Revision of the Eco Fund Business and Financial Plan, the Slovenian Public Environmental Fund for 2022

At today's session of the Government Committee for the Economy, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted the Revision of the Eco Fund Business and financial plan, the Slovenian Public Environmental Fund for 2022

As its founder, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopts the Business and financial plan for the Eco Fund, Slovenian Public Environmental Fund, in accordance with the fourth indent of Article 13 of the Public Funds Act. With its decision on 10 May 2022, the Government adopted the Eco Fund Business and Financial Plan for 2022. The 2022 Business and Financial Plan has been revised due to changes in the allocation of grants brought about by the adoption of the Decree on the Programme for the use of the Climate Change Fund's resources for 2022 and 2023, and to a slight decrease in the funds available to be collected in 2022 under the Energy Efficiency Act, compared to those estimated in the 2022 Business and Financial Plan. The amount of funds available under the Energy Efficiency Act will be lower due to both the economic situation and the abolition of the energy efficiency contribution on motor fuels in the period June-August 2022; it is estimated to be only around EUR 38 million, not EUR 40 million as estimated in the 2022 Business and Financial Plan.

On the basis of the Climate Change Fund Programme, the Revision of the Eco Fund 2022 Business and Financial Plan increases the funds in the existing measure "Non-recoverable financial incentives for electricity self-supply installations" in the chapter Non-recoverable financial incentives from the Climate Change Fund" by EUR 10 million in 2022. The funds will be drawn down in 2023 and the Eco Fund will launch a call for proposals at the end of 2022.

Second revision of the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia Business and Financial Plan for 2021 and 2022

At the Committee meeting, the Government adopted the Second revision of the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia Business and Financial Plan, Public Fund, for the years 2021 and 2022, which was approved by the Supervisory Board of the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia, Public Fund, at its 90th ordinary session.

The Fund defines its annual business and financial objectives in its biennial business and financial plans.

The Second revision of the RS Housing Fund Business and Financial Plan for 2021 and 2022 sets out the main changes and deviations from the Business and Financial Plan.

The Republic of Slovenia has fulfilled its obligations concerning its transposition of the Competition Directive

The Government approved the draft response of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Commission's opinion on the non-notification of national regulations for the transposition of the Directive to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market (Directive (EU) 2019/1).

The European Commission has extended the deadline for Slovenia to adopt the necessary rules until 31 December 2022. The Prevention of Restriction of Competition Act was adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly on 29 September 2022, transposing almost all the provisions of the Directive into the legal order of the Republic of Slovenia. The Act was also appropriately notified on 15 December 2022.

In order to transpose some of the provisions of the Directive, the Slovenian Government had to adopt a by-law entitled “Decree on the procedure for granting immunity from and reduction of administrative sanctions and fines for offenders involved in cartels". The Decree was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia on 16 December 2022, and the European Commission was duly notified on 19 December 2022.

By adopting the Act and the Decree, the Republic of Slovenia has ensured the full transposition of the provisions of Directive (EU) 2019/1 into its legal order, thus fulfilling all the obligations laid down in Article 34 of Directive (EU) 2019/1.

The Government gives its consent to the use of the surplus of revenues over expenses amounting to more than EUR 317,000 by the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Marketing and Promotion of Tourism

At the Committee meeting, the Government took note of the Report of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology on the supervision of the work of the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Marketing and Promotion of Tourism in 2021, and at the same time gave its consent to the use of the Agency's 2021 surplus of revenues over expenses for performing and developing its activity.

In 2021, the surplus of revenues over expenses amounted to EUR 317,185.68, resulting from the promotional fee charged in 2021, which will be used by the Public Agency to co-finance the promotional activities of leading tourist destinations on domestic and foreign markets, to co-finance the services of candidatures for sports events, and to co-finance the services of the TO/TA.

Inclusion of five new promotion programmes from the Ministry of Agriculture’s domain in the current Development Programmes Plan

The Government has decided to include in the current Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025 the five promotion programmes selected in the European Commission's call for proposals for 2022. All five projects will be financed by the EU budget.

The aim of the programme to promote European honey quality schemes is to raise awareness among end-users and the beekeeping profession of the importance and benefits of the European quality schemes in Slovenia, to increase the number of certified holders of EU quality schemes, to increase demand for protected products and, as a result, to increase the total revenue from the sale of honey from the quality schemes. The three-year programme worth EUR 744,090 will be implemented by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association.

The aim of the promotion programme to raise awareness of Štajersko-prekmursko pumpkin oil with protected geographical indication is to raise awareness among consumers and traders of indigenous agricultural products produced under a protected geographical indication, with a focus on Štajersko-prekmursko pumpkin oil. The three-year programme worth EUR 852,928 will be implemented by Skupina Vrtovi Panonski.

The Protected Products – The Best of Europe! programme aims to promote a traditional protected product – Kranjska sausage (Carniolan sausage) with an EU protected geographical indication. The aim of the programme is to raise awareness and visibility of the EU quality symbols among European consumers, the hospitality and tourism sector and public institutions, and to strengthen confidence in products covered by European quality schemes. The three-year programme worth EUR 717,990 will be implemented by the economic interest association Kranjska Klobasa.

The main objective of the European Organic Apples – Your Best Choice! programme is to raise awareness of the EU organic quality scheme, the visibility of its logo and the benefits of European certified organic production. The three-year programme worth EUR 642,499 will be implemented by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

In Slovenia, more than half of all vegetables are imported, so the main aim of the Fresh and Healthy promotion programme is to encourage regular consumption of local fresh vegetables grown according to European production standards for integrated production, and is included in the national integrated production quality scheme. The three-year programme worth EUR 695,748 will be implemented by Skupina Vrtovi Panonski.

Eight new research projects included in the Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025

At the meeting of the Committee for the Economy, the Government also decided to include the following new projects in the Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025: Phosphorus and magnesium interception, Artificial intelligence for quarry optimisation, Carbonatisation of alkaline residues, Advanced biomaterials for cell culture, Interfaces for the development of degradable materials, Additive manufacturing of materials for permanent magnets, Advanced lithium-sulphur batteries, and Cellulose reinforcements in 3D filament structures.

Co-funding transnational research projects aims to create a European Research Area, which is key to achieving synergies between dispersed national policies and funding instruments for research and innovation. By participating in various support activities, the preconditions for the active and full participation of Slovenian research organisations and individuals in the EU context will be established.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport is participating in the ERA.Net Cofund project ERA-MIN3, as part of the 8th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation – Horizon 2020. It launched a transnational call for proposals, in which the international call for proposals committee also proposed three Slovenian projects for co-funding. The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will co-finance the PHOSTER research project to the tune of EUR 140,000 over two years, and the CO2TREAT and AI-COSTSQO projects to the tune of EUR 210,000, each over three years.

In the framework of the transnational M-ERA.NET Call 2021, the International Call Committee has also selected six projects with Slovenian applicants. Five of these will be co-financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The Ministry will co-finance the InsBIOration, AddMag and ALISA projects by providing each of them EUR 210,000 over three years, the bioMAT4EYE project with EUR 150,000 over three years, and the BioCel3D project with EUR 205,527 over three years.

Government reallocates state budget funds

At the committee meeting, the Government reallocated some EUR 2 million within the Ministry of Infrastructure's financial plan, to provide funds for upgrading railway signalling installations on two sections of the Ljubljana – Sežana railway line.

The Government has reallocated more than EUR 992,000 within the Ministry of Defence's financial plan, to cover the shortfall in payment for radio equipment under the contract.

The Government has reallocated around EUR 120,000 within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' financial plan. The funds will contribute to food security and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.