WEBVTT 00:00:00.167 --> 00:00:04.046 Hello, everyone. 00:00:04.180 --> 00:00:07.706 We've just concluded our regional meeting. 00:00:07.827 --> 00:00:15.236 Our short, intense, and constructive debate covered all areas. 00:00:15.383 --> 00:00:18.069 I'd like to single out a few of them, 00:00:18.217 --> 00:00:21.803 while my fellow ministers Kumer and Novak 00:00:21.924 --> 00:00:23.943 will give you more details. 00:00:24.090 --> 00:00:30.988 As has been the practice, we've extended mining concessions 00:00:31.109 --> 00:00:34.756 and changed the legislation governing mining. 00:00:34.910 --> 00:00:39.630 Minister Novak will explain the reason for these changes. 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:45.537 The legislation also defines the role of local communities. 00:00:45.683 --> 00:00:50.580 We also tackled a bill that will make changes to spatial planning. 00:00:50.710 --> 00:00:54.990 The government and the ministry are taking local communities 00:00:55.157 --> 00:01:01.977 into account when passing key land use regulations. 00:01:02.098 --> 00:01:05.363 We're giving municipalities an opportunity 00:01:05.484 --> 00:01:10.322 to approve several spatial plans at once. 00:01:10.443 --> 00:01:16.040 There's one general change and several specific ones, 00:01:16.187 --> 00:01:21.420 allowing for quicker development by local communities. 00:01:21.530 --> 00:01:25.849 We're extending the Act on Liability for Nuclear Damage 00:01:25.970 --> 00:01:30.337 by four years. All three bills will be presented in detail 00:01:30.463 --> 00:01:36.783 by Minister Novak, who will also answer your questions. 00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:40.980 We also took up amendments to the Road Tolls Act, 00:01:41.117 --> 00:01:45.910 which will introduce changes to road tolls by late March 00:01:46.043 --> 00:01:49.396 in agreement with the relevant chamber 00:01:49.517 --> 00:01:54.040 to coordinate them with EU directives. 00:01:54.161 --> 00:01:59.900 The Act on the Access to Products and Services for the Disabled 00:02:00.017 --> 00:02:05.260 will also be changed to comply with EU directives. 00:02:05.470 --> 00:02:13.260 We're making sure that services and goods 00:02:13.397 --> 00:02:16.442 are accessible to the disabled. 00:02:16.563 --> 00:02:22.380 We spent most of the meeting discussing the Act to Encourage 00:02:22.501 --> 00:02:27.283 Competitiveness in Decarbonizing Energy-Intensive Companies, 00:02:27.403 --> 00:02:30.516 which was introduced my Minister Kumer. 00:02:30.643 --> 00:02:38.048 Slovenia is among the cheapest countries in terms of the provision 00:02:38.169 --> 00:02:42.296 of electricity for households. 00:02:42.457 --> 00:02:46.220 This bill makes us one of the first in Europe 00:02:46.377 --> 00:02:51.510 to systemically regulate and enable energy-intensive companies 00:02:51.690 --> 00:02:57.816 to access cheaper electricity, which will encourage companies 00:02:57.937 --> 00:03:00.703 to be competitive on the European market, 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:05.756 while preserving jobs, which is vital. 00:03:05.910 --> 00:03:11.670 The bill will need to get approval from Brussels. 00:03:11.863 --> 00:03:17.770 You'll get all the details from Minister Kumer. 00:03:17.897 --> 00:03:21.936 That's what the meeting was about. If you have any questions, 00:03:22.057 --> 00:03:24.663 you may ask them now. 00:03:26.543 --> 00:03:30.583 Thank you. Have a nice day. Here's one. 00:03:33.110 --> 00:03:35.330 Sonja Poznič Cvetko, STA. 00:03:35.457 --> 00:03:40.437 What was the atmosphere like at the meeting? 00:03:40.583 --> 00:03:43.090 Was there any impact from the switch 00:03:43.250 --> 00:03:47.103 of the Left's parliamentary caucus leader to another party 00:03:47.243 --> 00:03:49.690 and what was the general atmosphere? 