for Environmental Technologies - Overview
Demand for environmental technologies in Slovakia varied across sectors. High and growing demand was identified for technologies related to waste management, and water and wastewater. Demand for environmental technologies related to energy and air quality was moderate and demand for noise, vibration and OHS technologies was low.
Identified demand in the air sector was moderate, with technologies related to gaseous emissions in higher demand than products related to ambient air. High demand was identified for instrumentation and process control/software for gaseous emissions. Growth in demand was expected for technologies related to emission abatement and cleaner production; equipment for air sampling/laboratory analysis for both ambient air and gaseous emisions; and air pollution control/flue gas purification equipment. Demand for air pollution control equipment in the energy sector is likely to grow due to upcoming new and stricter regulations on air emissions.
Demand for water and wastewater technologies was high. Technologies for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment tended to be in higher demand than those related to potable water and surface and ground water. High demand was identified for technologies for inspection and reconditioning of existing water supply and municipal wastewater collection networks; monitoring equipment for industrial wastewater; equipment for cleanup, decontamination, and quality restoration of surface and ground water; and for technologies for the construction of municipal and industrial wastewater collection networks. Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to standard wastewater treatment processes for water and wastewater; instrumentation, process control, and software for industrial wastewater; and sampling/laboratory analysis equipment. Growth in demand was also expected for technologies related to the construction of water supply networks; sludge treatment and disposal of municipal and industrial wastewater); and advanced (tertiary) treatment processes for water and wastewater.
Identified demand for waste management technologies was highest among the five surveyed sectors. Significant opportunities are expected in hazardous waste disposal, followed by radioactive and industrial waste management. Very high demand was identified for technologies related to landfill disposal (all waste categories); equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site remediation and contaminated land clean-up; equipment for waste collection/ transportation and storage (all waste categories); and technologies related to recycling and resource recovery in the area of hazardous waste. Other technologies in high demand included pollution prevention/ waste minimization equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste; equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site monitoring, and radioactive waste sample analysis/ waste characterization; and, finally, technologies for hazardous waste incineration.
Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to spillage control/ decontamination for industrial, hazardous, and radioactive waste; tchnologies for recycling and resource recovery for industrial and municipal waste; sample analysis/ waste characterization equipment for industrial and municipal waste; and equipment related to industrial waste site monitoring, remediation, and cleanup.
Demand for energy-related technologies was moderate. Specific technologies in high demand included: new/ efficient energy and heat generation systems; and alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants. Growth in demand was expected for instrumentation; process management and control equipment; and, in “other industrial sectors” for technologies related to retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems. Surprisingly, only moderate demand was identified for heat recovery and energy savings technologies, and for retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems in the enegry sector.
Demand for technologies related to noise, vibration, and occupational health and safety was low.
Demand for Environmental Technologies by Category
The following tables summarize the responses to the question on demand for specific environmental technologies.
The following scale was used in ranking : 5 - highest, and rapidly growing demand, 4 - high demand, likely to grow, 3 - moderate, slowly growing demand, 2 - low demand, will not grow, 1 - very low and decreasing demand, blank - no opinion.
Figures in cells show the average score, while those in brackets represent the number of responses.
Air

Table 5.13: Demand for Environmental Technologies - Air

Ambient Air Gaseous Emissions
Air sampling/laboratory analysis 3.5 (13) 3.7 (11)
Continuous-basis monitoring 3.1 (15) 2.2 (12)
Air pollution control / flue gas purification equipment (filters / scrubbers) 3.2 (12) 3.6 (12)
Gas detection / warning devices 2.4 (9) 3.3 (9)
Emission abatement / cleaner production (e.g. low emission burners) 2.7 (11) 3.7 (12)
Instrumentation and process control / software 3.3 (13) 4.1 (6)
Technologies in high demand: #1 Instrumentation and process control / software (gaseous emissions)
Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #2 Emission abatement / cleaner production (gaseous emissions); #3 Air sampling/laboratory analysis (gaseous emissions and ambient air); #4 Air pollution control / flue gas purification equipment (gaseous emissions).

Demand for air-related technologies was moderate - there was only one technology category where high demand was identified. Most respondents indicated higher demand for technologies related to gaseous emissions from stationary sources than for products related to ambient air.
High demand was identified for instrumentation, and process control/software for gaseous emissions. Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to emission abatement and cleaner production; equipment for air sampling/laboratory analysis for both ambient air and gaseous emisions; and air pollution control/flue gas purification equipment.
It is worth to note that demand for air pollution controls in the energy sector is likely to grow due to upcoming new and stricter regulations on air emissions. Existing power plants (including those under construction which will be operational before March 31, 1998) have to comply with the new air emission standards for existing sources by December 31, 1998. All new plants are subject to even stricter standards. Finally, existing sources have to meet the standards for new sources by December 31, 2009.
Water and Wastewater

Table 5.16: Demand for Environmental Technologies - Water and Wastewater

	Surface & Ground water	Potable/ drinking water	Municipal wastewater	Industrial wastewater
Monitoring	3.5 (20)	3.6 (17)	3.4 (13)	4.3 (15)
Sampling / laboratory analysis	3.4 (16)	3.8 (13)	3.8 (12)	3.6 (16)
Construction of collection/supply networks	3.2 (8)	3.8 (11)	4.0 (13)	4.0 (11)
Inspection/reconditioning of existing supply and collection networks	3.0 (7)	4.4 (9)	4.1 (10)	3.7 (9)
Standard physical, chemical and biological treatment processes	3.0 (10)	3.6 (9)	3.9 (14)	3.9 (16)
Advanced (tertiary) treatment processes	3.7 (6)	3.6 (10)	3.7 (12)	3.6 (16)
Sludge treatment and disposal	3.5 (8)	3.8 (7)	3.7 (16)	3.6 (11)
Pollution prevention/waste minimization	3.3 (9)	3.5 (8)	3.6 (10)	3.4 (16)
Water recycling and reuse	3.1 (9)	3.3 (8)	3.0 (10)	3.4 (18)
Containment/cleanup	4.1 (19)	4.0 (18)	4.0 (12)	3.7 (21)
Quality restoration and decontamination	4.3 (14)	3.9 (12)	3.6 (9)	4.0 (13)
Instrumentation/process control/software	3.3 (12)	3.5 (11)	3.6 (13)	3.9 (16)

