The Government has defined legal bases allowing the payment of suitable compensation to insurance companies

The Government has adopted the Decree amending the Decree setting the maximum price of complementary health insurance premium. The decree provides the legal basis for paying suitable compensation to insurance companies to compensate them for the damage they have suffered after the government capped the complementary health insurance premium.

More specifically, the amended decree adopted today provides the legal bases for paying suitable compensation to three complementary health insurance providers. These providers will be able to apply, within four months after the decree enters into force, for compensation in the form of reimbursement of the difference between the costs of the health services provided and the complementary health insurance premiums written. 

In accordance with the Price Control Act in connection with Article 2 of the Decree laying down the list of goods and services subject to price control measures, in April this year the Government adopted a decree setting the maximum allowed monthly complementary health insurance premium at EUR 35.67. The Price Control Act provides that when a price cap measure is introduced, or at any time when such a measure is in force, the Government may request that companies do not to stop selling the goods to which the measure applies, and that in this case the Government may define suitable compensation for companies that may suffer substantial damage due to the measure.

Insurance companies can apply for compensation for the period starting on the day of the announced premium increase and ending on 31 December 2023. They can file their claims with the Ministry of Health, which will be responsible for paying out the compensations and will, to this end, check the submitted claims and documentation in collaboration with the Insurance Supervision Agency. To ensure that payments from the budget are based on the correct information, the proposed decree stipulates that the information submitted be confirmed by an authorised auditor and that this information is reviewed by the Insurance Supervision Agency as part of its supervisory activities.

Based on the submitted documentation and the checks made, the Ministry of Health will thus determine the difference between the costs of the health services provided and the complementary health insurance premiums written, and notify the relevant insurance company of this. The insurance company will then have the opportunity to present a statement within 15 days that:

– It waives its claim for payment if it disagrees with the difference thus determined, or

– It agrees with the difference thus determined and waives all legal remedies against the Republic of Slovenia with regard to the reimbursement of costs for any other damage caused by capping the complementary health insurance premium.

 If it turns out that the health insurer submitted false or incorrect information, the insurer will have to return the unduly paid funds it has already received from the government budget, together with any statutory default interest, within 30 days of receiving a request to return the funds.

The legal bases adopted also address the solvency of insurance companies, so that they can continue to meet the capital adequacy requirements in the future, in compliance with the EU regulations and the Insurance Act.

Solutions from the amended decree referring to the compensation payment procedure will continue to apply until the end of June 2024.

Source: Ministry of Health

Proposed Act Amending the Road Transport Act

The Government defined the text of the Proposed Act Amending the Road Transport Act

The proposed Act provides a legal basis and updates the system of criminal sanctions due to amendments to the Regulations and the Agreement on Trade and Cooperation between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community on the one hand and the United Kingdom on the other, which was concluded as a result of Brexit.

In addition, the proposed Act incorporates the Directive on the use of vehicles hired without drivers for the carriage of goods by road into Slovenian law.

Moreover, it updates the training required to pass an exam to acquire a certificate of professional competence for a transport operator, additionally regulating the drivers' basic qualifications.

The proposed Act provides a general legal basis for awarding potential incentive grants to road transport operators. The need to also regulate this area in the sectoral legislation in general terms has often been voiced in the past, and so, to provide concrete incentives, the Ministry will prepare an implementing regulation to define in detail the state aid rules to be applied in this case.

The proposed Act also includes proposals related to inland and cross-border passenger transport, with particular emphasis on the introduction of transport for the purposes of development and research projects.

In addition, it also includes amendments required to regulate the responsibility for carrying out inspection in relation to the Act Amending the State Administration Act and the Decree Amending the Decree on Bodies within Ministries. Pursuant to the latter, the responsibilities related to inspecting the implementation of inland and cross-border public passenger road transport to the transfer point in the neighbouring country defined by the public passenger transport authority are being transferred from the Slovenian Infrastructure Inspectorate to the Slovenian Environment and Energy Inspectorate.

Source: Ministry of Infrastructure

Proposed Act Amending the Spatial Planning Act

The Government has defined the text of the proposed Act Amending the Spatial Planning Act (ZUreP-3) and will submit it to the Slovenian National Assembly for fast-track adoption.

The ZUreP-3 is being adopted due to changes in the regulation of regional spatial planning. In testing regional spatial planning provisions and especially in issuing public authorisations for the drafters of regional spatial plans, it has turned out that the provisions of Article 77 are inappropriate. The proposed Act amends the method of selecting the drafters of regional spatial plans and details their responsibilities. It proposes a more suitable selection method and more specific terms and conditions to be met by the drafters of such plans. In addition, it proposes a clearer definition of financing or, more specifically, that funding is provided for regional spatial planning and not only for drafting regional spatial plans.

Regional spatial plans must be produced and adopted by the end of 2026, so they can help programme the next financial framework. They can be used in preparing integral projects, which will contribute to a more comprehensive approach to planning development within the 2027–2034 financial framework.  Therefore, the Government is forwarding the proposed Act to the National Assembly for fast-track adoption.

Source: Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning

The Government concluded a contract with the Slovenian Press Agency

At today's session, the Government, as the founder and sole partner of Slovenska tiskovna agencija, d.o.o., has concluded the Contract on the Performance of Public Service by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in 2024. The Government has authorised the Director of the Government Communication Office, Petra Bezjak Cirman, to sign and implement the contract. The value of the contract is EUR 125,000 or 5.5% higher than the 2023 contract.

Under the Slovenian Press Agency Act (STAgen), the STA performs the public service of providing constant, comprehensive, accurate and objective information on events in Slovenia and around the world to the Slovenian and international public. The responsibility of the Slovenian Government, which exercises the rights of its partner on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia, is to ensure the STA's institutional autonomy and editorial independence, as well as to provide adequate funding so that the STA can perform its public service comprehensively and smoothly in line with its annual business plan.

Pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 20 of the STAgen, the sources of financing the STA also include government budget funds, which the STA acquires through an annual contract concluded with its founder. The value of the 2024 contract is EUR 2,397,000. Just like this year, in 2024 the amount of monthly compensation will continue to be independent of the number of news reports, with twelve equal monthly payments in the amount of EUR 199,750 set out in the contract.

Source: Government Communication Office