Proposal for the Act Determining the Intervention Measures to Mitigate and Remedy the Consequences of the COVID-19 Epidemic for Citizens and the Economy (#PKP3)

The act proposal comprises provisional measures for the mitigation and remedy of the consequences of the communicable disease COVID-19 in the fields of work, public finance, the economy, agriculture, forestry and food, scholarships, subsidised student meals, higher education, infrastructure, and public procurement.

The Government adopts the wording of the Act Regulating the Guarantees of the Republic of Slovenia for the SURE Instrument

The Government has adopted the wording of the Act Regulating the Guarantees of the Republic of Slovenia in the European Instrument for Temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) after the COVID-19 Outbreak. The SURE instrument will provide loans to EU Member States up to the amount of EUR 100 billion to support schemes for the reduction of working time and similar measures necessary for the mitigation of the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic.

As part of measures for mitigating the consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic, the European Commission has proposed a EUR 100 billion solidarity instrument – SURE – that will provide loans to EU Member States up to the amount of EUR 100 billion and thus support schemes for the reduction of working time and similar measures to help preserve jobs and prevent loss of income for employees. All Member States can benefit from the loans, but they will be particularly important for the most affected countries.

The loans will be based on guarantees that will be committed to by the Member States. The system will enable the EU to expand the volume of loans that can be provided by the SURE instrument to the Member State and will ensure that the contingent liability of the EU arising from the instrument is compatible with the EU budgetary constraints. For the approach to serve the intended purpose, the Member States must provide credible, irrevocable and callable guarantees in line with their respective shares in the total gross national income of the EU.

Slovenia will therefore, in accordance with the proposed Act, provide the European Commission with an irrevocable, unconditional and on demand guarantee for the liabilities of Member States resulting from loan and guarantee agreements up to EUR 88.1 million principal plus interest and other costs.

The guarantee will take effect when the guarantee agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and the European Commission enters into force. The guarantee issued under this Act shall not be included in the guarantee quota laid down by the act governing the implementation of the budget of the Republic of Slovenia.

The Slovenian economy urgently needs such a measure. Considering that the measure will only be implemented with the support of all Member States, the adoption of this Act is absolutely necessary, which is why the Government proposes its consideration in the National Assembly under the emergency procedure. At the same time, the Government proposes that the National Assembly adopt a decision establishing that a referendum on this Act may not be called.

Information on establishment and appointment of the Strategic Council for De-Bureaucratisation

The Government has received information on the establishment and appointment of the Strategic Council for Fiscal, Economic and Environmental De-Bureaucratisation.