Technologies in high demand: #1 Inspection and reconditioning of existing water supply and municipal wastewater collection networks; #2 Monitoring (industrial wastewater); #3 Cleanup, decontamination, and quality restoration (surface and ground water); #4 Construction of municipal and industrial wastewater collection networks;
Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #5 Standard wastewater treatment processes for water and wastewater; #6 Instrumentation, process control, and software (industrial wastewater); #7 Sampling/laboratory analysis; #8 Construction of water supply networks; #9 Sludge treatment and disposal (municipal and industrial wastewater); #10 Advanced (tertiary) treatment processes for water and wastewater.

Demand for water and wastewater technologies was high. There was not a single technology category in low demand. Technologies for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment tended to be in higher demand than those related to potable water and surface and ground water.
High demand was identified for technologies for inspection and reconditioning of existing water supply and municipal wastewater collection networks; monitoring equipment for industrial wastewater; equipment for cleanup, decontamination, and quality restoration of surface and ground water; and technologies for the construction of municipal and industrial wastewater collection networks.
Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to standard wastewater treatment processes for water and wastewater; instrumentation, process control, and software for industrial wastewater; and sampling/laboratory analysis equipment. Growth in demand was also expected for technologies related to the construction of water supply networks; sludge treatment and disposal municipal and industrial wastewater); and advanced (tertiary) treatment processes for water and wastewater.
Many respondents stressed the need for reconditioning of existing networks for drinking water supply and collection of municipal wastewater. Water losses in distribution networks are estimated at 20%, and seepage of sewage into the ground is also a significant problem. Demand for spill control/containment/ cleanup and decontamination in all subcategories was high as well.
Surprisingly, compared to other technologies in this category, demand ratings were relatively low for advanced treatment processes, and for water recycling and reuse technologies. However, several respondents expressed an opinion that the demand for waste minimization and water recycling and reuse technologies will increase as prices of water supply and fees for wastewater discharge grow.
Waste Management

Table 5.17: Demand for Environmental Technologies - Waste Management

Municipal Solid Waste Industrial Waste Hazardous Waste Radioactive Waste
Waste collection / transportation and storage 4.0 (20) 4.0 (19) 4.6 (19) 4.6 (14)
Sample analysis / waste characterization 3.7 (17) 3.7 (20) 3.3 (22) 4.2 (11)
Site monitoring 3.4 (18) 3.7 (17) 4.0 (17) 4.1 (13)
Landfill disposal 4.0 (19) 4.1 (19) 4.9 (17) 4.2 (15)
Incineration 3.5 (17) 3.2 (20) 4.0 (18) 3.7 (6)
Composting / biomass conversion 3.0 (16) 2.6 (12) 3.2 (8) 3.0 (3)
Pollution prevention / waste minimization 3.6 (15) 3.6 (18) 4.1 (15) 4.3 (8)
Recycling / resource recovery 3.7 (18) 3.9 (22) 4.3 (16) 3.4 (10)
Spillage control / decontamination 3.2 (19) 3.9 (18) 3.8 (18) 3.9 (13)
Site remediation / clean-up of contaminated land 3.5 (22) 3.8 (18) 4.3 (18) 4.7 (12)
Technologies in high demand: #1 Landfill disposal (all waste categories); #2 Site remediation/clean-up of contaminated land (hazardous waste and radioactive waste); #3 Waste collection/ transportation and storage (all waste categories); #4 Recycling and resource recovery (hazardous waste); #5 Pollution prevention/ waste minimization (hazardous waste and radioactive waste); #6 Site monitoring (hazardous waste and radioactive waste); #7 Sample analysis / waste characterization (radioactive waste); #8 Hazardous waste incineration.
Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #9 Spillage control/ decontamination - industrial, hazardous, and radioactive waste; #10 Recycling and resource recovery (industrial and municipal waste); #11 Sample analysis/ waste characterization (industrial and municipal waste); #12 Industrial waste site monitoring, remediation, and cleanup.

Waste management, according to respondents, is one of the most promising environmental market sectors in Slovakia. There are over 8000 landfills in the country, but less than 10% are licensed. Of the 70 existing waste incinerators, 11 have no emission control equipment. Only two cities have municipal waste incinerators.
Identified demand for waste management technologies was highest among the five surveyed sectors. Significant opportunities are expected in hazardous waste disposal (practically all technologies related to hazardous waste were in high demand), followed by radioactive and industrial waste management.
Very high demand was identified for technologies related to landfill disposal (all waste categories); equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site remediation and contaminated land clean-up; equipment for waste collection/ transportation and storage (all waste categories); and technologies related to recycling and resource recovery in the area of hazardous waste. Other technologies in high demand included pollution prevention/ waste minimization equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste; equipment for hazardous and radioactive waste site monitoring, and radioactive waste sample analysis/ waste characterization; and, finally, technologies for hazardous waste incineration.
Increasing demand was expected for technologies related to spillage control/ decontamination for industrial, hazardous, and radioactive waste; technologies for recycling and resource recovery for industrial and municipal waste; sample analysis/ waste characterization equipment for industrial and municipal waste; and equipment related to industrial waste site monitoring, remediation, and cleanup.
Disposal of radioactive waste is an acute problem at present and technology demand was estimated to be between high and very high. However, although disposal of radioactive waste is a priority issue for the government, in general, the field does not account for a major portion of the waste management market.
Energy

Table 5.18: Demand for Environmental Technologies - Energy

Energy and power generation Other sectors
New / efficient energy and heat generation systems 3.4 (12) 5.0 (6)
Retrofitting / rehabilitation of existing systems 3.1 (13) 3.6 (6)
Process management and control 3.3 (14) 3.8 (9)
Heat recovery and energy savings 3.2 (12) 3.0 (8)
Alternative / renewable energy systems) 2.3 (10) 2.8 (7)
Alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants 3.4 (7) 4.2 (6)
Instrumentation 3.0 (10) 3.9 (9)
Technologies in high demand: #1 New/ efficient energy and heat generation systems; #2 Alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants.
Technologies where demand is expected to rise: #3 Instrumentation; #4 Process management and control; #5 Retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems.

