Slovak agriculture and food production sector after the accession to the European Union is
undergoing through meaningful changes. In this respect also in other EU-10 states are faced
numerous challenges and changes which have significant impact on the economic and social
development, agricultural and rural policies and on the human and institutional capacity
building. The objective of this paper is to analyze the conditions of the development of
agriculture and food production after EU accession, to identify its strengths and weaknesses, as
well as advantages and disadvantages. The other objective is to evaluate the challenges, which
are in front of the agrarian managers and individual farmers in connection to the upcoming
new EU policy designed for 2014 – 2020. While after the accession the importance of
agricultural sector is in national economies further declining, the positive trend is that
importance of rural economies sector is gradually increasing and it is recognized by EU
policymakers, as well as by some national governments. With EU accession from very outset
have been connected great expectations, hopes, but also hesitations. However, despite the
numerous doubts the EU enlargement has in general positive impact on agriculture and rural
development, first of all from the farmer’s income point of view. It has to be underlined that
EU accession had great consequences on Slovak agriculture. Alongside of positive changes
which brought to Slovakia new machineries, progressive more sustainable farming
technologies and supported the rural development in Slovak countryside, there are also
negative impacts.