Government adopts opinion on draft amendment to the Criminal Code

At today's meeting of the Government Committee on State Organisation and Public Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the opinion on the draft Act amending the Criminal Code submitted to the National Assembly by a group of deputies headed by Jelka Godec, and forwarded it to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

A group of deputies proposes adding a new offence to the Criminal Code: "Violation of children’s rights by displaying, producing, possessing and transmitting material with content inconsistent with biological sex and gender identity".

By way of introduction, the Government stresses that a group of deputies already submitted an identical proposed amendment to the legislative procedure on 20 March 2024. The Government submitted its opinion on the proposed amendment to the National Assembly on 17 April 2024. On 23 April, the National Assembly decided that the proposed amendment was not suitable for further consideration.

In this respect, the Government considers that the repeated tabling of identical draft acts that have already been rejected in the past cannot but be understood as anything but an unnecessary burden on both the Government and the National Assembly.

The Government does not support the proposed amendment to the Criminal Code. Its opinion explains the reasons for its decision, inter alia that the obligation of such criminalisation is not imposed on States Parties by the Conventions cited by the proposers as the basis for their arguments in their opening explanations. Much of the elements of the proposed offence are already covered by other offences in the Criminal Code, which were created or amended based on the same Conventions.

The Government also considers it problematic that the proposed amendment indirectly criminalises people and that the proposal is incompatible with the Constitution.

Source: Ministry of Justice

Eurosur renewal included in the Development Programme Plan

The Government has included a new Eurosur Renewal Project in its Development Programme Plan 2024–2027.

The project aims to align the national part of the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur) with Eurosur’s requirements regarding classified information. The first part of the project will involve setting up a system for handling classified information of a RESTRICTED or EU RESTRICTED level, obtaining a security clearance to operate the system and link it to the Eurosur system so that it will be possible to use its services at locations in Slovenia. The second part will upgrade the system for handling classified information of a CONFIDENTIAL or EU CONFIDENTIAL level. The upgrade will be carried out in accordance with the standards set by Frontex.

The project foresees public tenders to purchase equipment for implementing Eurosur at the national level and equipment at the foreseen locations, and the obtaining of security clearance for the operation of the system (national and EU). It foresees linking national Eurosur system to the central Eurosur system, issuing of tenders for the equipment needed for the upgrade, and obtaining the relevant security clearances needed to operate the system and link it to the central Eurosur system. Maintenance of the Eurosur system at the national level is also foreseen.

The project will be carried out over a period of six years and the total cost is EUR 2,492,211.84 including VAT.

Source: Ministry of the Interior

Funding secured for the overhaul of the JŠRIPS information system

The Government has also included a new project to support the digital operations of the Public Scholarship, Development, Disability and Maintenance Fund (JŠRIPS) in the current Development Programme Plan 2024–2027.

Its key purpose is to provide effective IT support for the Fund's operations, enabling it to carry out the tasks assigned to it by the various ministries. The vital objective is to provide an efficient, secure and reliable information system that maintains an adequate audit trail and meets the statutory requirements for the management of documentary and archival material, enabling the Fund to carry out all its tasks.

The activities foreseen in the framework of implementing the IS project to support the JŠRIPS’s digital operations include investments in dedicated software, archive digitisation, investments in hardware and licensed software, and investments in tangible assets.

Following a complete overhaul of the IT system, the operations will be as compliant as possible with modern e-commerce standards, and will be secure and reliable. A comprehensive overhaul of the Fund's IT system is essential for its long-term, stable and successful operation, and for the smooth delivery of its services to its users and to the various Ministries.

The project is expected to be in place until the end of 2025. The value of the investment is EUR 884,122.00 including VAT.

Source: Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Inclusion of the purchase of the Barka 2 Student Residence in the Development Programme Plan 2024–2027

At the Committee on State Organisation and Public Affairs meeting, the Government decided to include the new UP project – purchase of the Barka 2 Student Residence in the current Development Programme Plan 2024–2027. The project’s aim is to provide 118 additional accommodation capacities for the needs of students at the University of Primorska (UP).

This investment project aims to increase the number of available beds in UP’s public student dormitories, to provide affordable and habitable accommodation in subsidised housing for the needs of students, and to gradually reach the target of 1,000 beds set out in the Strategy, or 1,200 beds, taking into account internationalisation. The acquisition of the commonhold property BARKA 2 is progressively achieving the objectives set.

The estimated value of the project is just over EUR 6.2 million. The project will be financed mainly from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia, with the remainder from the University of Primorska's own resources.

