Implementing decision 2020/1357 - Granting of temporary support to Slovakia to mitigate unemployment risks following the COVID-19 outbreak - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 314/63

On 6 August 2020, Slovakia requested financial assistance from the Union with a view to complementing its national efforts to address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and respond to the socioeconomic consequences of the outbreak for workers and the self-employed.

The COVID-19 outbreak and the extraordinary measures implemented by Slovakia to contain the outbreak and its socioeconomic and health-related impact are expected to have a dramatic impact on public finances. According to the Commission’s 2020 Spring forecast, Slovakia was expected to have a general government deficit and debt of 8,5 % and 59,5 % of gross domestic product (GDP) respectively by the end of 2020. According to the Commission’s 2020 Summer interim forecast, Slovakia’s GDP is projected to decrease by 9,0 % in 2020.

The COVID-19 outbreak has immobilised a substantial part of the labour force in Slovakia. This has led to a sudden and severe increase in public expenditure in Slovakia in respect of the national short-time work scheme and similar measures, as set out in recital (4).

More specifically, ‘Act No 5/2004 Coll. on Employment Services’, which is referred to in Slovakia’s request of 6 August 2020, has been the basis for the introduction of a number of measures to address the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, including a scheme to support employers who temporarily furloughed employees between March 2020 and December 2021. Such employers can request a reimbursement of wage costs of up to 80 % of the usual gross salary of the employee furloughed up to a maximum of EUR 880 per month, conditional on employee retention. In addition, a number of accompanying measures were introduced: (a) a flat-rate contribution per employee from March to the end of September 2020 contingent on a decrease in sales of at least 20 % (monthly support from EUR 180 to EUR 540 depending on the sales decrease); (b) a flat-rate contribution until the end of September 2020 payable to the self-employed who have compulsory social insurance contingent on a decrease in sales of at least 20 % (monthly support from EUR 180 to EUR 540 depending on the sales decrease); (c) a reimbursement of 80 % of the employee’s gross salary (up to a maximum of EUR 1 100) until the end of September 2020 for enterprises closed by decree; and (d) a flat-rate allowance of EUR 210 per month until the end of September 2020 for workers working under a contract, single-person companies and the self-employed. The flat-rate allowance can be considered to be a similar measure to short-time work schemes, as referred to in Regulation (EU) 2020/672, as it aims at protecting the self-employed or similar categories of workers from a reduction in or loss of income.

Slovakia fulfils the conditions for requesting financial assistance set out in Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2020/672. Slovakia has provided the Commission with appropriate evidence that the actual and planned public expenditure has increased by EUR 1 077 457 000 as of 1 February 2020 due to the national measures taken to address the socioeconomic effects of the...