The Government adopts proposal for an act on the intervention measures to mitigate the consequences of the communicable disease SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) epidemic for citizens and the economy

28. 3. 2020

Government of the Republic of Slovenia

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal for an act on the intervention measures to mitigate the consequences of the communicable disease SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) for citizens and the economy, known as the #PKP1 #antiCorona legislative package. One of the measures adopted by the Government to contain and control the new coronavirus epidemic was the Ordinance on mandatory disinfection of multi-dwelling buildings. The Government also adopted amendments to the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of offering and selling goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia, which dictates that purchases from 8.00 to 10.00 can only be made by vulnerable groups (e.g. persons with disabilities, pensioners, pregnant women). Pensioners can carry out their purchases only in this period.

The Government adopts proposal for an act on the intervention measures to mitigate the consequences of the communicable disease SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) epidemic for citizens and the economy

Pursuant to Article 143 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly Government of the Republic of Slovenia, it proposes that the act proposal be considered under the emergency procedure in order to mitigate the consequences and reduce the negative effects of the COVID-19 epidemic for citizens and the economy from its entry into force to 31 May 2020. All measures envisaged by the act are necessary, as the funds required to implement the measures to contain, control and prevent the spread of the epidemic must be ensured immediately.

The main aim of the act proposal is to mitigate the consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus for citizens and the economy with measures in various areas. The specific goals of the proposed measures are to preserve jobs and keep businesses in operation, to improve the social position of people, particularly those most at risk due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus, to provide emergency assistance to the self-employed, to improve the liquidity of businesses, to provide support to scientific research projects in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, to reduce meeting fees and the wages of high officials on a state level, the exemption from payment for distribution services and the provision of aid to agriculture.

The Government issues the Ordinance on the mandatory disinfection of multi-dwelling buildings

At today’s session, the Government issued the Ordinance on mandatory disinfection of multi-dwelling buildings as another measure to contain and control the new coronavirus epidemic. The Ordinance stipulates the mandatory disinfection of equipment in common areas in or by multi-dwelling buildings at least twice per day. The frequency of disinfection depends on the number of people living in the multi-dwelling building. This Ordinance will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

In particular, the following items must be disinfected twice per day:

door handles on the entrances to the multi-dwelling building,
handrails in the multi-dwelling building,
lift control buttons and cabin,
light switches in the common areas of the multi-dwelling building,
handrails and other surfaces that people are likely to frequently come into contact with on a regular basis.

In addition, a warning notice must be placed in a prominent place in front of the entrance to the lift: "The use of the lift poses a risk of transmission of COVID-19 infection, so the lift should only be used by one person at a time. After pressing the lift buttons, do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth and wash your hands.”

Owners of multi-dwelling buildings must ensure that disinfection of lift equipment is carried out at least twice a day. Disinfection is to be carried out by the manager or a third party of the manager's choice, or by the owners of dwellings if the manager does not have a sufficient number of employees, or the owners of dwellings in multi-dwelling buildings without a manager.

Ordinance amending the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of the offering and sale of goods and services to consumers

The Government adopted the Ordinance amending the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of offering and selling goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia.

In the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of offering and selling goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], Nos. 25/20, 29/20 and 32/20), paragraph two of Article 2a shall be amended to read: "(2) Purchases between 8.00 and 10.00 may be carried out only by vulnerable groups (e.g. persons with disabilities, pensioners, pregnant women). Pensioners can only carry out purchases during this time."

The designating of 8.00 to 10.00 as the period for vulnerable groups to carry out purchases aims to further protect such vulnerable groups by separating them from other consumers.

This Ordinance will enter into force on 30 March 2020.

The Government issued the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of the operation of air services in the Republic of Slovenia

In order to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its impact on the protection of public health and property, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has issued the Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of the operation of air services in the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia [Uradni list RS], No. 26/20). The Ordinance temporarily prohibits the operation of international air passenger transport from all countries to the Republic of Slovenia, including within the European Union.

Article 21 of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community provides, inter alia, that a Member State may refuse, limit or impose conditions on the exercise of traffic rights to deal with sudden problems of short duration resulting from unforeseeable and unavoidable circumstances for a period of up to 14 days. Furthermore, Article 21 of the aforementioned Regulation determines that if the problems necessitating such action continue to exist for more than 14 days, the Member State shall inform the Commission and the other Member States accordingly and may, with the agreement of the Commission, prolong the action for further periods of up to 14 days.

As the time limit laid down in said Ordinance issued by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the Regulation has expired, it is necessary to prolong the duration of the restrictions on international air passenger transport.

In view of the above, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia notes that the prohibitions adopted on the basis of the decree issued by the Minister of Health fulfil the criterion of proportionality as required by Article 21 of the aforementioned Regulation, as they refer only to the provision of international scheduled and charter passenger transportation and flights of general aviation aircraft; however, they are not applicable to cargo and/or post and national flights, taking into account the measures taken by individual EU Member States to control the epidemiological emergency in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.