Takac: PPA Audit Not Finished Yet, Support for Agricultural Sector Not in Peril

Bratislava, 22 April (TASR) - An audit at the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) has not been completed yet and the agency is opposing the findings raised by the European Commission (EC) to date, Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) stated in response to the opposition criticism on Wednesday, adding that the disbursement of funds to support Slovakia's agriculture sector is not at risk in any way. Takac pointed to the fact that the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party representatives had the information from the EC's letter at a time when PPA had not yet received its official translation from the EC. He believes that PPA is becoming a vehicle for political struggle not only in Slovakia, but also on the European arena. "The audit is far from finished; the agency will provide the EC with arguments as to why it opposes its findings. A bilateral meeting with the EC as part of this audit will take place in September 2026. As always, the agency is providing full cooperation. We clearly state that the disbursement of support for Slovakia's agricultural sector is not in peril in any way," stressed Takac. On Tuesday (21 April) and Wednesday, representatives of several opposition parties criticised the situation surrounding PPA, claiming that the minister has failed to ensure the proper functioning of the agency which is now at risk of losing its accreditation following the EC's audit. As a result, hundreds of millions of euros in European funds for Slovak farms are in peril. They urged Takac to step down, along with the entire government, due to being unable to address the situation. jrg