Slovakia prepares new law for municipal cooperation

The Slovak Ministry of Interior is preparing new legislation regarding the consolidation of municipalities to create a stable, long-term framework for inter-municipal cooperation across the country. During a roundtable discussion at the National Council, Speaker of Parliament Richard Raši and State Secretary Michal Kaliňák discussed the future of Shared Service Centers (CZS).

The initiative aims to support small municipalities that lack the capacity to manage increasing professional responsibilities. Raši noted that 63 percent of Slovak municipalities have fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, and 84 percent have fewer than 2,000. The proposed law seeks to allow these towns to share specialized services—such as accounting, environmental management, and urban planning—without sacrificing their individual identity or independence.

A pilot project under the Recovery and Resilience Plan has already seen the establishment of 21 Shared Service Centers, which currently include 634 municipalities serving approximately 520,000 residents.