Demand for energy-related technologies was moderate. Surprisingly, respondents indicated higher demand for energy-related technologies in “other industrial sectors” than in the energy and power generation sector itself.
Specific technologies in high demand included: new/ efficient energy and heat generation systems; and alternative (non-CFC) refrigerants. Growth in demand was expected for instrumentation; process management and control equipment; and technologies related to retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems.
Surprisingly, only moderate demand was identified for retrofitting and rehabilitation of existing systems in the energy sector, and for heat recovery and energy savings technologies. The two areas were usually ranked high in the other surveyed countries. Finally, technologies for the use of alternative energy sources were in low demand.
As regards the relatively low demand identified for environmental technologies in the energy and power generation (especially compared to “other industrial sectors”), the findings most likely result from the fact that small- and medium-size companies (majority of survey respondents) have little knowledge of the problems within the state-controlled energy sector, and do not expect to take part in multi-million Crown projects; hence, the lower ratings. In the researcher’s opinion, the received responses do not adequately reflect the high investment needs in the energy sector, as outlined in the National Environmental Action Plan (see Sections 3.3 and 4.1 for more detail).
Noise, Vibration and OHS

Table 5.19: Demand for Environmental Technologies - Noise, Vibration and OHS

Occupational health and safety Noise and vibration
Instrumentation devices 2.8 (5) 2.2 (5)
Protection equipment 2.0 (7) 2.5 (8)
Abatement (insulation, absorption) 2.1 (8) 2.2 (9)
Electromagnetic field exposure 1.5 (2) 1.6 (5)

Demand for technologies related to noise, vibration, and occupational health and safety was low. Not in a single category was identified demand even moderate. The interviewees noted, however, that in the area of occupational health and safety, the demand may grow in the near future because of requirements related to risk management in the ISO-related certification process. The respondents expected only a minimum growth in demand in the area of measuring and control devices and protection equipment. Exposure to electromagnetic fields was not paid attention to at all.
Major End-users of Environmental Technologies
Major end-users of environmental technologies identified by survey respondents are presented in Table 5.20.

Table 5.20: Major End-users of Environmental Technologies

Sector End-user
Air 1) Energy sector, 2) Chemical industry, 3) Transport
Water and wastewater 1) Local governments, 2) Chemical industry, 3) Production in general
Waste 1) Chemical industry, 2) Local governments, 3) Mining, 4) Energy sector
Energy 1) Energy sector, 2) Chemical industry, 3) Mining and processing of mineral resources
Noise and vibration 1) Production in general, 2) Construction, 3) Chemical industry

The chemical industry and the energy sector are the major end-users of environmental technologies in most categories. Local governments (municipalities) are an important user of technologies related to water and wastewater, and to waste management. The mining and processing of mineral resources sectors are a significant end-user for waste management and energy-related technologies.
It is worth noting that the question about major end-users of environmental technologies was among the least popular among the interviewed experts. Many respondents either did not answer at all, or used only vague categories, such as “production in general.” In the researcher’s opinion, this reflects the tendency among interviewees not to point out sectors with potentially lucrative contracts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Foreign Suppliers

Purchasing Preferences
An overwhelming majority of interviewed experts (80%) specified that they only use best-technology or best-practice criteria when purchasing environmental technologies. However, further discussion usually revealed that, in practice, many respondents favored domestic products because of lower prices. A small proportion of respondents (20%) declared to prefer either domestic or foreign products.
Sixty percent of interviewees preferred to buy foreign environmental technologies from a local in-country representative, while forty percent would buy directly from the producer abroad.
Strengths of Foreign Environmental Technologies
The major strengths of foreign environmental technologies in comparison with domestic products include reliability and durability of products (80% of respondents) and high product quality (70%).
Good value for money, good after-sales service, and user-friendly design were mentioned by 30% to 40% of respondents. Interestingly, several interviewees noted that an extended warranty period was a strength of foreign technologies in comparison with domestic products.
Available credit or preferential financing was identified as a significant advantage by about a third of respondents. To that end, a comment was made that state-controlled prices in the energy and water utilities sectors do not allow for the repayment of effective, but expensive, foreign environmental technologies. However, price regulations are gradually being lifted, and utilites are expected to move towards market prices. Therefore, ideally, the preferential financing package should allow to defer payments until the utility pricing policy is based on the actual production costs.
Not a single respondent indicated low price as an advantage of foreign products.
Barriers to Buying Environmental Technologies from Abroad
According to 70% of respondents, the greatest barrier to buying foreign environmental technologies is high price. A relatively high 40% of respondents specified import restrictions and high customs duty as another barrier.
Some 30% of interviewees observed that little information is available about foreign suppliers, while 50% noted the lack of reliable product information as a barrier. These concerns should be relatively easy to solve through better marketing.
One in three respondents specified difficulties with ensuring authorized technical service and maintenance as a significant barrier. Interestingly, a similar proportion of interviewees identified this area as a strength of foreign products compared to domestic competitors. At any rate, in the long term, ensuring a reliable technical service should be one of the priority areas for foreign suppliers.
Other obstacles did not appear very important. 20% of experts indicated that products were not suitable for local conditions and technical culture. Other difficulties, identified by approx. 10% of the respondents, included communication problems with a foreign supplier and changing environmental regulations.
In conclusion, since the high price of foreign technologies is the biggest barrier to purchase, to increase sales foreign suppliers should concentrate on providing an attractive financing package. One comment made frequently by respondents was that high prices would not be such a major hurdle if it were possible to pay for environmental technology, at least partially, during its effective use.

