Basel Convention

SLOVAKIA

Status of Ratification/Accession/Acceptance/Approval:	28.05.1993 (a)
Ratification of the Amendment to the Basel Convention:	11.09.1998

Competent Authority	Focal Point
Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic Nám. Ľ. Štúra 1, 812 35 Bratislava tel: [phone] fax: [phone] e-mail: [e-mail] web site: www.lifeenv.gov.sk	Slovak Environmental Agency, Centre of Waste and Environmental Management Hanulova 5/D, 844 40 Bratislava tel: [phone] fax: [phone] e-mail: [e-mail] web site: www.sazp.sk

National Definition

Waste is defined as a thing, that is to be disposed of by its generator, or a movable asset that has to be disposed of (eliminated) for health and environmental reasons (Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code). The Waste Act defines three categories of wastes: a) other, b) special, c) hazardous. special waste is a waste that requires a special way of handling, for economic and environmental reasons in particular. The same definition of waste is used for national purposes and transboundary movements of wastes purposes. Hazardous waste is a sub-category of a special waste. Hazardous waste is a special waste that, being toxic, infectious, irritable, explosive, flammable, or chemically harmful, or having carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects, is or may be harmful to the human health or the environment (Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code). The same definition of hazardous waste is used for national and transboundary movements purposes. Slovakia regulates/controls additional wastes as hazardous for the purpose of transboundary movements pursuant to Art. 1 (1)b and that are not included in Art. 1 (1)a of the Basel Convention. These Art. 1 (1)b wastes are: veterinary wastes; wastes from leather processing; waste sulfides of alkaline metals and alkaline soil metals; red and brain sludge from aluminium production; waste aluminium sulfate and aluminium phosphate; fly ash; waste amonia solution; organic and inorganic peroxides; sewage sludge. Vanadium, mineral oil and oil products require special consideration when subjected to transboundary movement.

Data* on the Generation and Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes** and Other Wastes*** in 2000 (as reported)

		Quantities (in metric tonnes)
Generation	Total amount of hazardous wastesgenerated	1 600 000 ^1)
	Total amount of other wastesgenerated	1 706 000 ^2)
Transboundary Movement	Total amount of hazardous wastesand other wastesexported	326 ^3)
	Total amount of hazardous wastesand other wastesimported	491 ^4)

* Figures are rounded to the nearest integer.

** Covers wastes under Art. 1 (1)a (Annex I: Y1-Y45) and Art. 1 (1)b.

*** Covers wastes under (Annex II: Y46-Y47).

1) Figure refers to the total amount of hazardous wastes generated under the national Catalogue of Waste. The national Catalogue of Waste consists of wastes generated under Art. 1 (1)a: 1 019 004 mt + wastes generated under Art. 1 (1)b: 580 996 mt, out of which 60 000 mt amounts to Y47 (The national Catalogue of Waste considers Y47 also as hazardous wastes).

2) Figure refers only to the total amount of Y46 generated. To avoid double counting, the amount of Y47 generated (60 000 mt) is excluded.

3) Consists of total amount of hazardous wastes exported under Art. 1 (1)a: 115 mt + total amount of hazardous wastes exported under Art. 1 (1)b: 211 mt.

4) Figure refers to total amount of hazardous wastes imported under Art. 1 (1)b. The import of hazardous waste is banned under the Slovak legislation. The given waste was imported in a special regime. It means a part of the waste was treated as a final product. The final product and the rest from the treatment were returned to the country of origin.

