The Role, Powers and Challenges of the Slovak Environmental Inspectorate

Absztrakt

The Slovak Environmental Inspectorate (hereinafter ‘SEI’) is the main authority responsible for enforcing environmental legislation in the Slovak Republic. This article provides legal and institutional analysis of the SEI, tracing its historical development from its establishment in 1991 to its current role. The study examines the SEI’s organisational structure, including its vertical and horizontal divisions, and its jurisdiction across six specialised areas of competence: water protection, air protection, waste management, nature and landscape protection, biological safety and environmental assessment and permitting. Particular attention is paid to the procedural framework governing inspections and the sanctioning of administrative proceedings, highlighting inconsistencies and outdated legal instruments. The article also explores the SEI’s interactions with other administrative and criminal authorities and identifies systematic challenges such as fragmented competencies, insufficient modernisation and a lack of unified enforcement mechanisms. The author proposes targeted reforms to strengthen the SEI’s mandate, improve procedural efficiency, and enhance environmental law enforcement effectiveness.