Major Foreign Suppliers in the Environmental Technology Market

Perception of Environmental Technologies from Selected Countries
Table 5.21 presents respondents’ perception of foreign suppliers from selected countries, based on the answer to the question “how environmental professionals in Slovakia perceive environmental technology from different countries ?”
The following scale was used in rating: 5 = excellent reputation, 4 = good reputation, 3 = average reputation, 2 = poor reputation, 1 = very poor reputation, blank- no opinion.
Figures in cells show the average score, while those in brackets represent the number of responses.

Table 5.21: Perceptions of Suppliers from Selected Countries

	S	A	G	F	J	N	SC	US	Other
Air	3.2 (20)	4.1 (17)	4.2 (18)	4.0 (9)	3.9 (7)	3.9 (7)	4.1 (10)	4.3 (11)	4.0 (1) Russia, 4.5 (2) GB
Water & Wastewater	3.4 (25)	3.5 (16)	4.3 (21)	4.1 (20)	3.8 (10)	4.1 (17)	4.1 (13)	4.2 (16)	5.0 (1) Australia
Waste	2.9 (21)	3.8 (13)	4.2 (14)	4.1 (13)	3.9 (8)	3.8 (8)	4.1 (9)	4.2 (10)
Energy	3.4 (18)	4.0 (14)	4.4 (18)	3.9 (12)	4.0 (9)	4.1 (9)	4.6 (10)	4.1 (15)	4.0 (1) Denmark 4.0 (2)Italy
Noise, Vibration, OHS	2.5 (8)	4.0 (2)	4.5 (5)	3.7 (2)	4.0 (2)	4.0 (2)	5.0 (3)	4.0 (2)

Note: SK = Slovak Republic; A = Austria; D = Germany; F = France; J = Japan; NL = Netherlands; Sc = Scandinavia; GB = Great Britain; US = United States

Perceptions of foreign environmental technologies were rated as good to excellent. Domestic products were ranked as average, well below the perceptions of foreign products. Table 5.22 presents the leading countries, with the rating of Slovak technologies included for comparison.

Table 5.22: Perception of Foreign Environmental Technologies from Selected Countries

Sector Leading countries
Air 1) USA - 4.3; 2) Germany - 4.2; 3) Austria and Scandinavia - 4.1; Slovakia - 3.2
Water 1) Germany, 4.3; 2) USA - 4.2; 3) France, The Netherlands, Scandinavia - 4.1; Slovakia - 3.4
Waste 1) Germany and USA - 4.2; 2) France, Scandinavia - 4.1; 3) Japan - 3.9; Slovakia - 2.9
Energy 1) Scandinavia - 4.6; 2) Germany - 4.4; 3) USA, The Netherlands - 4.1; Slovakia - 3.4
Noise, vibration, ohs 1) Scandinavia - 5; 2) Germany - 4.5; 3) Austria, Japan, The Netherlands, USA - 4.0; Slovakia - 2.5
The following scale was used in ranking 5 = excellent reputation, 4 = good reputation, 3 = average reputation, 2 = poor reputation,
1 = very poor reputation

Overall, environmental technologies from Scandinavian countries and from Germany were ranked high, ahead of American products. Technologies from the Netherlands, France, Japan and Austria followed suit. However, it should be noted that average ratings did not vary significantly.
In the air sector, American, German, Austrian and Scandinavian technologies were ranked particularly high. German, American, French, Dutch and Scandinavian products were best perceived in the water and wastewater sector. German, American, French and Scandinavian technologies were ranked high in the waste management sector, while the energy sector seemed to be dominated by Scandinavian, German, American and Dutch products. Scandinavian and German products rated high in the noise and vibration sector.
Perceptions of US environmental technologies were high across all categories, with products in the air sector ranked highest, followed by the water and wastewater sector, waste management, and energy-related technologies.
The number of respondents expressing an opinion about foreign environmental technologies is related to their availability on the market. When the distribution of responses is considered, foreign activity was highest in the water and wastewater sector, followed by energy, air and waste management. While no single country had a clear lead over competitors, suppliers from Germany, Austria, and France were considered to be most active in the environmental technology market in Slovakia, followed by American, Dutch and Scandinavian companies.
It is important to note that the above question focused on perceptions of foreign environmental technologies depending on the country of origin, rather than on respondents’ actual familiarity and/or experience with specific foreign companies or products. Therefore, while the conclusions from Table 8.1a give a good indication of commonly held opinions about technologies and the perceived level of foreign activity, they do not necessarily depict the actual knowledge among Slovak experts of the foreign offering. The following section presents the answers to a more specific question about foreign companies active in Slovakia, and strengths and weaknesses of their products.
Major Foreign-owned Suppliers in the Market
Table 5.23 presents major foreign-owned environmental technology suppliers in Slovakia listed by survey respondents.

