
Bratislava – The Slovak Republic’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MPRV) is set to introduce investment assistance for food producers next year, pending approval from the Anti-Monopoly Office. Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) stated that this support will come from both EU funds and state resources, according to reports from TASR.
During a press conference held on Friday at the Bratislava Incheba in conjunction with the Christmas Days event, Takáč highlighted that a new aid scheme aimed at supporting the marketing of Slovak food producers was approved this year.
The minister noted that the food industry has received little attention over the past two decades. Historically, Slovakia enjoyed greater self-sufficiency, with a well-developed agricultural sector that included slaughterhouses, bakeries, and dairies. He stressed the need to revitalize this sector, leveraging financial assistance from both European and domestic sources.
Takáč also addressed the issue of significant food production in Slovakia being exported abroad. He pointed out the need to improve local consumption and self-sufficiency.
As the year comes to a close, the Ministry of Agriculture has initiated dual-quality food inspections. “We have discovered several food items that are of inferior quality compared to those in other EU countries. Currently, we are conducting thorough inspections and aim to present findings by the end of January to address this issue, ensuring that citizens across the EU have access to the same quality of food. It is unacceptable for an Austrian citizen to receive a better quality product in identical packaging,” Takáč concluded.
Slovakia and the Czech Republic have been advocating for the European Commission to tackle the dual-quality food issue since 2017. In April 2019, the European Parliament approved a modernization directive addressing unfair trading practices in the internal market, which imposes strict penalties on dual quality for both food and non-food products. In 2024, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico renewed the political focus on this important matter within the EU. (December 13)













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