BRATISLAVA, September 27, (WEBNOVINY) — Jozsef Nagy of the governing coalition party MOST-HID will lead the Environment Ministry after it is restored on November 1. He said at a news conference on Monday at which the party introduced him to the media that he would strive to gain the additional payment of EUR 15 million related to the sale of its redundant CO2 emission allowances to the company Interblue Group. Nagy comes to the ministry from parliament where Arpad Ersek will take his seat. „The ministerial chair is hot, as the department was in a quite desolate condition,“ said Nagy.
The Cabinet appointed Nagy to the post of State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Regional Development at an extraordinary meeting on September 24. As the future environment minister Nagy sees his priorities in hiring experts at the ministry, which he is to lead. “Another practical priority is to speed up and reevaluate flood prevention measures,” he said. Nagy also wants to stop sanctions threatening the ministry due to inactivity of some sections. He explained that Slovakia might face several trials with the EU where the lowest fine is EUR 725,000. He warned that the fine for each day of delay of implementing EU directives in the Slovak legislation is paid on a daily basis. The future minister also wants to resume communication with the public which should play a more important role in decision-making about environmental topics. Nagy also announced that the resumed department will reassess the area of protected areas. “I recognize the principle of quality instead of quantity,” he said.
Nagy considers the contract with Interblue Group closed, entitling to no additional claims for further emissions from Slovakia. „I will develop efforts to get that missing 15 million euros back to the state budget,” he said. The future minister claims to have a quite good insight into the environment sphere. „Also this is why I have accepted the offer,” he said. He wants to seek his state secretary in the environmental sector, ruling out any political nomination to this post. MOST-HID leader Bela Bugar said that they had decided for Nagy as they believe that a man is necessary at the helm of the department who is decisive and a qualified manager.
The Environment Ministry will renew its operation as an independent department as of November 1, 2010. The Environment Ministry was canceled at the initiative of former Prime Minister Robert Fico (SMER-SD). As of July 1, 2010, the competencies of the Environment Ministry were passed on to the Agriculture Ministry which was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Regional Development. Even though the Environment Ministry formally ceased to exist, apart from the name, everything remained the same as before.
SITA