The Government finalised the text of the proposed Energy Efficiency Act, which defines measures to promote energy efficiency, measures to increase the efficiency of energy use, and energy efficiency requirements for products and energy efficiency of buildings, and contains adjustments to EU legislation.

At today's session, the Government adopted the Guidelines for the drawing up of the draft revised budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2020, the proposed amendments to the budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2021 and the proposed budget of the Republic of Slovenia for 2022. The state budget for 2020 needs to be revised due to the coronavirus epidemic, which has resulted in higher state budget expenditures.

The Government decided to extend the measure of partial reimbursement of salary compensation for temporarily laid-off workers, as set out in the Act on Intervention Measures to Prepare for the Second Wave of COVID-19, until 31 August 2020.

Furthermore, the Government adopted an amendment to the Ordinance on the restrictions on the offering and sale of goods and services to consumers in the Republic of Slovenia, thus revoking the minimum trading hours of shops and lifting the ban on the operation of shops on Sundays and work-free days as defined by law. Shops are now free to set their trading hours as they see fit. However, nightclubs and discotheques remain closed.

The Government also extended the validity of the Ordinance on the mandatory wearing of protective masks or other forms of protection covering mouth and nose in closed public spaces and the mandatory disinfection of hands.

The Government decided that the existing restrictions set out in the Ordinance on the restriction or prohibition of the gathering of people would continue to apply.

In addition, the Government issued the Decree amending the Decree on activities affecting the environment that require an environmental impact assessment. The amendments will have a major positive effect on the reduction of administrative burden on authorities responsible for the activities affecting the environment for which the analysis of the previous procedures performed and partial comparison showed that no significant impact on the environment could be expected given the nature of activities.