00:03:49.830 --> 00:03:55.610 It was very constructive. The switch didn't affect us. 00:03:55.743 --> 00:04:03.343 When one of our MPs joined 00:04:03.483 --> 00:04:07.296 the unaffiliated caucus, I said that these switches 00:04:07.443 --> 00:04:11.883 are a question of an individual's moral attitude to himself, 00:04:12.050 --> 00:04:18.630 the party he's leaving, and his constituents. 00:04:18.757 --> 00:04:25.150 However, we didn't discuss that today, so it wasn't covered 00:04:25.297 --> 00:04:29.409 like many political topics. The government always discusses 00:04:29.537 --> 00:04:32.204 items on its agenda. 00:04:32.390 --> 00:04:38.430 We have no "miscellaneous" item for topics like this one. 00:04:38.663 --> 00:04:43.260 A quick question. Barbara Renčof, TV Slovenia. 00:04:43.450 --> 00:04:48.020 Since you're in the Inner Carniola-Littoral region, 00:04:48.217 --> 00:04:52.056 what do you think its main challenges and problems are? 00:04:52.183 --> 00:04:54.530 Your visits have yet to take place, 00:04:54.651 --> 00:04:57.763 but do you have a statement for the first news? 00:04:57.883 --> 00:05:01.609 If you agree, I'll answer this at the end, 00:05:01.750 --> 00:05:05.940 when the ministers conclude their visits in the field 00:05:06.097 --> 00:05:09.549 and when we and the Prime Minister 00:05:09.670 --> 00:05:13.423 meet with the mayors, business leaders, 00:05:13.597 --> 00:05:16.183 and other key actors in the region. 00:05:16.303 --> 00:05:20.123 Every government visit provides an important opportunity 00:05:20.244 --> 00:05:24.556 to see what we've accomplished and what we can do in the future. 00:05:24.703 --> 00:05:28.243 One of the more important acts passed last year 00:05:28.364 --> 00:05:31.296 was the Balanced Regional Development Act. 00:05:31.450 --> 00:05:35.840 It will serve as the basis for the development 00:05:35.977 --> 00:05:40.176 of regions such as the Inner Carniola-Littoral Region, 00:05:40.343 --> 00:05:44.389 which has specific needs. Some of the funds 00:05:44.590 --> 00:05:47.363 used for balanced regional development 00:05:47.497 --> 00:05:51.909 will be made available to the region, which will consider 00:05:52.090 --> 00:05:58.969 its local needs. You'll get a short summary later on today. 00:05:59.130 --> 00:06:03.749 I'd need a very short statement about the visit for the first news, 00:06:03.890 --> 00:06:09.170 and I'll join you again tonight. -OK. Thank you. Have a nice day. 00:06:13.823 --> 00:06:17.356 Thank you to the Deputy Prime Minister 00:06:17.477 --> 00:06:22.157 for the short summary of the bill approved today by the government, 00:06:22.278 --> 00:06:25.903 the Act to Encourage Competitiveness in Decarbonizing 00:06:26.063 --> 00:06:29.776 Energy-Intensive Companies. The Environment Ministry 00:06:29.937 --> 00:06:33.276 began to prepare the bill before the summer, 00:06:33.397 --> 00:06:38.850 as soon as we got the EU guidelines 00:06:39.043 --> 00:06:41.690 and the Clean Industry Act, 00:06:41.863 --> 00:06:49.803 which allowed special forms of state aid 00:06:49.977 --> 00:06:53.810 for energy-intensive companies. Why was that? 00:06:53.963 --> 00:07:00.915 Because these companies are now facing competition 00:07:01.036 --> 00:07:09.010 on the global stage, and electricity represents a substantial cost. 00:07:09.303 --> 00:07:16.548 To increase their competitiveness, we need to assist these companies 00:07:16.669 --> 00:07:24.130 in a legal way, so I'm glad that Slovenia 00:07:24.277 --> 00:07:28.876 is a leading EU country in having a legislative basis 00:07:29.037 --> 00:07:32.423 to help all companies in a systemic way. 00:07:32.577 --> 00:07:37.324 We're talking about high-value companies 00:07:37.470 --> 00:07:42.936 that are vital exporters. 