Slovakia says EU supported bear slaughter in exchange for vote in favor of Nature Restoration Law

Slovakia will have secured the approval of the European Commission (EC) for its new and controversial law, which facilitates the slaughter of bears that approach cities and villages, in exchange for a vote in favor. the Nature Restoration Law, allowing the environmental regulation, which has undergone several advances and setbacks, to be made viable, stated the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister, also responsible for protecting the Environment, when North American newspaper “Politico†.

“We made it very clear that we could not support [a Lei do Restauro da Natureza] in the impossibility of receiving approval for our new legislation on bears. And that happened,†he told “Politico†shortly after speaking favorably on the regulation that presupposes the adoption, by Member States, of measures to recover a fifth of natural habitats, both terrestrial and maritime. , until 2030.

Questioned by the same newspaper, Virginijus SinkeviÄ ius, European commissioner responsible for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries portfolio, denied the episode reported by the Slovak minister. “It’s a very strange rumor… there were no discussions or negotiations: bears or the nature restoration law… There were no exchanges or anything like that,†he declared, adding that there was no no further agreement was made to obtain the Slovak vote.

However, in a message sent to Tomá¡Å¡ Taraba and made available to POLITICO by his office, SinkeviÄ ius appeared to give the confirmation that the Slovak deputy prime minister intended, two days after a meeting between both parts in which Taraba will have presented a kind of ultimatum.

“As agreed during Thursday’s meeting,” the commissioner wrote, “our experts have analyzed as thoroughly as possible the new Slovak law amending the Civil Protection Act and the Law on Nature , and I am pleased to share with you that we have concluded that the new law appears to be largely in line with the EU Habitats Directive.”

Bear incidents have increased

Before expressing his hope for a favorable vote in Taraba on the Nature Restoration Law, SinkeviÄ ius said that there are “some provisions in which compliance with legislation of the EU will depend to a large extent on how they will be applied†.

Speaking to Expresso, a spokesperson for the European Commission in charge of the Environment portfolio echoes the message addressed by Virginijus SinkeviÄ ius to the Slovak deputy prime minister. “We have informed the Slovak authorities that, based on a preliminary assessment, the new law appears to be largely in compliance with the EU Habitats Directive and that, at the same time, the preliminary assessment identified some provisions where compliance with EU law will largely depend on how they are implemented.’

Furthermore, adds the official, “the Commission services are ready to work constructively and provide all assistance to the Slovak authorities, so that compliance with legislation EU security is also ensured in the implementation phase”.

According to “Politico†, Tomáš Taraba ignored the reservations presented by the EC, having told that newspaper that Brussels considered that the new law is in “complete compliance†with the legislation European.

The Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, was present at the meeting of the European Council of Environment Ministers on Monday, which aimed to approve the new European environmental law. To Expresso, a source from her office states that the government official “is unaware of the existence of this alleged negotiation, which may have taken place with a view to approving the Nature Restoration Lawâ€.

The Slovak Parliament recently approved the diploma that allows local authorities and authorized hunters to shoot bears that approach inhabited areas, as long as they are at least 500 meters from the borders of these villages. Until now, animals could only be slaughtered after being removed from homes or returning to the forest.

The controversial law emerged following an increase in incidents involving these animals in recent years. In March, a woman fell into a ravine while being chased by a bear and five other people were injured in a separate attack.

Bears are a protected species under European law, which means that their slaughter is strictly regulated and cannot jeopardize their long-term conservation. However, the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister, who belongs to the far-right Slovak National Party, has been putting pressure on Slovak and European institutions to relax bear protection rules.