Slovakia will extend by one month the temporary border controls initially introduced in April at its borders with Hungary and Austria, the country’s public service news agency TASR reported on Wednesday.
The decision was announced following a government meeting in Bratislava and comes in response to ongoing concerns about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which affects livestock.
The original measure, enacted on April 7, was set to expire at midnight on May 8. With Wednesday’s extension, the controls will now remain in effect through June 7. Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč confirmed the continuation of the policy, which includes the closure of 17 border crossings — 16 with Hungary and one with Austria.
The Slovak interior ministry, which proposed the extension, justified the move by emphasizing the continued risk posed by the disease. “The risk of the spread of foot-and-mouth disease still exists, so the extension of the measure is also justified,” the ministry stated in its explanation to the cabinet.
Under the extended controls, the Ministry of the Interior retains the authority to determine which official border crossings may remain open to motorized traffic. The ministry aims to concentrate such traffic through checkpoints that are equipped with facilities for disinfection, thereby helping to prevent the potential transmission of the virus.
However, these restrictions do not apply to so-called “green borders” — routes used by tourists traveling on foot or by bicycle outside of official crossings. These paths will remain open, and recreational cross-border movement is not expected to be affected.
The highly contagious viral illness affects farm animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Although it poses no direct threat to humans, outbreaks can cause significant economic damage in the agricultural sector due to trade restrictions, culling, and loss of livestock productivity.
The Slovak government has yet to indicate whether further extensions will be considered beyond the new June deadline.
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