00:07:43.043 --> 00:07:47.803 They provide thousands of quality jobs 00:07:47.943 --> 00:07:52.083 and have the know-how, but are facing reduced 00:07:52.257 --> 00:07:56.497 competitiveness not just within the EU market, 00:07:56.623 --> 00:07:58.510 but globally. 00:07:58.683 --> 00:08:04.716 This aid is given when there is no alternative. 00:08:04.837 --> 00:08:08.936 This is true both for jobs and other forms of aid. 00:08:09.070 --> 00:08:12.296 We're also analyzing the possibility 00:08:12.417 --> 00:08:20.263 of using other sources of funding to help companies. 00:08:20.710 --> 00:08:24.996 We had an ongoing, constructive, active dialog 00:08:25.117 --> 00:08:28.163 with the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce 00:08:28.290 --> 00:08:31.329 at all our meeting beginning last summer. 00:08:31.450 --> 00:08:34.089 Our most recent meeting was this week, 00:08:34.230 --> 00:08:37.483 not just with the Chamber of Commerce, 00:08:37.650 --> 00:08:40.503 but also with the Slovenian Energy Chamber 00:08:40.650 --> 00:08:46.949 and the two representatives of Slovenia's biggest manufacturers. 00:08:47.063 --> 00:08:52.369 We're talking about Gen-Energija and Holding Slovenske Elektrarne. 00:08:52.503 --> 00:08:56.089 The purpose of the bill is to encourage 00:08:56.210 --> 00:09:00.263 the competitiveness of companies with the most exposure 00:09:00.410 --> 00:09:05.723 in their sectors. We transferred all possibilities provided 00:09:05.844 --> 00:09:11.503 by the Clean Energy Act on the EU level into this bill. 00:09:11.643 --> 00:09:14.369 That's good news for these companies. 00:09:14.550 --> 00:09:20.123 We've lowered the annual limit on electricity use 00:09:20.263 --> 00:09:25.503 from 20 gigawatt hours to 15 gigawatt hours. 00:09:25.623 --> 00:09:29.869 This way, we've made it possible for more companies 00:09:30.010 --> 00:09:32.996 to be eligible for this aid. 00:09:33.130 --> 00:09:40.889 The criteria and conditions defined by the EU-level act 00:09:41.010 --> 00:09:46.176 remain in effect. The bill will go into effect 00:09:46.297 --> 00:09:50.123 as soon as it's published in the Official Gazette 00:09:50.297 --> 00:09:56.983 after being greenlighted by the EU Commission. 00:09:57.110 --> 00:10:03.883 A few weeks ago, the ministry launched a pre-notification process. 00:10:03.990 --> 00:10:08.335 When the law is passed, we'll launch the notification 00:10:08.456 --> 00:10:11.069 process with the Commission. 00:10:11.190 --> 00:10:14.236 We estimate that we'll get a green light 00:10:14.357 --> 00:10:17.009 from the Commission within a few months 00:10:17.143 --> 00:10:19.869 and begin providing aid. 00:10:19.977 --> 00:10:27.684 In the meantime, we'll help companies sign up 00:10:27.837 --> 00:10:30.016 and prove their eligibility. 00:10:30.190 --> 00:10:34.283 These administrative issues can be dealt with 00:10:34.404 --> 00:10:38.503 as we wait for European Commission approval. 00:10:40.443 --> 00:10:43.629 Regarding the scope of this project, 00:10:43.777 --> 00:10:46.429 winch was one of the main topics during 00:10:46.550 --> 00:10:49.350 inter-ministerial and public consultations. 00:10:49.510 --> 00:10:56.043 It includes about 40 companies that will be fulfill criteria 00:10:56.163 --> 00:11:01.969 regarding energy use and other eligibility requirements 00:11:02.170 --> 00:11:04.409 in the EU guidelines. 00:11:06.030 --> 00:11:10.689 We're talking about 1.1 or just more than one 00:11:10.830 --> 00:11:17.176 terawatt-hour of electricity a year, which is a significantly 00:11:17.297 --> 00:11:22.180 reduced price and one that will be available to all companies. 00:11:22.297 --> 00:11:26.743 This is a three-year framework that will be in effect 00:11:26.897 --> 00:11:29.789 for 2026, 2027, and 2028. 