2014 Energy Policy (2035 and 2050 Horizon)

Country / jurisdiction: Slovak Republic · Year: 2014 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

The Energy Policy of the Slovak Republic (Energy Policy) is the strategic document defining the energy sector's primary objectives and priorities to 2035 with a view to 2050. The Energy Policy is a component of Slovakia's national economic strategy given that ensuring sustainable economic growth is conditioned by the reliable supply of price-competitive energy.

The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic (Ministry of Economy) is responsible for completing the Energy Policy for a minimum period of 20 years and updating it on a five-year cycle at a minimum pursuant to Section 88 of Act No. 251/2012 Coll. on Energy and on amendment of certain acts as amended by Act No. 391/2012 Coll. (Act No. 251/2012 Coll. on Energy). Economic development, new trends in the liberalisation of energy markets in the European Union (EU), new legislation and the new EU energy policy also required an update of the Energy Policy adopted in 2006.

The Energy Policy is intended to ensure the sustainability of the Slovak energy sector to contribute to the sustainable growth of the national economy and its competitiveness. The priority from this perspective is ensuring the reliability and stability of energy supply, efficient energy utilisation at optimum costs and ensuring environmental protection. A well-functioning energy market with a competitive environment will be strengthened by Energy Policy implementation .

The task of the Energy Policy is to create a stable framework for a safely operating energy market that spurs on investments into energy. The Energy Policy is focused on the public as well as the private sector. It responds to the interests of customers and end users in order to maximise the exploitation of the advantages offered by a liberalised and secure energy market. The Energy Policy complies with the primary objectives of the Treaty of Lisbon and is based on the fundamental European goals for energy outlines in the Europe 2020 strategy. Slovakia is among a group of vulnerable countries with respect to energy security, and therefore it supports an energy architecture that creates the conditions for increasing energy self-sufficiency, pro-export capacity in electricity, transparency and optimisation of the energy mix with low-carbon technologies and increasing energy efficiency in the interests of stability, the development of the national economy and the interests of customers and their protection.

Close cooperation between the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe is key with respect to increasing the energy security of the entire region and is the driving force for Slovakia's active involvement in the creation of trans-European energy infrastructure, in particular in cooperation with Visegrád Four (V4) countries. The Energy Policy emphasises the optimum use of domestic energy sources and low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy sources (RES) and nuclear energy.  A major milestone in the Slovak energy sector was the implementation of the Third Energy Package of the European Parliament and of the Council and directives concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and gas upon the adoption of the Energy Act and the Act on Regulation of Network Industries at the end of July 2012.

Official source: http://www.mhsr.sk/legislativa-eu/129447s