WEBVTT

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Hello and welcome
to the press conference

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in the wake of the extraordinary
61th meeting of the government

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devoted to the flooding in Slovenia.
I invite Civil Defense Commander

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Srečko Seštan and the Acting
Director of the Administration

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Civil Protection and Disaster Relief
Leon Behin to take the floor

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and share the latest information.
Environment Minister Uroš Brežan

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will introduce the legislative
changes approved by the government.

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European Commissioner Janez
Lenarčič will talk about

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Slovenia's chances of obtaining
EU funds for flood damage.

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Unfortunately, police
have confirmed that the floods

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claimed the fourth fatality today,
an older male

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who lived by the Sava river.
People are still being warned

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to obey road closures and
instructions from first responders,

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to stay home and away
from affected areas.

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Take care of your safety.
Property comes second.

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If you need first aid,
dial 112 or 113.

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I now invite the representative
of Civil Defense to speak.

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Hel...

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Hello. I would like to emphasize
two things.

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First, the government
and the relevant ministries

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considered the proposal
that we allow stores to open

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on Sundays and holidays,
primarily to facilitate

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urgent repairs,
so people will be able

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to purchase various products there.
We determined

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that we could only do that with
an order from the Commander

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for the duration of the emergency.

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In less than an hour,
this order will be given

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and will allow stores selling
groceries, technology,

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or children's goods to remain
open regardless

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of provisions in the Trade Act,
including on Saturdays and holidays.

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Second, the government
has decided

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that all communication
from the ministries

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and anyone else who wants to help
in this emergency,

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is carried out via
the following email address:

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podpora@urszr.si

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We'll also set up a new domain
that will be easier to use.

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I believe address will be:
poplave@gov.si

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We'll notify the public
and the ministries

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about these addresses.
We would like our campaigns

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as well as help from NGOs
and individuals

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to be conducted through
a single support channel,

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through which all of these
offers of assistance

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will be evaluated.
When we find ourselves

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in a situation to take advantage
of them,

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we'll do just that.
-You'll be able to find

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everything on gov.si.

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Joining us with the latest
about the situation

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in Črna na Koroškem, a town
the Armed Forces were able to reach

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during the meeting,
is Mr. Behin.

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Hello. The hardest to reach
areas in Slovenia

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are in the Upper Savinja Valley
and Carinthia.

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Whereas we have been able
to reach the Upper Savinja Valley

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and establish communication
with Solčava,

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in part with our own
IT equipment,

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access to the Carinthian
municipalities remains limited,

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notably the municipality of Črna,

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where all three road links,
including the main artery

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to Austria, are impassable.

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However, our first units
were able,

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with the support of
the Armed Forces, to make their way

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to the town itself and to set up
a ground link,

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and we're now establishing
communication channels

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solely for emergency units
and supply lines.

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This is difficult terrain
and is accessible only

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with special vehicles, but they
can be reinforced.

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With the support of airborne
military and police units,

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we also delivered the first supplies

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of food and water
to Črna na Koroškem.

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At the same time,
much-needed fuel supplies

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were also sent to the town.

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It will be used for
generators, repeater stations,

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and some private purposes,
enabling communication links

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and the functioning
of systems necessary

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to ensure somewhat normal
living conditions.

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All of this indicates

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that while conditions will remain
difficult in Črna,

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they are improving,
at least in terms of access

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and necessities such as
food, fuel, and water.

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At the moment,
helicopters are being readied

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for the evacuation of some
people in the area of Črna.

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This is now possible because we have
a better view of the situation.

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Some buildings are no longer
habitable,

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so we need to evacuate those people
and move them

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outside the municipality
to more suitable areas.

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We don't have any reports
about injuries

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or anything similar.

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This is only about ensuring
safe habitation

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and future activities.

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We're also seeing problems
with access to Prevalje

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and other municipalities,

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but the situation there is improving
by the hour.

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Access to food
is always a problem,

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and we're currently
collecting them

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to improve the situation
in stores and normalize

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the supply chain
in the affected areas.

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Finally, there's
the Savinja Valley.

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We're seeing a moderate
decline of the water level there.

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Our crews are inspecting
bridges and communication lines.

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Some new connections
have been set up,

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and at least the central part
of the Savinja Valley

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is now normally accessible,

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but access to the northern
part is very difficult

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or impossible, but with
the establishment

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of communication lines that
have been and will be set up,

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we'll make it easier for loved
ones and residents to get in touch.

