Slovakia's Environment Minister Taraba says forests in national parks move under park authority

Minister of Environment Tomáš Taraba announced that ownership and management of forests located in Slovakia's national parks will be transferred fully to the park administrations, countering claims that the state forestry company Lesy SR will retain control. He said the government tasked the environment and agriculture ministers to ensure that any active forest‑management decisions are made jointly between Lesy SR and the parks, avoiding automatic involvement of private firms.

State secretary of the environmental department Filip Kuffa warned that the European Commission may view a government resolution – which includes a confidential comment that the areas will formally shift but remain under Lesy SR – as a problem and could jeopardise funding tied to the national recovery plan. Opposition MP Tamara Stohlová demanded that the comments be disclosed, noting that millions of euros linked to EU recovery payments are at stake.