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Air pollution has a demonstrable impact on health – from respiratory diseases to long-term civilization problems. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is one of the most significant environmental risks to human health. The AQIP therefore contains measures aimed at reducing pollution and improving air quality in the region.

The development of the program results from the applicable legislation of the Slovak Republic and the European Union.

At the national level, these include in particular:

• Act No. 146/2023 Coll. on air protection, which regulates the obligations of air protection authorities and operators of pollution sources

- obligation to develop programs to improve air quality in areas where limit values ​​of pollutants are exceeded

At the European level, the issue is based on:

• Directive 2024/2881 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe

- requirements for monitoring, assessment and management of air quality in the Member States

These regulations impose an obligation to take measures wherever air quality does not comply with the established limits.

The aim of the AQIP is to achieve good air quality in a defined area with the help of the proposed measures. The document content meets the requirements set out in the Decree of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic No. 250/2023 Coll. and includes an assessment of the current state of air quality in terms of compliance with air quality standards, identification of the share of sources in air pollution, measures taken so far and current measures to achieve better air quality, deadlines for their implementation, performance indicators, data on persons responsible for implementing measures and assessment of the effectiveness of the measures taken.

In the Žilina Region, local heating plants are among the significant sources of air pollution. Many households in the region still heat with solid fuel, most often wood and coal. These are often older boilers that produce more smoke and pollutants. According to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, a significant part of PM10, PM2.5 and benzo(a)pyrene dust particles comes from local heating of households. Therefore, even small changes in the method of heating can contribute to cleaner air.

The Air Quality Improvement Program aims to gradually improve this situation by combining practical measures and public information. The goal is to help residents find out about the options for more environmentally friendly and efficient heating, but also to draw attention to how improper heating can affect air quality in towns and cities. The proposed measures also include information campaigns, recommendations for households, and sharing practical advice via local government websites and social networks. The AQIP also plans to support the modernization of heating in households, in particular by gradually replacing older solid fuel boilers with more modern low-emission heat sources and by making greater use of renewable energy sources. Another important measure is to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, for example by insulating family houses.

The proposed measures also concern the area of ​​transport, which is one of the significant sources of nitrogen oxide and dust particle emissions, especially in urban environments. The program therefore supports the development of more environmentally friendly forms of transport, strengthening public transport and building infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

The draft program and the evaluation report of the strategic document are published on the Enviroportal:

https://www.enviroportal.sk/eia/detail/program-na-zlepsenie-kvality-ovzdusia-pre-zonu-zilinsky-kraj

The public discussion of the draft Program for the Žilina Region and the evaluation report of the strategic document will take place on May 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the address: Congress Hall of the Žilina Self-Governing Region Office, Komenského 48, 011 09 Žilina.

Consultations pursuant to Section 63 of Act No. 24/2006 Coll. on environmental impact assessment and on amendments and supplements to certain acts as amended by later regulations to the assessment report and to the draft strategic document can be carried out during the entire environmental impact assessment process at the Žilina District Office, Department of Environmental Care, Department of State Administration of Waters and Selected Components of the Environment of the Region, Vysokoškolákov 8556/33B, 010 08 Žilina on working days during office hours (we recommend arranging the consultation date in advance by phone or e-mail).

Several professional institutions participated in the preparation of the AQIP, including the Žilina Self-Governing Region Office, the Slovak Environmental Agency, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, the Ministry of the Environment