Table 5.23: Major Suppliers of Foreign Environmental Technologies in Slovakia

Sector	Name of company, City	Country/origin	Specialization	Competitive strengths/weakness
Air	Nederman	Austria	Filters
	Rossemount	Britian	Exhaust gas analyzers	Quality/price
	Gierch	Germany	Low emission burners	Stability of parameters after calibration
	Horiba, Bratislava	Japan	Air monitoring	Quality/reliability
Air/Water	Rossemount	Sweden, Canada	Paper industry
Waste, Water and Soil	VARIAN	Australia	Analysis	Excellent quality/reliability
	PROLABO	France	Analysis devices
	CETAC	US	Laboratory devices	Quality/high prices
Soil	EIJKELKAMP	Netherlands	Monitoring devices	Quality/price
Water	Tractabel	Belgium
	Lutos, Lubenec	Czech Republic	Fans for aeration	Quality/price
	Sigma, Olomouc	Czech Republic	Pumps	Price
	Aseko, Sumperk	Czech Republic	Fans for aeration	High quality/price
	Geotest, Uhrinov	Czech Republic
	VKI, Horskolm	Denmark	Water	Traditional technology
	Hydroenvironment	France	Analysers for continuous processes	Quality/price
	Dv Lange	Germany	Ananlysers for continuous processes	Quality/price
	WTW Weilheim	Germany	Devices	Quality/price
	Grundfloss	Germany	Pumps	Quality/price
	Passavant	Germany	Wastewater treatment
	Merch KGaA	Germany	Chemistry
	STIP	Germany	Analysers for continuous processes	Quality/price
	Kowa, Czech Republic	Germany	Water treatment
	ABS, Pumpen	Germany	pumps	high quality / high price
	Aqualabo, Czech R	Germany	Water treatment
	UTEK	Switzerland	M&R	Quality/price
	Culigan	US
	HACH	US	Laboratory devices
	Hewlett Packard	US	Automatic analysers	Quality, service/price
	Carlo Erba
Waste	ASA, Trnava	Austria	Waste management
	Brantner, Bratislava	Austria	Waste management
	Austria Energy	Austria	Incinerators
	Alfa Laval Praha	Czech Republic, Sweden	Separators	Excellent quality/high price
	Marius Pedersen, Trencin	Denmark	Waste management
	GSE, Bratislava	Denmark
	Nave Fasertechnik, Bratislava	Denmark
	Lobbe, Bratislava/Nitra	Denmark	Waste management	Quality/price
	ONYX, Bratislava	France	Waste management
	Zohor	France
	National Seal Company	Netherlands	Geomembrane, foils
Energy	Froling	Austria
	Tedom	Czech Republic	Co-generation
	Siemens	Germany	Wide use boilers	Big systems only
	Viessman	Germany	Measuring control instruments	Quality
	Celtuss	Germany	Construction of boilers
	Froling	Germany	Boilers
	Rapido	Germany	Segmented boilers
	Landys & Gyr	Germany	Measuring control instruments
	Johnson Cons	US	Measuring control instruments
	Honeywell	US	Measuring control instruments	Quality/price
Noise, OHS	Brall&Kiaev	Denmark	Measurement devices
	Kemppi	Finland	Filters
	First	France	Technology active separation
	Schwetztechnik	Germany
	Head Acustic	Germany	Acoustic components
	Norsonic	Norway	Measurement devices
	Riymonth	Sweden	Filters

Note: Presented in the last column are comments on strengths and weaknesses of specific suppliers (separated by a slash).

Similar to the findings in the previous section, foreign companies in Slovakia seem to be most active in the water and wastewater sector, followed by waste and energy. Air pollution controls, and noise, vibration and OHS are represented to a lesser degree.
German companies are most active in the water and wastewater sector, followed by Czech and American suppliers. Danish, Austrian, and French firms seem to dominate among foreign companies in the waste sector, while in the energy sector, German and American presence is notable. In the remaining two categories only a few foreign companies were identified. The majority of foreign companies are located in Bratislava.
Most of the comments on competitive strengths and weaknesses of suppliers focused on good product quality and reliability on the one hand, and high prices on the other. Interestingly, in only one case (Hewlett Packard) was good service listed as a strength, which confirms that more emphasis should be placed on this area.
Generally, respondents noted that they were familiar mainly with large and well-known companies (especially in the energy and waste management sectors), or with their own suppliers or business partners. It was observed that, in the energy sector, several suppliers acting under their own name supply brand-name foreign technologies from several foreign manufacturers.
Several interviewees mentioned the lack of information about foreign products as a problem, which is confirmed by the fact that most experts were able to identify only a few specific companies active in Slovakia. Also, respondents were often uncertain of the country of origin of a foreign supplier (e.g., mixed Austrian companies with German ones, etc.).
Experience with US Environmental Technologies
Only one in five respondents expressed an opinion on suppliers and environmental technologies from the US. About half of those responding actually purchased American products, and the rest either negotiated with a supplier, or only collected product information. Overall, respondents’ experience with US technologies was rated as excellent. Particularly high opinions were expressed of American laboratory, analytical and monitoring equipment, instrumentation, and process management and controls.
It was noted several times that the prices of American environmental technologies are competitive with those of Western European products, although there were also opinions to the contrary. Some larger technological units are not easily available for small- and medium-size Slovak companies because of their high prices. For instance, one of the interviewed companies, despite their satisfaction with the technical parameters and quality of the US product, chose a cheaper Dutch supplier.
The difference between American and Slovak businessmen in the style of negotiations was mentioned several times. Complications between American and local partners apparently resulted from the fact that US partners’ perception of Slovak problems was quite different than the perceptions of local businessmen. Also, the acceptable level of business risk was a source of differences. The criteria for the evaluation of business transactions in the US are tougher, with emphasis on precisely calculated risks. In contrast, in Slovakia, where the market is just emerging, a substantial part of standard business information is still missing.
Few respondents noted that the various US environmental assistance programs to Slovakia could help the transfer of American environmental technologies into the country. Some respondents stressed the significance of available credits and other preferential forms of financing to improve the competitive position of American suppliers.
Overall, American companies are not very active in the Slovak environmental technology market. However, actual experience with US technologies is generally very good, and price levels are competitive with comparable Western products.