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Thank you.
Do we have any questions?

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Kaja Kobetič of POP TV
has a question via Zoom. Go ahead.

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Hello. First, a question
for Mr. Šestan about store openings.

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You mentioned Saturdays
and holidays.

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Does this include extended
opening hours during the week?

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Also, I don't know who will be
able to answer this better,

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but you said that the floods
claimed another fatality,

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that a man was found on the banks
of the Sava.

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Do you have more information
about this?

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The extension of opening
hours will be allowed.

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This order does not determine
opening hours,

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so that is up to individual stores.

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As for the fatality, our coordinator
has already mentioned

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that it was confirmed and that it
happened on the banks of the Sava.

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An older resident
was found dead.

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As the Interior Minister
has confirmed,

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that the fatality was an older
man who lived by the Sava.

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This is the fourth tragic
fatality of these floods.

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Any other questions?

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If not, I thank both our speakers.

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I wish you a successful day.

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Joining us now is European
Commissioner Lenarčič,

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who attended today's meeting

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and spoke about Slovenia's chances

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of obtaining EU funds.

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Hello. Please let us know
what you told the government.

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Hello. First, I would
like to express my condolences

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to the loved ones of those lost
in this weather disaster

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and my solidarity to everyone
affected by the flooding.

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I would also like to thank
all the first responders

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whose work saved many lives,
protected considerable property,

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and deserve our gratitude.

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This is not just me
being polite.

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It's a fact that similar natural
disasters in other countries

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resulted in many fatalities.

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So far, this has not been
the case in Slovenia,

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and this shows how effective

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Slovenia's system of civil
defense and rescue has been.

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At the government meeting,
we discussed various options

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for EU assistance.

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I'd like to emphasize that Slovenia
is not alone

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at this difficult time.

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Slovenia can count on EU assistance
from member states

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in various forms. The first form,
which comes under my jurisdiction,

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is through the European
Civil Protection Pool.

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Slovenia can use this mechanism
to ask for specific aid,

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and we can then organize the aid
on behalf of the member states.

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For now, Slovenia has asked
for satellite maps

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that will help it determine
the extent of damage

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and better direct recovery funds.

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We also discussed other sources
of EU aid.

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This is primarily about the EU's
Solidarity Fund,

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which is intended for countries
affected by natural disasters.

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I explained the procedure
for obtaining aid from this source.

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As I understand it, Slovenia
will ask for assistance

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from the EU Solidarity Fund.

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We also discussed
other potential sources.

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One of those potential sources

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is the European Crisis Reserve
for Farmers.

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This could provide funding
to cover crop losses

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or damage to farm equipment.

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Significant funding has also
been set aside

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in existing programs,

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which provide Slovenia with support
for the EU budget.

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These are primarily
cohesion funds,

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funds from the Regional
Development Fund,

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as well as from the European
Recovery and Resilience Facility.

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Significant funds
are available there,

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and in light
of this weather disaster

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and flooding, these funds
can be redirected

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to address the consequences
of the disaster.

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I'd like to conclude
with the following thought.

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I believe that these horrible
floods provide an opportunity

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for a long-term perspective
and for us to invest more

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in improving our readiness for,
and resilience to, such disasters.

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Over the past two years, Slovenia
experiences catastrophic fires

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and now devastating flooding.
This calls for Slovenia

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to consider more investment
in improving

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our readiness and resilience
to phenomena

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that we'll continue to experience.
-Apparently, this was a success

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in Celje, where flood protection
was built from EU funds,

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and there was no flood.

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We have a question.
Špela Novak, Radio Slovenia.

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Hello. Can you tell us more about
the European Civil Protection Pool?

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What additional funds can you offer
and when?

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As for the other sources of aid,

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how much funding we're talking
about and what is the time frame?

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The European Civil Protection Pool
is activated upon specific requests

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for aid from the affected countries.

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The affected country asks
for specific aid,

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be it high-capacity water pumps,
which is what Italy asked for

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during the May floods
in Emilia-Romagna.

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Slovenia also contributed
to that aid

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via the Civil Protection Pool,
which is available

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almost immediately.
It takes a few hours or a day.

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If and when a country asks for aid,
we try to organize

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and send that aid as soon
as possible.

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As for the other sources,
such as the Solidarity Fund,

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we need to have an estimate
of the damage.

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Based on that estimate,
we can determine

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if the damage reached
the threshold set by the rules

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that govern that fund.
That threshold is 0.6%

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of the GNP of the affected
member state.

