At today’s session, the Government adopted the national Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) which will serve as the basis for drawing on the funding available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This is the largest financial mechanism under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Package Next Generation EU in the frame of which Slovenia is also eligible to funding under the React-EU initiative, the Just Transition Fund and Rural Development.  

In its RRP Slovenia has identified development areas and the related reforms and investments that will help mitigate the negative economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic and prepare the country for the challenges related to green and digital transition.

Each component within an individual development area includes interrelated reforms and investments. The relevant milestones and objectives are defined for each measure which will enable implementation monitoring. In the light of green transition efforts, none of the measures should cause significant or substantial damage to the environment.

Slovenia’s RRP development areas and components: 

1. Green transiton

• Renewable energy and energy efficiency in the economy
• Sustainable renovation of buildings
• Clean and safe environment
• Sustainable mobility
• Circular economy – resource efficiency

2. Digital transformation

• Digital transformation of the economy
• Digital transformation of the public sector and public administration

3. Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

• RDI – Research, development and innovation
• Raising productivity, a friendly business environment for investors
• Labour market – measures to reduce the impact of negative structural trends
• Sustainable development of tourism, including cultural heritage
• Enhancing competencies, especially digital ones and those required in new professions and green transition
• Effective public institutions

4. Healthcare and social social security

• Healthcare
• Social security and long-term care
• Social housing

Slovenia’s RRP envisages utilisation of EUR 1.8 billion in grants and a good EUR 666 million in loans. The amount of loans may be increased if needed and if conditions for doing so are met. Given its excellent credit ratings, Slovenia has been borrowing at negative interest rates. The deadline for the Member States is August 2023.

The EU Regulation establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility outlines that at least 37% of each Member State plan’s allocation has to support green objectives and at least 20% digital objectives. Slovenia’s RRP earmarks 43.45% for meeting green objectives and 20.05% for meeting digital objectives.      

Slovenia’s RRP identifies measures and projects that can be completed by 2026; this is when the programme will come to an end. In light of the fact that the available funding is limited, the investments, measures and projects which could not have been included in the RRP will be funded in the frame of other funds, funding schemes and the state budget. 

The Government has also authorised Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy to further develop the plan in accordance with the European Commission’s comments in the frame of the coordination process until the RRP is formally approved by the Council of the European Union on the basis of the European Commission’s proposal, and to administratively and technically finalise the document.

The Government has also decided that the national coordinator for RRP implementation will be a new body within the Ministry of Finance which will be formally established on 1 June 2021 and will start performing its tasks by 1 August 2021 at the latest.