Brussels calls on Slovenia to accelerate the absorption of European funds

BRUSSELS – The European Commission has urged Slovenia to accelerate the implementation of its national recovery plan as part of the spring package of the European semester. The Slovenian government recently sent a proposal for an amendment to the plan to Brussels, which could be approved in the coming weeks. The Commission also called on Slovenia to reduce administrative barriers for businesses and increase investments in defense.

So far, Slovenia has satisfactorily implemented about a third of the investments and reforms outlined in the recovery and resilience plan. It has received 1.1 billion euros from the European recovery fund.

In mid-April, the government approved a proposal for the third amendment to the plan, which reduces part of the returnable funds from just over one billion euros to 613 million euros. The amount of non-repayable funds remains at 1.61 billion euros.

It proposes that investments originally planned to be financed through loans be carried out with the help of other financial sources, such as non-repayable funds from the European cohesion policy, or that their content be largely transferred to investments intended for non-repayable financing.

Unnamed officials from the European Commission explained to STA that the assessment of the proposal to amend the Slovenian plan is still ongoing. However, the amendment is expected to be ready for approval at the EU Council before the summer, they said. The next meeting of finance ministers, who approve national recovery and resilience plans and their amendments, will be on June 20.

To accelerate the implementation of recovery plans, the Commission today urged most member states of the union.

In the recommendations published today as part of the European semester, Brussels also called on Slovenia to accelerate the implementation of European cohesion policy programs.

In the area of strengthening economic competitiveness, it urges Slovenia to simplify legislation and reduce the administrative burden on businesses and barriers to trade in services. Additionally, it should improve conditions for investments.

Like all other member states, the European Commission has also urged Slovenia to increase budgetary expenditures for defense. In this regard, it will be able to take advantage of the flexibility in EU budget rules that has been approved by the Commission. (June 4)