Appendices
Appendix A. List of Abbreviations

CSSO	Compiled from data of the Slovak Statistical Office
CHTF/DE	Faculty of Chemical Technology and Environmental Department
ET	environmental technology
NB	National Budget
NEAP	National Environmental Action Plan
MES	Ministry of Education and Science
MOE	Ministry of the Environment
OHS	Occupational Health and Safety
OSDSST	Office for the Strategy of Development of Society, Science and Technology
OUZP	Regional Office of the Environment
R&D	Research and Development
SAZP	Slovak Agency of the Environment
SFZP	State Fund of the Environment (also SFE)
SOPK	Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry
SR	Slovak Republic

Appendix B. List of interviewed experts/companies
1. Kurucova Magda, Head of Ecotoxicology, VUCHT, Bratislava, 14 November 1996
2. Jergus Peter, Head of Envidivision, VUCHT- CHEMITEX, Zilina, 18 November 1996
3. Mihalcik Ladislav, Head, Acoustic Department, TSU, Piestany, 18 November 1996
4. Kralik Juraj, Director, HYCO, Bratislava, 14 November 1996
5. Moncmanova Anezka, Associate Professor, STU, Faculty of ChT, Bratislava, 18 November 1996
6. Khunova Viera, Senior Lecturer, STU, Faculty of ChT, Bratislava, 14 November 1996
7. Derco Jan, Associate Professor, STU, Faculty of ChT, Bratislava, 18 November 1996
8. Andrezal Tomas, Manager, SENSOR, Bratislava, 25 November 1996
9. Gavora Juraj, Research Manager, ETC, Ivanka pri Dunaji, 27 November 1996
10. Behava Sona, Environmental Manager, TRANSMISIE, Martin, 15 November 1996
11. Smrekovsky Stefan, Director, DATATHERM, Zilina, 15 November 1996
12. Brnak Robert, Head of Department, MZP SR, Bratislava, 14 November 1996
13. Rusko Miroslav, Director, SAZP, Trnava, 27 November 1996
14. Chabal Ivan, Manager, COVSPOL, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
15. Lamackova Elena, Environmental specialist, PIO-CHEMPIK, Bratislava, 10 December 1996
16. Stastny Pavel, Head, Climatology, S-HMU, Kosice, 3 December 1996
17. Kral Rastislav, Manager, KONZEKO, Levoca, 4 December 1996
18. Potancok Vlastimil, Manager, EL, Spisska Nova Ves, 4 December 1996
19. Koval Marian, Director, VILLA LABECO, Spisska Nova Ves, 4 December 1996
20. Zorkoczy Marian, Manager, THERMOSOLAR, Ziar nad Hronom, 5 December 1996
21. Mesarozsova Johana, Director, EKOTRANSLATION, Banska Bystrica, 5 December 1996
22. Lankey Boris, Manager, BB AQUATEX, Banska Bystrica, 5 December 1996
23. Remeta Miroslav, Director, DUHA, Presov, 3 December 1996
24. Hoppan Jan, Director, H - EKO, Kosice, 3 December 1996
25. Pietruchova Olga, Director, IPU, Bratislava, 10 December 1996
26. Smidt Ivan, Director, USTAV RADIOEKOLOGIE, Kosice, 9 December 1996
27. Hrncar Anton, Director, ENVIGEO, Banska Bystrica, 6 December 1996
28. Soldan Pavol, Head of Department, KONSTRUKTA - INDUSTRY, Trencin, 10 December 1996
29. Straka Ladislav, Manager, AEE - URAP, Trencin, 10 December 1996
30. Horvat Peter, Manager, EKOKROK, Zilina, 10 December 1996
31. Kovac Dusan, Director, SOPK, Presov, 7 December 1996
32. Scherfel Walter, Director, G3, Trencin, 7 December 1996
33. Hrdina Karol, Director, ENVITECH, Trencin, 10 December 1996
34. Lucansky Dusan, expert on waste, Bratislava, 3 December 1996
35. Kelnarova Zdena, environmental specialist, MZP SR, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
36. Pronay Koloman, Project Manager, ENERGOPROJEKT, Bratislava, 4 December 1996
37. Porubsky Milan, Assistant to the Director, HYDROVRT, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
38. Kozej Ignac, Manager, EKO-TERM SERVIS, Kosice, 3 December 1996
39. Hlavacik Milos, Director, PROX-TEC, Poprad, 5 December 1996
40. Madar Jozef, Head of Waste Department, DETOX, Banska Bystrica, 6 December 1996
41. Janovsky Mikulas, Director, EKOCONZULT, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
42. Lyocsa Norbert, Manager, MERCK, Bratislava, 7 December 1996
43. Truchlik Ladislav, Head of Technical Department, KKH, Bratislava, 3 December 1996
44. Krcho Vladimir, expert on energy, Bratislava, 3 December 1996
45. Simonovic Pavel, Director, AQUIPUR, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
46. Urbanek Tibor, Manager, EKOTECHNA, Presov, 13 December 1996
47. Leontiev Oleg, Director, KOVOPROJEKT - ES, Bratislava, 11 December 1996
48. Zubac Alexander, senior expert, OU ZP, Spisska Nova Ves, 9 December 1996
49. Bucko Kamil, Director, PASTEL, Presov, 9 December 1996
50. Kral Jozef, Director, KM SYSTEM, Presov, 30 November 1996
51. Bielek Ivan, Manager, COMPAG, Bratislava, 12 December 1996
52. Baranovic Jan, Manager, EKO KOVO PROJEKT, Rimavska Sobota, 30 November 1996
53. Bindas Lubomir, senior expert, PB CONSULTING, Presov, 13 December 1996
Appendix C. List of publications and other sources
1/ Regional Environmental Center of Central and Eastern Europe, “The Emerging Environmental Market: A Survey in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic“, Budapest, Hungary: REC, June 1995
2/ Regional Environmental Center of Central and Eastern Europe, “The Environmental Business Directory: Environmental Service and Technology Providers in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovak Republic“, Budapest, Hungary: REC, June 1995
3/ Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, “Competing in the New Environmental Marketplace. Proceedings of Workshops for Environmental Professionals in the Slovak Republic“, Budapest, Hungary: REC, November 1995
4/ Macek J. Kenneth and Urbanek Vladimir, “The Environmental Industry and Markets in the Slovak Republic“, OECD Paris, France November 1994
5/ Kaiser Helmut, “Environmental Technologies in the 1966-2015 Period in Connection to Energy, New Opportunities and Risks“ (in German), Helmut Kaiser Unternehmensberatung, Thubingen, Germany, 1996
6/ Suchanek Zdenek, “Environmental Industry“, ( in Czech), CEMC Preha, Czech Republic 1995
7/ MOE SR, “The Strategy, Principles and Priorities of the State Governmental Environmental Policy“ (in Slovak and in English), MOE SR Bratislava 1993
8/ STUZ SR, “Sustainable Slovakia in the International Context“, papers from conference (in Slovak), Bratislava 1996
9/ SANDERS “Slovakia, Business in Environment“ (in Slovak and in English), Bratislava 1994
10/ “Enviro-magazine for environmental protection“, SA ZP Banska Bystrica, 1996
11/ “Environmental Guide“, ALLDATA Slovakia plus Ltd., Ziar nad Hronom 1995
12/ TEUTOP, “Directory of Ecological Companies“, in cooperation with ASPEK, Bratislava 1994
13/ REC, Government and Environment, “A Directory of Governmental Organizations with Environmental Responsibilities for CEE“
14/ “Workshop on Building Capacity in the Environmental Goods and Services Industry in the Central and Eastern European Countries“, OECD and REC, Szentendre , Hungary, November 1996
15/ “East - West Seminar on Business, Industry and Environment: Environmental protection and opportunity, responsibility and challenge for the business sector - possibilities of East - West cooperation by the business sector“, Berlin, December 1996
16/ OECD, “The Environment Industry“, Papers from Expert Meeting, OECD Documents, Washington, 1994
17/ “The National Environmental Action Plan“, MOE SR, Bratislava, 1996
18/ “The Environment in SR“, MOE SR, Bratislava, 1995
19/ Interviews from Environmental Technology Survey (questonnaires, notes), PB CONSULTING, 1996
20/ Informal information discussions and telephone calls, PB CONSULTING, 1996
21/ Internal Materials of PB CONSULTING
22/ Slovak Statistical Office, Statistical Figures and Graphs, Bratislava, 1993
23/ Slovak Statistical Office, “Environment in the SR in Years 1986 - 1992“, Bratislava, 1992
24/ Slovak Statistical Office, “Environment in the SR“, Bratislava, 1993
25/ Slovak Statistical Office, “Environment in the SR, Selected Indicators in the years 1990 -1995“, Bratislava, 1996
Appendix D. List of organizations specified in the text, with contact information and short background.
List of interviewed R&D organizations
Address Contact Background
VUCHT, Magda Kurucova, Ph.D. ET for chemical industry
Nobelova 34 tel:07/5259349
836 03 Bratislava Fax:07/5259349

