Mobility Basic Figures

According to data collection within the EU funded project ALTERMOTIVE the total energy consumption for car passenger transport in Slovakia increased from 22 PJ in 1993 to an historical peak of 36 PJ in 2001. Afterwards, there was a slight decrease to 32 PJ in 2007. Until 2008 no use of alternative fuels in car passenger transport has been reported. The total passenger vehicles stock in Slovakia has increased from 0.88 millions in 1990 to 1.43 millions in 2007. With respect to alternative vehicles there was a continuous increasing trend of LPG vehicles with currently some 40,000.

The Public Transport Company Bratislava operates more than 160 CNG buses which is the largest single fleet in the country. These are about 35% of the entire bus fleet of approximately 450. The first CNG buses appeared in 2001. The public transport company plans to operate 300 CNG buses on Bratislava streets in 2010 which would represent 75% of all buses in passengers transport per day.

The main aim of Slovakian transport policy until 2015 is to ensure sustainable mobility. The most important measures to improve energy efficiency of transport and reduce negative environmental impacts in road transport is the replacement of about 75% of the entire rolling stock of the public sector which should use as much as possible alternative vehicle technologies i.e. electricity or hybrid engines.

The webpage www.lpg.szm.com list about 293 refuelling stations in the country, whereof 32 with LPG. According to the geo-information system www.metanoauto.com/modules.php there are 6 refuelling stations for biogas. There are no listed refuelling stations for biodiesel and E85 flexifuel. According to the geo-information system www.h2stations.org there is no refuelling station for hydrogen. There is no information available for public recharging points for electro vehicles.

Fiscal Incentives

In Slovakia there is a uniform VAT of 19% on the purchase of vehicles. There is no vehicle registration tax for private cars. Furthermore, there is no tax on the ownership for private passenger cars. Most commercial vehicles are subject of the so called road tax which depends on basis of their weight and number of axis. The road tax for commercial passenger cars depends on the cylinder capacity and varies between 1,600 SKK and 5,600 SKK per year.

There is an excise duty on fuels of 0.515 EUR/litre for unleaded petrol and 0.481 EUR/litre for diesel. According to Act No 98/2004 Coll. as amended by Act No667/2004 Coll. and Act No 223/2006 alternative motor fuels (biofuels, LPG, CNG) are subject of reduced tax rates under certain conditions.

Funding

There are funding opportunities of the Slovakian Ministry of Economy related to the so-called FREE Governmental Programme for Competitiveness and Economic Growth (2007-2013; funded partly by the EU Interreg IV programme), whereof one directly target to measures for increasing energy efficiency in the production and consumption and introducing advanced technologies. This includes also the purchase of new transport equipment/vehicles for the public transport. The funding volume can be at max. 85% of the investment.

Regulation

The Government Regulation No 246/2006 Coll. on the minimum amount of motor fuels is produced from renewable sources in the range of petrol and diesel fuels placed on the market in the Slovak Republic (entry into force 1 May 2006); under this regulation, producers and vendors are obliged to offer in petrol and diesel fuels for transport purposes minimum amounts of biofuels (or other renewable fuels), expressed:

(a) until 31 December 2006 in a reference value of 2%, calculated on basis of the energy content of the total amount of petrol and diesel fuel placed on the market,

(b) from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009 in a reference value of 2%, calculated on basis of the energy content of the total amount of petrol and diesel fuel placed on the market,

(c) from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010 in a reference value of 5.75%, calculated on basis of the energy content of the total amount of petrol and diesel fuel placed on the market.

Unleaded fuels are banned in Slovakia since 1995. A maximum of 10 gr/litre sulphur is allowed for diesel and petrol.

In 2009, Slovakian contracting authorities, contracting entities and other entities concluded contracts in value of 7,239.592 m EUR, whereof 25.9% is for supplies including a considerable volume for vehicle purchase and lease.

The European directives on public procurement (2004/18/EC and 2004/17/EC) have been implemented by Act No 25/2006 Coll. of Laws on public procurement and on the amendment of certain acts as Act 282/2006 Coll. of Laws, Act No 102/2007 Coll. of Laws, Act No 232/2008 Coll. of Laws, Act No 442/2008 Coll. of Laws, Act No 213/2009 Coll. of Laws, Act No 289/2009 Coll. of Laws, Act No 402/2009 Coll. of Laws, Act No 503/2009 Coll. of Laws, Act No 73/2010 Coll. of Laws and Act No 129/2010 Coll. of Laws. According to article 34 (2) of the public procurement Act “the description of the object of contract shall be drawn up on basis of functional and performance requirements which may include environmental characteristics”. However there is no systematic application of specific environmental criteria in public procurement and there are no general environmental standards/criteria as reference for the purchase of vehicles.

Slovakian public institutions have several experience related to joint procurement (so called SOVO). Four projects of SOVO were realised in 2003. An institution „Správa zariadení Úradu vlády SR“ continued in the project for procurement of xerographic paper. 23 contracting authorities participated; they procured paper in total value of 11 m SKK. Another project realised through „Správa zariadení Úradu vlády SR“ was procurement of motor vehicles in total value of 19.5 m SKK wherein 16 contracting authorities participated. The Ministry of Interior realised projects for procurement of motor vehicles in total value of 79 m SKK for 18 contracting authorities and projects for the procurement of tires, tire-tubes and protective plies in total value of 8.2 mill SKK for 16 contracting authorities. The office for public procurement publishes on its website all available information about SOVO in order to improve the information level. In section about SOVO there is published joint procurement conception, experiences with SOVO, SOVO projects and reports about joint procurement realized. However, environmental criteria/green procurement also was not in the focus of the SOVO initiatives so far.

www.economy.gov.sk	webpage of the Slovakia Ministry of Transport with information of funding for energy efficient technology including clean vehicles
www.uvo.gov.sk	webpage of the Slovakia Public Procurement Office with legislations and background information on public procurement/vehicle procurement
portal.statistics.sk	webpage of the Slovakia Statistical Office with vehicle data
www.e-vestnik.sk/EVestnik/Aktualne	Slovakia tender platform including tenders for the vehicle procurement
www.lpg.szm.com	webpage related to LPG in Slovakia including a list of refuelling stations

Public Procurement Law

Act on Public Procurement

Transport Green Public procurement (GPP) Product Sheet

List with refuelling stations/LPG stations