Key messages
Environmental labelling (eco-labeling) promotes production and consumption of products that are more environmentally friendly throughout their entire life cycle, and provides the consumers with exact, non-misleading and scientifically based information about the products impact on the environment.
In the Slovak Republic, a total of 269 products have been assessed and awarded with the brand "Environmentally Friendly Product" since 1997. The number of products with the brand "Environmentally friendly product" did not change between years (2020 – 2021) – 44 products had the right to use this brand in 2021.
With the accession of the Slovak Republic to the European Union in 2004, applicants had the opportunity to obtain the European Ecolabel (EU Ecolabel) for their products, which was known as the "European Flower" until 2010. Within Europe, 83,590 products in 24 different product groups have been awarded with the EU Ecolabel (as of September 2021). The number of products with the right to use the EU Ecolabel in Slovak Republic did not change between years (2020 – 2021) - 5 products had the right to use this brand in 2021.
International comparison
The OECD Green Growth database contains selected indicators for monitoring progress towards green growth to support policy making and inform the public at large. The database provides a synthesis of data and indicators available across a wide range of domains. The sources of the underlying data used to populate the Green Growth Indicators, as presented here, include a range of OECD databases and, in some cases, external data sources. The database covers OECD member countries, accession countries and selected non-OECD countries (including the BRIICS economies - Brazil, Russian Federation, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa).
Methodology:
Selection and methodology of indicator’s assessment is based on the set of indicators proposed by the OECD and addressed by the report:
"Green Growth: Monitoring progress towards green growth“. Data relating to the national situation are usually presented in the period between 2000 and 2012. Basic time sequence is changed in those cases when the data are not accessible or when their comparison is not possible due to differing approaches in their collection, assessment, changes in methodology, classification, etc. Summary assessment of indicator’s trend from the green growth perspective is based on a subjective evaluation of the responsible assessor due to the fact that the strategy is not officially implemented in the Slovak Republic and therefore specific objectives have not been defined. Naturally, this assessment builds on the analysis of the past trends, as well as their anticipated direction in view of the measures adopted as to date.
Selected indicators characterize Slovakia's initial position as seen from the perspective of the green growth and were to be used as a measuring tool before further steps are taken in the process of implementation of this strategy and for a complex assessment of the future trend of the Slovak economy. Present set of green growth indicators comprises 32 individual indicators that are relevant in Slovakia's conditions. Four of them are national indicators that describe voluntary instruments of the environmental strategy.
Data sources:
Data used in this document come from the official national or international sources and databases. Assessed trend was reviewed and discussed with the state administration specialists (individual departments of the ministries of Environment, Economy, Labour and Social Affairs and Family, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development) and their professional organisations (Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr, Slovak Environmnet Agency, State Nature Consservancy, Institute for Financial Policy) and also the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic whose databases furnish most of the information.
Related indicators:
Linked references: