Activists Accuse MH Invest of Fraud (2)

Surany/Bratislava, 22 July (TASR) – The We Protect Our Own civil initiative has once again accused GIB EnergyX Slovakia, the Economy Ministry and state-owned company MH Invest of unlawful practices and fraud related to the permit process for constructing a battery plant in Surany (Nitra region) and demanded an immediate suspension of all construction work until the completion of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (known as a full EIA), Stanislav Gulas of the civil initiative announced on Tuesday. GIB EnergyX Slovakia has submitted several building permit applications related to the construction of the Surany Industrial Park and the battery manufacturing plant. "The investor is submitting more applications, but the environmental assessment for battery production itself has only just begun. With the consent of MH Invest, however, the investor is knowingly and incorrectly attaching a decision from the preliminary screening process (the so-called small EIA), which applied only to the industrial park and not to battery production," claim the activists. The activists are urging the relevant authorities not to grant permits for the construction of production halls, hazardous waste storage, external NMP solvent cleaning areas or waste-water treatment facilities until the full EIA has been completed for the entire project. According to MH Invest, the activists are basing their claims on their own interpretation of both a January 2025 meeting at the Economy Ministry and the project’s permit procedures. The state-owned company emphasised that the Surany Industrial Park strategic project is being carried out in accordance with applicable legislation and within the context of a lawfully completed environmental impact assessment. The company says that all steps are being taken in line with project milestones and obligations arising from a government decision in June 2022, which granted the industrial park the status of a strategic investment. A further government decision in 2025 issued a certificate for the project. MH Invest stated that the EIA process was a necessary condition for launching the project, which aims to provide infrastructure for facilities of current and future investors in the industrial park area. The environmental assessment allows investors to apply for construction permits, provided that their planned activities remain within the approved limits of the assessment, added MH Invest. GIB EnergyX Slovakia is currently undergoing a separate environmental impact assessment for the battery plant, which has not yet been completed. Without this, the company cannot fully launch operations at the plant. The application for a building permit submitted by the investor relates to Phase 1.1 of external construction. mf/df