Response to the decisions adopted by the National Council on the issue of the growing scope of environmentally sensitive areas of permanent grassland

At today's meeting of the Government Committee for the Economy, the Slovenian Government responded to the decisions adopted by Slovenia’s National Council concerning the issue of the growing scope of areas of environmentally sensitive permanent grassland.

The designation of a certain section of a permanent grassland in Natura 2000 as environmentally sensitive permanent grassland (ESPG), which may not be ploughed or converted to other uses, is a mandatory requirement for the Member States. The requirement to maintain environmentally sensitive permanent grassland applies to all applicants for direct payment interventions (basic payment, production-related payments and environment and climate scheme payments) as well as certain rural development interventions: payments for areas with natural factors (ANF), agri-environmental and climate payments (AECP), organic farming (OF) payments, biotic plant protection (BPP) payments, local breeds and varieties (LOBV) payments, Natura 2000 (N2000) payments and recipients of animal welfare (AW) funds.

The Slovenian Institute for Nature Conservation has designated ESPG areas on the basis of expert assessments and taking into account the status of protected species and habitats within Natura 2000 sites. The ESPG area protection only extends to cover permanent pastures or GERKs (i.e. concentrated areas of agricultural or forest land with the same type of actual use that are used by a single agricultural holding), with the uses of permanent pastures, grassland with scattered ineligible features and extensive orchards that are permanently grassed. Normal agricultural use of land, including ploughing and crop rotation, is permitted on the existing arable land, subject to the applicable regulations. Similarly, existing permanent plantations may be used in accordance with agricultural practice and the applicable regulations. Nevertheless, applicants in the collective application for claiming interventions under the strategic plan of the Common Agricultural Policy, are not allowed to alter the permanent grassland (with the above-mentioned uses of GERKs), including the prohibition of ploughing these areas. It should be pointed out that the ESPG area has extended from 22,500 hectares of permanent grassland in 2015 to 32,600 hectares, as Slovenia, on the basis of the environmental report and in the light of the contribution of ESPG to addressing biodiversity, has committed itself to conserve 33,000 hectares of permanent grassland within the Natura 2000 sites in the newly adopted Strategic Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027. This increase was explicitly requested by the European Commission in the process of negotiating the Strategic Plan.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MKGP) is intensively searching for ways to fulfil the commitment imposed by the European Union, which will at the same time enable farming in the ESPG areas in accordance with normal practice. Solutions will have to be coordinated with the European Commission.

The Government has included a new project in the Development Programmes Plan for 2023-2026, namely the Construction of the central kitchen of the Nova Gorica General Hospital (GH), and increased the value of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Logistics Centre project

At today's meeting of the Committee on State Regulation and Public Affairs, the Government included a new project in the Development Programmes Plan for 2023-2026, namely the Construction of the Central Kitchen of the Nova Gorica GH and increased the value of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Logistics Centre project

The construction of the central kitchen of the Dr. Franc Derganc General Hospital in Nova Gorica comprises the final construction, craft and installation works, as well as the procurement (manufacture, supply and installation) of equipment. It also comprises the completion of the staff canteen as the first stage of the second phase of the already built and partially equipped Nova Gorica Emergency Centre. In accordance with the Project Execution Plan (PZI) the investment will comprise the construction of a central hospital kitchen in the basement of the building, together with the completion of the unfinished staff canteen and auxiliary facilities. The estimated value of the investment in fixed and current prices is EUR 5,015,420.00 including VAT, of which the Ministry of Health (MZ) will provide EUR 4,805,580.00 and Nova Gorica GH EUR 209,840.00.

The investment in the logistics centre of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) comprises the purchase and renovation of the facility located at Letališka cesta 29 in Ljubljana and the purchase of the necessary equipment for the establishment of the NIJZ logistics centre and the premises of the service and sales centre. From the organisational aspect and in terms of the standards of the pharmaceutical profession, the investment will allow for optimised and continuous workflow in a safe and stable environment, even in the event of sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases in the future. All this will have an indirect impact on the protection and improvement of public health, which is the purpose of the NIJZ. The new estimated value of the investment in fixed and current prices is EUR 4,858,046 including VAT, which is EUR 1,160,205.87 higher than the estimated value of the investment in the approved investment project identification document, specifically EUR 3,697,840.13. The investment will be fully financed by the Ministry of Health.