On January 26, 2022, the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic presented the consumer protection bill to make its way through the interdepartmental consultation process.

The bill introduces new general legislation in the area of consumer protection and consolidates several existing laws and decrees.

The most significant changes to be brought about by the new legislation are the unification of the used terms with EU legislation, the updating of information requirements for contracts concluded at a distance or outside the seller’s premises / place of business (distance and off-premises contracts) in connection with digitization and the new regulation of information obligations of online market operators.

At the same time, the bill sets out the conditions for the compatibility and interoperability of digital content or digital services. In response to market developments and changes in European consumer legislation, definitions of digital content, digital services as well as goods with digital elements are introduced, through the Civil Code, into the Slovak law. The expected effective date of the new law is May 28, 2022.