VUCHT-CHEMITEX Ing. Peter Jergus, CSc. Textile and fibre technologies
Rybniky 10 tel:089/32857
011 68 Zilina Fax:089/645519

TSU Ing. Ladislav Mihalcik Noise and vibration abatement
Krajinska 9 Head of the Acoustics and monitoring
921 01 Piestany Dept. tel:0838/57160
Fax:0838/723716

HYCO Ing.Juraj Kralik Design and applied R&D in
Radlinskeho 37 tel:07/5390360, 397012 environmental construction
815 43 Bratislava Fax:07/391078, 397678

STU Ass.Prof.Dr.Ing. Air pollutant abatement
Faculty of Chemical Anezka Moncmanova
Radlinskeho 9 tel:07/56021
812 37 Bratislava

STU Ing. Viera Khunova, CSc. Recycling of plastics
Faculty of Chemical tel:07/326021
Technology Fax:07/393198
Radlinskeho 9 E-mail:khunova@checdek.
812 37 Bratislava chtf.stuba.sk

STU Dr. Jan Derco, Ph.D Wastewater treatment
Faculty of Chemical Associate Professor
Technology tel:07/326021, 495243
Radlinskeho 9 Fax:07/493198
831 01 Bratislava E-mail:derco@checdek.chtf.stuba.sk

SENSOR Tomas Andrezal Landfill monitoring
Nobelova 34 tel:07/5258021,5258163
831 02 Bratislava Fax:07/5258004
E-mail:sensor@internet. sk

Ekotoxikologicke Juraj Gavora Monitoring, control
centrum Bratislava s.r.o. tel:07/943712,945223 Risk assessment
Nadrazna 37 Fax:07/945223 Textile and fibre technologies
900 28 Ivanka pri Dunaji Environmental optimisation

TRANSMISIE Ing. Sona Behava R&D in monitoring for ET
P.Mudrona 10, tel:0842/36511, 34668
036 01 Martin Fax:0842/33157

DATATHERM s.r.o. Stefan Smrekovsky Energy saving, water equipment
Hlinska 25 tel:089/45781,43089 for process control
010 01 Zilina Fax:089/48754

MZP SR Ing. Robert Brnak Expert on ET
nam. L.Stura 1 tel:07/5162167
812 35 Bratislava Fax: 07/5161111

SAZP RNDr.Miroslav Rusko Ecolabelling of technologies
Kollarova 8 tel:0805/20406
P.O.BOX 1 Fax:0805/26431
917 02 Trnava E-mail:rusko@mtf.stuba.sk

