Slovak National Party Plans to Ban Synthetic Meat

Bratislava, 29 November (TASR) – The coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) will prepare a legislative proposal for the January session of Parliament, aimed at banning the sale and distribution of products made from animal cells or tissues cultured in artificial conditions, so-called synthetic meat, party's spokesperson Zuzana Skopcova told TASR on Saturday. "The Slovak National Party will propose, similar to what the Hungarian Parliament recently approved, that the Slovak Republic become the second EU member state to completely ban synthetic meat. We consider it unacceptable for such products to reach retail chains in the future and be sold to Slovak consumers," Skopcova said. According to SNS, synthetic meat represents a health risk for Slovaks. She also pointed out that the European Union has not yet adopted any legislation in this area. SNS says it wants to prevent these products from appearing on the Slovak market, either on their own or as part of other foods. "The ban will naturally not apply to vegan and plant-based products," the spokesperson added. SNS will also propose strict penalties for anyone who imports, distributes or otherwise processes synthetic meat in Slovakia. mf