The preparation of the emission inventory for the agriculture sector in Slovakia is based on the annual compilation of the emissions balance using sectoral statistics and, in recent years, also based on the regionalisation of agricultural areas. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are calculated according to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the 2019 Refinements to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. For the inventory of air pollutants, the analysis of emission sources is based on the EMEP/EEA Guidebook 2023 guidelines, taking into account the principles of good agricultural practice.
The Slovak agricultural inventory utilizes the principle of consistency by performing the simultaneous preparation and reporting of greenhouse gases (GHG) and air pollutants. This ensures efficiency through the use of common datasets and inputs. A key principle is the establishment of a link between the estimates of NH3, NOx emissions and the estimates of nitrous oxide N2O emissions (a greenhouse gas) based on the Nitrogen-flow (N-flow) concepts. Therefore, consistency between these two inventories (air pollutants and GHG) is a fundamental principle of the emission estimate.
The primary sectoral statistics upon which the balance is compiled include:
- Number of livestock
- Animal production
- Consumption of organic and inorganic fertilisers
To ensure accuracy and consistency, cooperation with several key institutions is utilized:
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic (MPRV SR): Publishes annual agricultural statistics in the Green Report (e.g., Green Report 2023), which includes a section dedicated to agriculture and food
- Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (ŠÚ SR): Annually provides activity data concerning the number of livestock and animal production (data are also available in the Statistical Yearbooks)
- National Agricultural and Food Centre – Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra (NPPC – VÚŽV): Provides key activity data and parameters, improves the methodology, and ensures QA/QC activities in the animal inventory in categories 3.A, 3.B, and 3.D
- Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture (ÚKSÚP): Annually provides soil data