Agriculture Minister Denies EU Request to Revoke Payment Agency Accreditation

Slovak Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč denied claims that the European Commission has requested Slovakia to withdraw accreditation from its Agricultural Payment Agency. Takáč, who serves in Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition government, questioned how opposition parties Progressive Slovakia and Freedom and Solidarity obtained contents of correspondence from the European Commission before the intended recipient had received it. The dispute appears to center on allegations made by the opposition parties regarding EU pressure on Slovakia's agricultural payment system. The Agricultural Payment Agency handles distribution of EU agricultural subsidies to Slovak farmers, making its accreditation status crucial for the country's agricultural sector.