00:11:29.950 --> 00:11:35.376 For now, we believe that the annual amount of aid 00:11:35.537 --> 00:11:41.029 that the government would distribute monthly to these companies 00:11:41.210 --> 00:11:43.660 would be €30 million. 00:11:43.783 --> 00:11:49.383 The aid will be set for each year in advance 00:11:49.504 --> 00:11:52.209 based on the current market conditions. 00:11:52.390 --> 00:11:56.409 The market prices now are still much higher 00:11:56.597 --> 00:12:04.310 than before the crisis in Ukraine because of high prices 00:12:04.443 --> 00:12:07.483 in the energy markets. 00:12:07.663 --> 00:12:15.543 Finally, we expect to see aid 00:12:15.664 --> 00:12:19.363 in the amount of €90 to €100 million by 2028 00:12:19.537 --> 00:12:23.636 because of this bill. At the same time, 00:12:23.837 --> 00:12:27.696 we'll adapt the price of aid per megawatt-hour 00:12:27.817 --> 00:12:32.069 to the prevailing market conditions. Thank you. 00:12:36.823 --> 00:12:42.503 Does the proposed wording of the bill reflect 00:12:42.624 --> 00:12:45.870 address the concerns of the steel industry? 00:12:46.050 --> 00:12:50.596 The SIJ Group called for the equal treatment 00:12:50.717 --> 00:12:54.723 of all companies yesterday. 00:12:54.850 --> 00:12:58.963 Will companies from the SIJ Group be included in this program? 00:12:59.110 --> 00:13:05.243 The government took part in a constructive dialog 00:13:05.364 --> 00:13:08.290 as we weighed all aspects of the bill. 00:13:08.443 --> 00:13:13.380 The Chamber of Commerce called for us to include 00:13:13.523 --> 00:13:19.076 as many claimants to the aid as possible. 00:13:19.197 --> 00:13:23.863 The steel and iron industry is allowed to take part 00:13:24.030 --> 00:13:28.536 and receive the aid based on the guidelines. 00:13:28.723 --> 00:13:33.676 SIJ has a different challenge because it could become 00:13:33.837 --> 00:13:37.589 a troubled company but we made an exemption 00:13:37.743 --> 00:13:42.836 in the bill, so the government has paid attention to this. 00:13:42.963 --> 00:13:47.876 They'll probably need to prove their eligibility, 00:13:48.023 --> 00:13:52.489 but an exemption in the bill allows this. 00:13:58.363 --> 00:14:04.190 Thank you. I cede the floor to my colleague, Minister Novak. 00:14:07.637 --> 00:14:10.130 Hello. 00:14:10.777 --> 00:14:16.256 Our ministry is also beginning a new year 00:14:16.410 --> 00:14:20.076 with three proposed legislative amendments. 00:14:20.250 --> 00:14:27.483 The first came in the form of changes to the Spatial Planning Act. 00:14:27.597 --> 00:14:31.303 The ministry and the government listened to initiatives 00:14:31.470 --> 00:14:34.949 from the municipalities and the National Assembly 00:14:35.090 --> 00:14:38.396 to refrain from limiting the number of cases 00:14:38.537 --> 00:14:42.729 involving changes or amendments of spatial plans 00:14:42.890 --> 00:14:46.789 on the municipality level. They can take on several cases 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:50.943 simultaneously if they clearly identify them. 00:14:51.117 --> 00:14:54.963 This allows the flexibility, 00:14:55.123 --> 00:14:59.669 in the case of public and social infrastructure, 00:14:59.837 --> 00:15:05.436 particularly the type dependent on EU or outside funding, 00:15:05.597 --> 00:15:09.416 for municipalities to consider changes individually, 00:15:09.577 --> 00:15:13.269 not as part of a package. These are the so-called 00:15:13.450 --> 00:15:17.083 targeted changes of municipal spatial plans. 00:15:18.329 --> 00:15:23.323 The key part is that by following spatial planning rules, 00:15:23.463 --> 00:15:26.529 the municipalities can change certain matters 00:15:26.723 --> 00:15:29.689 within a few months without waiting 00:15:29.863 --> 00:15:33.550 for the entire plan to be defined in that municipality. 