List of organizations specified in the report

Address Contact Background
SAV GEOLOGICKY USTAV Ing. Ivan Krizani Optimisation of mining
Dubravska cesta 9 tel:07/373961 and processing of minerals
846 26 Bratislava Fax:07/377097

SAV UMMS Tel. 095/35465 Active insulation
Letna 9 Fax. 095/37048 of vibration
04200 Kosice

VUP Ing. Vladimir Hlavac,CSc ET for oil industry
Nabrezna 4 tel:0862/31841-43
971 04 Prievidza Fax:0862/32261

VUMA a.s. Ing.Rudolf Kolnik Ultrasound cleaning
Piestanska 1202/44 tel:0834/5551-56 technologies
915 28 Nove mesta n/V Fax:0834/4192

VUVH Technologies for
Nabr.arm.gen.L.Svobodu 5 water management
800 00 Fax:07/315743,(5371342)

SHMU
Jeseniova 17 tel:07/373807 R&D in air
81105 Bratislava Fax:07/372004 and water pollution

VURUP tel:07/244565,248824 ET in oil industry
824 12 Vlcie Hrdlo Fax:07/248622

VUP s.p. Ing. Vladimir Hlavac, CSc ET in oil industry
Bojnicka cesta 86 tel:0862/31841
910 01 Prievidza Fax:0862/32261

VUCHT Magda Kurucova,Ph.D. ET in chemical industry
Nobelova 34 tel:07/5259349
836 03 Bratislava Fax:07/5259349

SAZP RNDr. Miroslav Rusko Ecolabelling
Kollarova 8 Director
P.O.BOX 1 tel:0805/20406
917 02 Trnava Fax:0805/26431
E-mail:rusko@mtf.stuba.sk
STU CHTF tel:07/326021,495243 Wastewater treatment
Radlinskeho 9 Fax:07/493198 Air protection technologies
812 37 Bratislava tel:O7/56021

VUSAPL Ing.Mikulas Kiss Recycling of plastics
Novozamocka cesta 179 tel:O87/501111
950 37 Nitra Fax:087/413495

Technical University
EF KEMT tel: 095/622 4611 Noise and vibration
Letna 9 Fax: 095/6224611 control and monitoring
040 01 Kosice

EGU tel: 07/5221267 Energy saving
Bajkalska 27 Fax: 07/5221560 Alternative/renewable
82701 Bratislava resources

VUCHV Dr. Dusan Budzak ET optimation in
05921 Svit tel: 092/56444 textile and fibre
Fax: 55663 industry

SENSOR Tomas Andrezal Landfill monitoring
Nobelova 34 tel:07/5258021,5258163
831 02 Bratislava Fax:07/5258004
E-mail:sensor@internet.sk

VUCHT-CHEMITEX Ing. Peter Jergus, CSc. Textile and fibre technologies
Rybniky 10 tel:089/32857
011 68 Zilina Fax:089/645519

Other important organizations
Address Contact Background

VUR Ekologia s.r.o. Ondrej Lesko Environmental optimisation of
Skladna 8 tel:095/52757 processing technologies
040 00 Kosice Fax:095/52757

VUD Ing.Jozef Pinter Environmental optimisation of
Velky Diel tel:089/47394 transport technologies
011 39 Zilina Fax:089/44865

VUEZ Ing.Jan Murani Environmental optimisation of
Tovarenska 210 tel:0813/9263145 energetics technologies
935 28 Tlmace Fax:0813/921617

VUJE Ing.Rudolf Burcl Nuclear safety technologies
Okruzna 5 tel:0805/21301,-02,-03,-04
918 64 Trnava Fax:0805/91264

VUKI a.s. Ing.Lubica Cveckova Technologies of waste
Tovarenska 14 tel:07/383366 incineration
815 71 Bratislava Fax:07/67201

VVNP Ing.Stefan Kosut Liquid waste storage
Votrubova 11/a tel:07/65366
825 05 Bratislava Fax:07/65366

Bio - Environ Ing.Dr. Matus Povazaj, CSc Biotechnologies
Hurbanovo nam. 9 tel. 07/331 658
811 03 Bratislava Fax. 332 468

ZTS VVU Hazardous waste transport
Juzna trieda 97 tel:095/50187 equipment
04124 Kosice Fax: 095/57613

WUSAM Ing. Jan Slancik Environmental mechanical
Buzulucka 3 tel: 0855/23240-7 engineering technologies
96150 Zvolen Fax: 0855/25839

THERMOSOLAR Ing. Jozef Novak, CSc. Solar Energy
Na Varticke tel: 0857/86243-45
PO Box 45 Fax: 0857/86244
96503 Ziar n. H.

Appendix E
Procedures for submitting and approval of Ministry of Environment projects
Who: Ministry of Environment departments, businesses, R&D institutes, NGOs, public, etc.
Proposals and projects can be submitted throughout the whole year.

Focus point and responsibility: Ministry of Environment, Project Department (PD)
- asks respective departments at MoE for evaluation
- project summary (January/February)

Preparation: Evaluation of the projects
- revision of project budgets
- selection of priorities (preliminary)
- determining the extent of financial resources available
- forwarding of applications to the Project Council (March)

Project Council - Advisory body of the Minister of Environment
- evaluation
- final setting of priorities
- selection of projects and recommendations for approval by the Minister (April)

Minister: Decision of the Minister
- allocation of selected projects to departments of the Ministry of Environment
- allocation of financial resources (June - July)

Tender: Announcement of tenders for individual projects
- selection of suppliers according to Law on Public Supplies for projects over 50,000 Sk (1700 USD)
- signing of contracts
- allocation of a portion of financial resources (August)

Project Implementation (September - November)

Evaluation of the results of the work (December)
- payment of the balance of financial resourceas (approx. 60%), (December)

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