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If this threshold is reached,
an aid proposal can be drafted

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using our methodology.

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In the legislative process,
that proposal is then taken up

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by the European Council
and the European Parliament.

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Gašper Petovar, RTV Slovenia.

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You answered a part of this,
but based on what

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you heard from the ministers,
Mr. Šestan, and the Prime Minister,

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could you provide an estimate

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of how much funding Slovenia
may end up receiving from the EU?

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It's too early for me
to answer that.

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As I mentioned,
the first condition

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is for a damage estimate
to be completed, and based on that,

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we'll get a proposal for aid
from the Solidarity Fund.

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There are some rules about
the maximum amount

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that can come from the fund.
It's not 100%.

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That's why there are several
opportunities to deal

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with the consequences
of the flooding

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in the existing programs and funds
from which Slovenia

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is already receiving
substantial funds.

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In cases such as this one,
it's possible to divert some funds

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to deal with the consequences
of the flooding.

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Thank you. Kaja Kobetič of POP TV
has a question via Zoom.

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Hello. The third question
will be very similar.

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I'd like to ask you for a rough
estimate of the funds

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that Slovenia can look forward to,
so we know

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what extent we're talking about.

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My reply to this question
depends on the damage estimate.

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Based on that estimate
and Slovenia's request,

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the Commission will draft
an aid proposal.

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But I repeat, the Solidarity Fund
is just one of several

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potential sources
of aid for Slovenia.

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The others include the European
Civil Protection Pool,

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which doesn't provide financial aid,
but equipment and personnel

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when the state determines
that such aid is needed.

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There are other sources as well.
Most of the funding is available

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from existing sources:
cohesion funds,

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the Regional Development Fund,

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and the Recovery
and Resilience Facility.

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Substantial funds can be redirected
from these sources

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to deal with the consequences
of today's flooding.

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Thank you.
I wish you plenty of success.

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We're now joined by
Environment Minister

00:19:09.133 --> 00:19:13.466
Uroš Brežan because the government
approved wide-ranging

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emergency legislation to help
people who were left

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without everything
as soon as possible.

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Minister, please tell us what
the government approved.

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Hello. Today, the government
approved changes

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to the Natural Disaster
Recovery Act.

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Three elements
need to be emphasized.

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We're considering the distribution
of advance payments

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to affected municipalities
for urgent repairs

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up to 20% of the assessed damage.

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This will speed up the distribution
of advance payments

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even before the damage
estimates

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and damage repair programs
are completed.

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Furthermore, an amendment
to the Natural Disaster Recovery Act

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will enable compensation
for damage in agriculture.

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The amendment expands
the eligibility

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of compensation
covered by insurance

00:20:38.247 --> 00:20:44.774
and enables 100% compensation
for crop damage

00:20:44.895 --> 00:20:47.228
based on
the <i>de minimis</i> principle.

00:20:47.349 --> 00:20:55.346
It's also significant
that this damage

00:20:55.654 --> 00:21:00.413
will be addressed according
to the principle of retroactivity.

00:21:00.600 --> 00:21:05.433
This applies to damage
that occurred this year,

00:21:05.587 --> 00:21:09.546
since January 1, 2023.

00:21:09.707 --> 00:21:13.226
It seems that the Parliament
could take this up soon.

00:21:13.347 --> 00:21:16.253
Do you have any information
regarding that?

00:21:16.387 --> 00:21:21.900
That's right. Apparently, we'll send
this bill to the National Assembly

00:21:22.107 --> 00:21:27.020
early next week, which means

00:21:27.167 --> 00:21:31.840
that the bill will be taken up
on a priority basis,

00:21:31.961 --> 00:21:34.514
also in the week ahead.

00:21:34.674 --> 00:21:38.640
Thank you very much.
Do we have any questions here?

00:21:38.761 --> 00:21:42.974
Kaja Kobetič, who is the only one
joining us remotely?

00:21:43.100 --> 00:21:46.553
No. In that case, I'd like
to thank you, Minister.

00:21:46.674 --> 00:21:52.450
I hope your day and the day of all
crews on the ground is peaceful.

00:21:52.627 --> 00:21:56.286
You can find all the important
and relevant information

00:21:56.467 --> 00:22:00.739
on gov.si, where we'll
keep you up to date.

00:22:00.887 --> 00:22:04.806
I wish you all a successful
and peaceful day. Goodbye.