Government approves measures to improve 2021-2027 EU funds absorption

The adopted measures will not only improve Slovenia’s spending of the available Cohesion Policy funds but will also build on Slovenia’s Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 and thus significantly contribute to Slovenia’s development.

The adopted measures:

• Introduction of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP Platform) which will provide 100 million euros to develop key strategic technologies to strengthen economic independence. A large part of the available funding will be earmarked for cutting-edge research infrastructure that accelerates the development breakthrough of the Slovenian economy. Brussels recognises this measure as a significant contribution to the common European objectives.  
• Upgrading of the  Ljubljana railway station (Lot B and C), estimated at 205 million euros. 
• Reducing flood risk in the Savinja river basin. This includes two measures, estimated at around 32 million euros, to protect Laško, Žalec and Celje from floods.    
• Protection and rescue measures, including the establishment of the National Civil Protection Centre and the Flood Protection Centre, worth a total of 18.3 million euros.  
• Co-financing projects on the third development axis – North: Velenje-Slovenj Gradec amounting to 44.2 million euros.
• Addition funding of 12.1 million euros to upgrade the system for warning, awareness-raising and adaptation to weather-related emergencies in a changing climate – SOVIR.  
• Purchase of public research equipment in the framework of priority international research infrastructure projects (ESFRI projects), which play a key role in generating new knowledge and innovation and are a must for industry-academia collaboration. We will upgrade the Slovenian research sphere with state-of-the-art research equipment in biomedicine, biotechnology, chemistry (restoration), structural biology and biophysics, which will also contribute to cooperation with the industry. The estimated value is 17 million euros.
• Complete renovation of the Grajska kašča (granary) in Ptuj, the largest granary in Slovenia. The project is estimated at 8 million euros.

The planned amendments of the Programme were also presented by Minister Jevšek to the new EU Cohesion Commissioner and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto, in Brussels last week. The amendments are subject to approval by the European Commission.

At the press conference following the government session, Minister Jevšek said that he and Commissioner Fitto had also discussed the future of Cohesion Policy and the European Commission’s proposal that Cohesion Policy funds could also be used for addressing housing problems, i.e. to build public rental housing. The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development supports the proposal and will amend Slovenia’s EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 accordingly once all the legal bases are in place.