00:15:33.671 --> 00:15:37.436 We're also expanding the possibility location checks 00:15:37.570 --> 00:15:42.723 by making changes to detailed municipal spatial plans, 00:15:42.883 --> 00:15:49.630 not just basic ones. This is another important change. 00:15:49.790 --> 00:15:55.289 Furthermore, we emphasized the need for surveyors 00:15:55.450 --> 00:15:59.403 to measure building lots in accordance to spatial plans, 00:15:59.550 --> 00:16:02.750 not just their own way, because otherwise 00:16:02.903 --> 00:16:06.429 we'll need to check some things twice. 00:16:06.617 --> 00:16:10.743 Appeals against decisions allowing for expropriation processes 00:16:10.897 --> 00:16:15.090 have been reintroduced. The Supreme Court has cautioned us 00:16:15.317 --> 00:16:18.789 that any decision by the state or a local community 00:16:18.910 --> 00:16:22.396 should be subject to appeal, and that's now the case. 00:16:22.577 --> 00:16:25.983 Level-two appeals will be handled by the ministry, 00:16:26.104 --> 00:16:30.243 while level-one appeals will be head by administrative units. 00:16:31.443 --> 00:16:36.163 We made it clearer that municipal utility fees 00:16:36.323 --> 00:16:39.816 shouldn't be charged for supplementary structures. 00:16:39.937 --> 00:16:43.736 In other cases, they're not tied to lot sizes, 00:16:43.950 --> 00:16:46.390 so they'll be far lower there. 00:16:46.543 --> 00:16:49.609 We've also extended the deadline 00:16:49.817 --> 00:16:53.723 for setting municipal utility fees from two to four years. 00:16:53.843 --> 00:16:57.669 In some cases, this was defined in the legislation, 00:16:57.783 --> 00:17:01.643 which we've coordinated with local communities. 00:17:01.783 --> 00:17:07.716 It's ready to be taken up by the National Assembly. 00:17:07.857 --> 00:17:11.823 The second legislative item we've prepared is an amendment 00:17:11.963 --> 00:17:15.963 to the Mining Act. This doesn't apply to the Velenje Mine, 00:17:16.137 --> 00:17:18.570 but rather to ongoing activity. 00:17:18.757 --> 00:17:23.670 During this government's term, we've seen major changes 00:17:23.856 --> 00:17:28.496 to the speed and the scope of issuing permits, concessions, 00:17:28.617 --> 00:17:31.356 and other mining-related documents. 00:17:31.477 --> 00:17:36.023 I inherited unresolved applications from 2011. 00:17:36.223 --> 00:17:40.630 Based on that, you can see that there were 00:17:40.777 --> 00:17:44.490 more than 200 extension requests or other applications 00:17:44.611 --> 00:17:46.370 active when I arrived. 00:17:46.637 --> 00:17:50.970 We've now activated practically all the applications 00:17:51.137 --> 00:17:54.403 to extend concessions and receive permits. 00:17:54.523 --> 00:17:58.656 Half of them, about 30, have been processed by the New Year. 00:17:58.777 --> 00:18:01.923 Another 30 are ongoing and will be closed 00:18:02.077 --> 00:18:07.910 partly by March and partly by June, all of them in this term. 00:18:08.037 --> 00:18:14.496 Because most concessions are expiring at this time, 00:18:14.617 --> 00:18:18.916 in December or January, the extension mentioned 00:18:19.077 --> 00:18:22.903 by the Deputy Prime Minister means that the concessions 00:18:23.117 --> 00:18:25.990 will remain valid until the final decision, 00:18:26.111 --> 00:18:28.990 but no longer than the end of 2026. 00:18:29.177 --> 00:18:32.363 We've also defined the role of municipalities, 00:18:32.484 --> 00:18:37.844 where the cost of expert analyses for things like quarry 00:18:37.990 --> 00:18:42.170 expansions is covered by the state, while the municipalities 00:18:42.317 --> 00:18:47.023 carry out their own spatial planning obligations. 00:18:47.137 --> 00:18:50.003 It hadn't been clear who had to pay what. 00:18:50.157 --> 00:18:54.550 This has now been defined. 