Operations & Public Policy 

Mekomot Slovakia, o.z.

1. Purpose of the Document

This policy sets out the fundamental operational and public rules of Mekomot Slovakia, o.z., a civic association.

Its purpose is to ensure political neutrality, transparency, legal accountability, and protection of personal data in accordance with applicable legislation.

2. Political Neutrality

  • Mekomot Slovakia, o.z. is a non-political and politically neutral civic association.
  • The organisation does not participate in political campaigns and does not comment on the activities of political parties, movements, ministries, governments, or legislative processes.
  • The organisation does not take positions on international political conflicts or foreign governmental decisions.
  • Cooperation with state institutions, municipalities, or foreign organisations is strictly limited to cultural, historical, and educational purposes.

3. Transparency

  • The association maintains accounting records in accordance with Slovak Act No. 431/2002 Coll. on Accounting.
  • Mekomot Slovakia, o.z. may voluntarily publish annual overviews of activities and financial management as a demonstration of transparency towards donors and the public.
  • If the annual volume of foreign donations exceeds €5,000, the association is legally obliged to designate itself as an “organisation with foreign support” under Act No. 346/2018 Coll.
  • Partnerships and collaborations are accepted only if they are consistent with the association’s apolitical, cultural, and educational mission.

4. GDPR and Personal Data Protection

4.1 Data Controller

The data controller is Mekomot Slovakia, o.z., registered with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic.

4.2 Scope of Data Processing

Only data necessary for the activities of the association are processed, in particular:

  • name and surname,
  • contact details (email, phone),
  • data on donations or participation in activities.

4.3 Purpose of Processing

  • donor and member record-keeping,
  • communication with volunteers and donors,
  • compliance with legal obligations (accounting, reporting).

4.4 Legal Basis of Processing

Processing of personal data is lawful pursuant to Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), if at least one of the following conditions applies:

a) the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes;

b) processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;

c) rocessing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

(Full wording of GDPR is available at Eur-Lex: eur-lex.europa.eu)

4.5 Third Parties (Processors)

Data processing may be carried out through third parties such as PayPal, Stripe, Wise, or banking institutions.

These entities act as independent controllers under GDPR and bear full responsibility for the processing they carry out in their own name.

Mekomot Slovakia, o.z. is not responsible for the processing of personal data by third parties and recommends that donors familiarise themselves with the privacy policies of the respective service providers.

4.6 Data Retention

  • accounting records and donation records: 10 years,
  • email communication: max. 3 years,
  • data processed on the basis of consent: until consent is withdrawn.

4.7 Rights of Data Subjects

Every individual has the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, transfer data, object, and lodge a complaint with the Slovak Data Protection Authority (Úrad na ochranu osobných údajov SR).

5. Public Communication

  • Public communication (website, social media, media) is strictly focused on cultural, historical, and educational topics.
  • The organisation does not provide comments on political events or governmental decisions.
  • All external statements must comply with this policy and be approved by the governing body of the association.

6. Responsibility and Review

  • This policy is binding for members, volunteers, and representatives of the association.
  • It is reviewed at least once a year or whenever required by legislative changes.
  • Breaches of this policy may lead to termination of membership or cooperation.

7. Effectiveness

This Operational and Public Policy enters into force on 27/09/2025 and is publicly available on the association’s website.