Restrictions on Transboundary Movement	Amendment to the Basel Convention The amendment to the Basel Convention (Decision III/1) has been implemented in Slovakia.
	Restrictions on export for final disposal Any export of hazardous waste is prohibited unless the state of import or transit gives a written approval to the import or transit of waste. Any export of hazardous waste requires an approval of the competent authority. In case that an exported hazardous waste is returned to the country of origin, the waste exporter is liable to having it disposed of at his expenses. The relevant legislation is the Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code § 3 section 6 which regulates the export of hazardous wastes, August 1, 1991. There is a Ban on the export of hazardous wastes to Basel Convention non-Parties and to the Parties which prohibit the import of wastes. Under the Waste Act export restriction it is the same for final disposal and recovery of wastes.
	Restrictions on export for recovery Slovakia restricts the export of hazardous wastes and other wastes for recovery. The relevant legislation is the Waste Act No. 238/91 Code of Law § 3 section 6 which regulates the export of hazardous wastes, August 1, 1991. The restriction covers waste lead acid accumulators; and waste of lead, alloys and compounds. In these cases approvals for export were not issued by the national competent authority in 1999. An existing Slovak treatment facility has sufficient capacity to treat a waste on lead basis. Slovak Republic as a member of the Basel Convention limits the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes. Under the Waste Act the export restriction is the same for final disposal and recovery of wastes.
	Restrictions on import for final disposal Import of hazardous wastes is prohibited for final disposal on the territory of the Slovak Republic. This prohibition is not applied if the following conditions are fulfilled: a) waste import shall realize in accordance with a contract on providing a verified waste disposal technology fulfilling world standards of science and technology; b) relevant technology has already been put in a permanent operation on the territory of the Slovak Republic; c) all imported waste shall be disposed of and the total amount or degree of harmfulness of similar waste generated on the territory of the Slovak Republic shall be reduced; d) an approval of the relevant state authority is required to the import, transport and storage of these wastes. The relevant legislation is Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code, § 3 section 4, August 1, 1991.
	Restrictions on import for recovery An import of wastes to be used as secondary raw material is allowed only with an approval of the relevant state authority of the Slovak Republic. The relevant legislation is Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code, § 3 section 5, August 1, 1991.
	Restrictions on transit A transit of wastes through the Slovak Republic is allowed only with an approval of the relevant state authority of the Slovak Republic. The relevant legislation is Waste Act No. 238/91 Law Code, § 3 section 7, August 1, 1991.

Reduction and/or Elimination of Hazardous Waste Generation	National strategies/policies Measures assigned for the period of 1997-2000 under the Waste Management Programme of the Slovak Republic: Build one supra-regional hazardous waste incinerator at least; Build one landfill for hazardous waste; Build regional waste incinerators for incinerating wastes from medical centers; Continue in construction of grading facilities network serving for separation of reclaimable waste with the total number 25 in the year 2000; and In chosen cement plants systematically use the cement clincer production process to dispose some kinds of wastes. National Environmental Action Programme of the Slovak Republic II: To limit generation of hazardous wastes and ensure their recycling and disposal of non-recycling wastes in environmentally sound manner; To intensify separated collection of secondary raw materials and increase reusing of separated components from municipal waste; To decrease hazardous characteristics of wastes e.g. separated collection of problematic materials, to establish a network of landfills and incinerators for disposal of non-recovery wastes that meet the EU regulations; To build up a network of regional incinerators of hazardous wastes from the medical centres; and Systematic remediation and recultivation of old burdens threaten environment and decreasing pollution of environment on available extent in regions and also in all Slovak Republic.
	Legislation, regulations and guidelines Preparation of a new Waste Act and related regulations; and Waste Management Programmes of the Slovak Republic till 2000.
	Economic instruments/ initiatives A fee for landfilling of wastes; and An economical support of installation of new technologies by the State Environmental Fund of the Slovak Republic.
	Measures taken by industries/waste generators Co-incineration of waste oils in a cement kiln.
	Others Modernization of industry.

Transboundary Movement Reduction Measures

The measures taken for reduction of the amount of hazardous wastes and other wastes subject to the transboundary movement are same as the measures taken for reduction and/or elimination of hazardous waste generation.

Disposal/ Recovery Facilities

Disposal facilities Landfill for hazardous wastes, Budmerice, authorization until 2002, for D5 operations; Landfill for hazardous wastes, Zohor, for D1 operations; Landfill for hazardous wastes, Strazske, authorization until 2016, for D5 operations; Incineration plant, Sala, for D10 operations. Recovery/recycling/re-use facilities Detox s.r.o. Banska Bystrica, for regeneration of organic solvents (R2); Mach Trade s.r.o. Sered, for treatment of lead-acid batteries (recovery of lead) (R4); Epsol s.r.o. Bratislava; for regeneration of organic solvents (R2); and Konzeko s.r.o. Levoca, for regeneration of waste oils (R9).

Bilateral, Multilateral or Regional Agreements

None.

Technical Assistance and Training Available

Some of the available sources are: Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, Nam. L.Stura 1, Bratislava; SEA, Centre of Waste and Environmental Management Bratislava, Hanulova 5/D, Bratislava; Regional Training Centre Bratislava, Klobucnicka 7, Bratislava; Slovak Technical University, Bratislava; Slovak Inspectorate of Environment, Karloveska 2, Bratislava; and National Cleaner Production Centre, Bratislava.

Basel Convention

Country Fact Sheet