The former Črnomelj boarding house renovation project

At today's meeting of the State Regulation and Public Affairs Committee, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia included a new project – the former Črnomelj boarding house renovation – in the 2022-2025 Development Programme Plan as in force. The project was selected based on the public call for co-financing urgent programmes in the area of culture for 2022.

The renovation covers a seismic retrofit, the arrangement of sanitary facilities and a complete reconstruction of the 1^st floor of the building. This intervention will ensure basic conditions and thus enable the Municipality of Črnomelj to continue with the implementation of the library premises arrangement project, install an elevator and renovate the premises. The value of the investment has been estimated at EUR 792,081.60, of which the Ministry of Culture will provide EUR 324,623.60 and the Municipality of Črnomelj EUR 467,458.00.

Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals - PARC

At the meeting of the Economic Committee, the government included a new project entitled the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals - PARC in the 2022-2025 Development Programme Plan as in force. The PARC project aims to advance research, share knowledge and improve skills in the assessment of risks from chemicals.

The project involves 200 partners from 28 countries operating in the field of research, the environment or public health. The project was launched on 1 May 2022, and will end on 30 April 2029. The Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) will work closely with other project partners in tasks related to the monitoring of the environment and the exposure of the environment to chemicals. ARSO will apply the products and new knowledge acquired within the project in its regular work and integrate them into its products and services.

This seven-year project will be financed under the 2021-2027 "Horizon Europe" EU framework programme for the financing of research and innovation. EUR 400 million are earmarked for the project, of which 50% is financed by the European Union and 50% by the member states. Within the project, EUR 171,531.25 are dedicated to ARSO, of which a maximum of EUR 85,765.63 can be financed by the EU.

The primary objective of the project is to develop and implement the next generation of chemical risk assessment, which includes both human health and the environment. It covers all chemical risk assessment aspects: better anticipation of emerging risks, enhanced consideration of combined risks and support for the concrete implementation of new orientations in European public policies for the protection of health and the environment in response to important issues regarding health, the environment and the expectations of citizens. In this context, the project will help support the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, paving the way for the "zero pollution" ambition announced in the European Green Deal.

The objectives of the PARC project are:

• A set of new data, methods and innovative tools;
• A reinforced network that brings together stakeholders specialising in different scientific fields who contribute to the assessment of risks to human health and the environment;
• The development of joint research and innovation activities;
• Enhanced existing capacities for research and innovation, and the creation of new interdisciplinary platforms in Europe.

Redistribution of funds within the state budget

At the committee, the government redistributed the rights to the use of funds in the state budget for 2022. The Ministry of Finance acquired the right to the use of funds of EUR 16 million in order to cover the obligation to the European budget. As part of the financial plan of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the government reallocated funds of approx. EUR 398 thousand to pay for personal protective equipment for employees who provide health care and rehabilitation for providers of institutional care social services in the public network.