Two Slovak MEPs from the European People's Party (PPE), Miriam Lexmann and Tomáš Zdechovský, have submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission raising concerns about the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for the Gotion InoBat battery plant in Šurany, Slovakia. The MEPs allege that key data on the concentration of the toxic substance N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was manipulated to circumvent legal limits, and that the project obtained a building permit under non-transparent conditions. The question, filed on 14 April 2026, targets potential breaches of EU environmental legislation and risks to public health.
The MEPs' question details that the original EIA documentation assumed an NMP concentration of five milligrams per cubic metre, while the legal limit is less than half of that. After concerns were raised by the investor, the documentation was amended to show a concentration of one milligram per cubic metre, without any change in technology, production process, or intended production volume. This, according to the MEPs, constitutes manipulation of key values and deliberate circumvention of legal requirements.
Concrete asks and policy orientation The question contains two specific requests: first, whether the Commission is aware of the project and the alleged irregularities; second, whether it plans to communicate with the Slovak government given the potential breaches of EU law. The MEPs are pressing for EU-level scrutiny of a project that they argue poses serious environmental and health risks. Their stance reflects a tension between economic development (the plant is a strategic investment) and environmental protection, with the MEPs favouring stricter enforcement of EU standards.
Expected follow-up The Commission is required to respond within approximately six weeks. Its answer will signal whether it views the allegations as credible and whether it intends to intervene, potentially triggering an infringement procedure against Slovakia. The outcome could have implications for other battery projects in the EU, where similar tensions between industrial policy and environmental compliance may arise.
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