Source: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Co-financing of the preparation and implementation of European Mobility Week activities gets included in the current Development Programme Plan 2024-2027

At a meeting of the Committee on the Economy, the Government included the project Co-financing of the preparation and implementation of European Mobility Week activities in the current Development Programme Plan 2024-2027.

The project is aimed at co-financing the preparation and implementation of the European Mobility Week activities. This is a European promotional campaign run by the European Commission under the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) and has been running for 23 years. The campaign’s goal is to promote, raise awareness about and encourage sustainable forms of mobility, as well as to change Europeans' travel habits.

The European Mobility Week takes place every year between 16 and 22 September and builds on the one-day Car Free Day campaign, which has grown into a weeklong promotional campaign. Over 130 municipalities in Slovenia have taken part over the campaign’s 23, and 99 municipalities took part in 2023. The Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy will launch three calls for tenders in 2024, 2025 and 2026 to support European Mobility Week activities. Funds granted under the call for tenders will be awarded to municipalities that will prepare and implement information, education and promotion activities on the importance of sustainable transport modes for everyone.

We estimate that co-financing of activities will be granted to at least 120 municipalities (for all three years combined) of up to EUR 10,000 per year and per municipality. This amounts to a total of EUR 1.2 million, which means EUR 500,000 for 2024, EUR 350,000 for 2025 and EUR 350,000 for 2026.

Source: Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy

Revised value and extension of the project Provision of information, surveying and general infrastructure in the current Development Programme Plan

The Government approved the amendment of the project 2552-21-0001: Provision of information, surveying and general infrastructure, which increases the value of the project from EUR 2.4 million to EUR 5.5 million and extends the project until 31 December 2026.

Project preparation and the estimation of the funds foreseen for the real estate sector were carried out when still using the old (separate) information systems for the land cadastre, the building cadastre, the real estate register, the summary cadastre of utilities infrastructure and the spatial units register, for which it was necessary to provide financial resources for updates in the light of changes in legislation and user experience (user needs). At the same time, a new cadastre information system and an information system for the summary cadastre of utilities infrastructure were being prepared and produced. Therefore, it was impossible during project preparation to correctly estimate the amount and allocation of funds over the next four years. Moreover, in the meantime, necessary technological upgrades have been made to networks in surveying and topography as a result of new satellite navigation systems (Beidou, Galileo), which requires additional investments the national surveying infrastructure to work correctly.

The proposed reallocation of funds will not have any new financial implications for the state budget, as the funds for 2024 will be reallocated within the budget and the funds for the next two years will be planned accordingly when the updated draft budget is prepared.

Source: Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning

Inclusion of new projects in the current Development Programme Plan for the period 2024-2027

At the Committee meeting, the Government adopted a decision to include in the current Development Programme Plan 2024-2027 the projects Climate change challenges in agriculture and Tracking the challenges in agricultural soils, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sinks in agriculture.

The Ordinance on the Programme for the use of the Climate Change Fund for the period 2023-2026 lays down the framework for the implementation of the measure on climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture for the period 2024-2026. The projects Climate change challenges in agriculture and Tracking the challenges in agricultural soils, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sinks in agriculture are to be included in the measure on climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture.

The activities will start in 2024 and end in 2026. Funding is provided under the Climate Change Fund.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food

Inclusion of three projects in the Development Programme Plan 2024-2027

At the meeting of the Committee on the Economy, the Slovenian Government included three projects in the current Development Programme Plan 2024-2027: Research on thermal conductive paper substrates, Research on mental health impacts and Research on optimisation for quantum networks. The first two projects belong to the European Research Area in the field of human brain and graphene, while the third one is quantum technologies. All three projects involve funding for scientific research work.

The purpose of co-financing transnational research projects is to build the European Research Area, which is key to achieving synergies between dispersed national policies and funding instruments in research and innovation. By participating in various supporting activities, the preconditions for the active and full participation of Slovenian research organisations and individuals in the EU context will thus be established.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation will co-finance the projects Research on thermally conductive paper substrates and Research on mental health impacts, each in the amount of EUR 300,000 (including VAT) during three years, with a time schedule of EUR 100,000 per year for the period 2025-2027. The project Research on optimisation for quantum networks will be financed in the amount of slightly less than EUR 297,000 (including VAT), with a time schedule of slightly less than EUR 99,000 per year for the first two years, and also for the third year for the period 2025-2027.

Source: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation