Slovakia Restores Independent Review of Major Infrastructure Projects to Secure EU Recovery Funds

Slovakia's parliament has approved legislation requiring the Value for Money Unit (ÚHP) to resume comprehensive assessment of all major state investments, including highways and railways, without exceptions. The proposal came from a Smer-SD lawmaker, marking a reversal of the ruling coalition's 2022 decision to largely exclude the analytical unit from evaluating government projects. The Value for Money Unit, housed within the Finance Ministry, had previously been critical of large government infrastructure initiatives. However, the absence of these independent assessments threatened Slovakia's access to European Union recovery plan funding, forcing the government to restore the unit's oversight role to maintain compliance with EU requirements.