At the online consultation “Who will be eligible to the billions of EU funding?” the representatives of the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and the Ministry of Infrastructure presented Slovenia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, 2021-2027 EU Cohesion Policy and the planned calls for proposals. Representatives of companies (AS system, d. o. o. and Rihter montažne gradnje, d. o. o.) and municipal administrations (Urban Municipality Maribor and Municipality Grosuplje) presented best practices of EU funds absorption.

‘The funds available to Slovenia for recovery and resilience will be used for reforms and investments that are a priority for Slovenia and should have been implemented a long time ago. The available funding will therefore be spent for investments in healthcare, long-term care and full impetus to the economy with digital and green transformation of the society and economy being at the forefront,’ underlined State Secretary Kirbiš Rojs. She said that Slovenia has never before had access to such an amount of EU funds. Under the EU Cohesion Policy Slovenia is eligible to EUR 3.2 billion with additional EUR 2.5 billion being available to Slovenia under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. ‘By 2030 Slovenia will use the available EU funds to realise numerous projects and programmes that will significantly strengthen Slovenia’s resilience and pave the way for exiting the crisis that resulted from the COVID-19 epidemic. In doing so, companies and local communities will play a crucial role. I am convinced that you are already drafting project proposals. Ministries plan to publish the first calls for proposals already this fall or at the close of 2021,’ said the State Secretary.

Under Green Transition business entities will be able to apply for the funding available under calls for proposals for energy efficiency and renewable energy (the potential of geothermal energy, hydro energy and solar energy), transition to circular economy models and adaptation to inevitable impacts of climate change. Under Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth the calls for proposals will focus on research, development and innovation as well as raising productivity and supporting Slovenia’s tourism. For municipalities the most relevant funding is the funding available for water supply systems with under 10,000 PE and sewerage systems with under 2,000 PE, as well as the funding available for broadband networks, flood protection, avalanche protection and home care.

State Secretary informed the participants that the 2021-2027 EU Cohesion Policy funds will be available under one operational programme covering the Cohesion Fund, European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund Plus and the Just Transition Fund that will target two coalmining regions of Zasavje and Šaleška dolina. ‘We will continue to allocate EU funding to projects that will contribute to reducing development disparities between the Slovenian regions regardless of how many operational programmes we have,’ State Secretary added.