Slovak Environment Minister defends national park zoning reforms

Slovak Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba has defended the country’s national park zoning reforms, stating they significantly increase nature protection while maintaining tourism and agricultural activities. Taraba asserted that the current zoning is correct, noting that the primary issues reside within three specific national parks established under the previous administration of Ján Budaj and Michal Kiča.

Following expert meetings in Brussels, Tomáš Drucker, who is managing the Recovery and Resilience Plan, reported that the European Commission does not see serious risks or major problems regarding Slovakia’s fulfillment of its recovery plan goals. Discussions in Brussels addressed resonant topics, including national park zoning and acceleration zones. While the European Commission has not flagged major issues, a revision process for the first three national parks remains an open matter.