Slovakia faces EU deadline to resolve payment agency accreditation dispute

Slovakia has entered a two-month deadline period during which it must replace the permanent accreditation of its payment agency with temporary accreditation, according to European Commission expectations. During this same timeframe, Slovakia is expected to present proposals for corrective measures to address issues with the agency. Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč maintains that an ongoing audit has not been concluded and says discussions about its findings will not take place until September. The European Commission expects Slovakia's Ministry of Agriculture to act more quickly to resolve the accreditation issues. The payment agency handles the distribution of EU agricultural subsidies to Slovak farmers, and its accreditation status directly affects the country's ability to receive and distribute these funds from Brussels.