During fieldwork and based on publicly available information, we found that in the Habeš locality there has been long-term accumulation of municipal waste in the immediate vicinity of the homes of a segregated Roma community. The area lacks systematic waste collection measures – only three large-capacity containers serve the entire locality, they are emptied irregularly, and the functioning of the system additionally depends on individual reports from residents.
Following the examination of our complaint, the Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) confirmed in January 2026 that the current situation poses a serious risk to health. According to the Ombudsman, the municipality of Sečovce violated the fundamental rights of residents by failing to ensure a functional, fair, and non-discriminatory municipal waste management system.
The Ombudsman found violations of the following fundamental rights:
- the right to a favourable environment (Article 44 of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic)
- the right to health protection (Article 40 of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic)
- rights arising from the European Convention on Human Rights (in particular Article 8 – the right to respect for private and family life)
“The Waste Act does not allow municipalities to organise the collection of mixed municipal waste solely on the basis of irregular individual notifications of container fullness. (…) It requires regular, predictable, and organised collection, which ensures hygiene in the area and prevents the emergence of illegal dumping or the accumulation of waste.”
– as stated in the decision of Ombudsman.
In the case of Sečovce, a municipal regulation even introduced a specific waste collection regime for a marginalised community. In practice, this meant that while the rest of the town had a predictable service, the Habeš locality operated under an unstable system.
Such an arrangement “(…) in practice causes negative environmental impacts (…) to fall disproportionately on this particular group of residents,” which “(…) contributes to deepening social exclusion, stigmatization, and worsens the chances of residents in the locality to fully participate in the life of the town,”
as emphasized by Ombudsman.
During the investigation, the Ombudsman also communicated with a local community centre that organises clean-up activities and educational programmes for children. While these activities are highly valuable, they cannot replace the legal obligations of the municipality or systemic solutions.
The Ombudsman’s response makes it clear that this is not merely a technical issue of waste management. The situation has a clear social and human rights dimension. It points to broader, long-term systemic failures in ensuring equal access to public services. These structural causes require sustainable solutions and professional, sensitive measures by all public authorities.
What happens next?
The Public Defender of Rights has called on the municipality to adopt concrete remedial measures and to report on them within a 20-day deadline. We continue to monitor this case and will follow whether the measures are effectively implemented and lead to greater social inclusion.
At Forum, we have long been engaged with the issue of environmental justice. Our analyses repeatedly highlight that for communities living in structural poverty, the absence of basic services becomes another barrier to a dignified life.
We have also addressed this issue in our expert publication:
“Waste as a Social Problem in Excluded Roma Settlements” (2022), prepared in cooperation with researchers from the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The publication provides a detailed analysis of how improper waste management by local authorities creates hazardous environmental burdens directly in the vicinity of people’s homes.