00:18:54.777 --> 00:18:58.103 Regarding new mining permits, 00:18:58.250 --> 00:19:04.476 we decided to make it possible for new applications 00:19:04.663 --> 00:19:09.516 to be considered by requiring the permit-issuing agency 00:19:09.643 --> 00:19:13.843 to issue any remarks regarding deficient documentation 00:19:14.003 --> 00:19:17.080 and the like within 90 days. 00:19:17.237 --> 00:19:22.110 This will allow the applicants 00:19:22.231 --> 00:19:25.876 to complete their application documents within 60 days 00:19:26.010 --> 00:19:29.996 or ask for a one-time extension and receive the permit 00:19:30.190 --> 00:19:36.476 within a year. This change ensures a greater administrative protection 00:19:36.617 --> 00:19:40.910 of all parties, including investors. 00:19:41.090 --> 00:19:47.950 The municipalities will retain their rights 00:19:48.083 --> 00:19:50.683 as previously defined. 00:19:50.817 --> 00:19:58.316 We also simplified the use of abandoned coalmines 00:19:58.463 --> 00:20:00.816 and other facilities. 00:20:00.937 --> 00:20:04.896 Until now, they could be used for other purposes 00:20:05.030 --> 00:20:10.116 only by registered mining companies. 00:20:10.343 --> 00:20:13.910 We determined that this wasn't necessary and resolved 00:20:14.143 --> 00:20:17.710 the issue by allowing, as long as safety is ensured, 00:20:17.903 --> 00:20:23.210 these abandoned mines to host tourist, cultural, 00:20:23.383 --> 00:20:27.962 natural, and recreational events, and to serve as water sources. 00:20:28.083 --> 00:20:33.196 This allows Zasavje and other regions 00:20:33.343 --> 00:20:41.310 to safely carry out other activities. 00:20:42.356 --> 00:20:47.363 The amendment will improve several things 00:20:47.470 --> 00:20:49.723 and make regulations clearer. 00:20:49.923 --> 00:20:53.430 In the case of all three bills, 00:20:53.583 --> 00:20:56.930 there is a need to simplify several things 00:20:57.063 --> 00:20:59.710 in the next governmental term 00:20:59.870 --> 00:21:03.129 to make things more efficient, improve quality, 00:21:03.250 --> 00:21:07.030 and prepare new laws. The final bill we took on today 00:21:07.217 --> 00:21:14.141 was a routine one, the Act on Liability for Nuclear Damage. 00:21:14.268 --> 00:21:17.758 It's based on the principle that anyone responsible 00:21:17.879 --> 00:21:21.314 for any damage is responsible for covering its costs, 00:21:21.435 --> 00:21:26.875 but with nuclear damage, European and international regulations, 00:21:26.996 --> 00:21:29.953 it's not yet possible to fully insure it, 00:21:30.103 --> 00:21:32.593 but most of the field is regulated. 00:21:32.733 --> 00:21:36.090 In a small segment, we have the responsibility 00:21:36.230 --> 00:21:41.074 to ensure coverage guarantees from the state. 00:21:41.243 --> 00:21:48.644 The state has already been required to provide coverage 00:21:48.765 --> 00:21:53.462 up to €700 million in case of an accident. 00:21:53.583 --> 00:21:57.170 Fortunately, we haven't experienced that in Slovenia. 00:21:57.369 --> 00:22:01.426 We extended the deadline by four years, as the EU recommends, 00:22:01.547 --> 00:22:05.085 because insurers can't yet cover all the liability. 00:22:05.255 --> 00:22:09.420 We hope that the insurance system will eventually cover this. 00:22:09.528 --> 00:22:12.930 Annual contracts for the Krško Nuclear Power Plant 00:22:13.051 --> 00:22:15.799 are signed with the Finance Ministry, 00:22:15.932 --> 00:22:20.431 allowing us to cover this gap. 00:22:20.555 --> 00:22:24.028 There hasn't been enough time for the insurers 00:22:24.149 --> 00:22:29.108 to reach an international consensus in this area. 00:22:29.229 --> 00:22:31.738 Go ahead. -Any questions? 00:22:31.884 --> 00:22:34.659 No? Thank you and good luck.