Sources of financing of the Eco Fund

The manner of financing of the Environmental Protection Fund (hereinafter: the Eco-Fund) is prescribed by Article 76 of the Environmental Law (hereinafter: the Law), whereby paragraph 3 stipulates that funds for the operation of the Eco-Fund are provided from eco- fees; loans, donations and assistance; instruments, programmes and funds of the European Union, the United Nations and international organisations; foreign investments intended for the protection of the environment and other sources in accordance with the law. Pursuant to Article 77, paragraph 2 of the Law, and the Decree on the amount of fees, method of calculation and payment of fees for environmental pollution and Article 18 of the Law on Administrative Procedure, the Environmental Protection Agency issues decisions based on which the eco-fees are collected, i.e. funds for financing the Eco-Fund are raised, as follows:

- Fee for importing substances that deplete the ozone layer
- Fee for releasing pollutants into the air
- Fee for generation and disposal of hazardous waste

Eco-fees are fees for environmental pollution that are paid according to the "polluter pays" principle. Pursuant to the Decree on activities or operations emitting greenhouse gases for which a permit for the emission of greenhouse gases is issued, the Eco-Fund generates revenues from fees for the transfer of emission credits in the amount of 0.1% of the minimum emission credit price of €24/tCO2.
Pursuant to Article 76 of the Environmental Law, funds of the Eco-fund are provided for financing the preparation, implementation and development of programmes, projects and similar activities at the state and local level, with the aim of preservation, sustainable use, protection and improvement of the environment, energy efficiency and use of renewable sources of energy, implementation of goals and principles of environmental protection, in order to achieve integral and complete preservation of environmental quality, preservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity and rational use of natural resources and energy as fundamental conditions for sustainable development, as well as the exercize of citizens right to a healthy environment.