Legislation

As an EU member state, Slovakia is committed to fully implementing the commitments and rules of European legislation and policies. This applies both to the adopted EU Green Deal and to the legal acts resulting from the Fit for 55 package.

The rules apply directly (without the need to amend Slovak law) to all adopted EU regulations that are in force as published in the Official Journal of the EU. This applies to regulations on vehicle emissions reduction, charging infrastructure (AFIR) as well as on batteries and industrial policy. Transposition into Slovak legislation requires an amendment to the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the text of which will need to be transposed into the Slovak Act on the Protection of Energy in Buildings after its final approval.

The primary regulation of the e-mobility business is defined by the Energy Act, which defines both the basic concepts and the conditions of the charging service. The operation of a charging station and the provision of charging is not perceived as an energy business, which implies that the provider of this service does not have to comply with the obligations related to the sale of electricity. The Act also defines terms such as charging station or charging point and the obligations towards the Office for Regulation of Network Industries, including the reporting obligation of the operator of a public charging point.

Under the Energy Act, when connecting a charging station with a total installed capacity exceeding 100 kW, it is also necessary to submit an application for connection to the distribution system and to conclude a connection contract with the distribution system operator.

The approved EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) defines binding targets for the development of charging infrastructure in Member States (so-called capacity targets as well as based on the distance between charging points). It also defines a number of details on the operation of charging stations. These include minimum service standards in terms of authentication and payment or charging price display.

The revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which also affects the objectives and conditions for installing charging stations in residential and office buildings, is also currently in the legislative process. This amendment proposes, among other things, to tighten the targets for the pre-installation of chargers (pre-cabling) as well as to increase the mandatory minimum numbers.

A number of measures aimed at the development of electromobility are included in the Government’s Electromobility Action Plan. Among other things, this document plans for the introduction of a subsidy for the purchase of electric vehicles, several tax advantages for the purchase and charging of electric vehicles aimed at companies, and user benefits for green number plates. Support for the construction of charging infrastructure of various kinds has also been included among the measures.

Financial support of €46 million for different types of charging points is approved in the Recovery and Resilience Plan. More than €10 million is directed to support cities, more than €6 million for legal entities and more than €30 million should be spent on building hubs with ultra-fast charging points at motorway rest areas.