The Government adopts its opinion on the proposers’ request for a review of the constitutionality of the Decision on the inadmissibility of the call for a legislative referendum on the Act Amending the Family Code

At the session of the Committee on State Structure and Public Affairs, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted its opinion on the proposers’ request for a review of the constitutionality of the Decision on the inadmissibility of the call for a legislative referendum on the Act Amending the Family Code

The Act Amending the Family Code eliminates the unconstitutionality established by two decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia. The provisions of the Act Amending the Family Code concern the subject-matter in respect of which, in accordance with the fourth indent of the second paragraph of Article 90 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, it is inadmissible to call a legislative referendum, since this law eliminates an unconstitutionality in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Government therefore considers that the Decision on the inadmissibility of the call for a legislative referendum on the Act Amending the Family Code is not contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.

Change in the value of the project regarding the construction of additional premises for the Lendava Bilingual Secondary School

At the session of the Committee, the Government adopts its decision to change the value of the project to build additional premises for the Lendava Bilingual Secondary School. During the implementation of the project to build additional premises for the Lendava Bilingual Secondary School, its investment value increased by EUR 217,515. As a result, the value of the project was increased at the session of the Committee from EUR 448,924 to EUR 666,006 in the Development Programme Plan.

The Government opposes the proposal to call a consultative referendum on amending the Personal Income Tax Act

At today's session of the Government Committee for the Economy, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted its opinion on the proposal for a consultative referendum on amending the Personal Income Tax Act, which was submitted to the National Assembly by a group of MPs. The Government opposes the proposal to call a consultative referendum.

The tax wedge in Slovenia, is above average, and the Government is aware of this, which is why it has already taken the first steps towards decreasing it through the already drafted amendment to the Personal Income Tax Act. It also adds that the central task of the tax system is, on the one hand, to ensure predictable and stable revenues to finance public spending and, on the other, to adapt to the changing economic situation in Slovenia and elsewhere in the world.

Purchase of new passenger transport vehicles

At the session of the Committee, the Government included a new project “Purchase of new passenger transport vehicles" in the current Development Programme Plan 2022-2025.

Action is foreseen regarding the purchase of new passenger transport vehicles in the context of the Programme for the expenditure of the climate change fund for the period 2022-2023. The transition from passenger-car use towards sustainable mobility and therefore the use of urban passenger transport remains one of the key measures, whereby it is important to replace outdated buses and those with low emission standards with EURO VI buses, and to extend existing transport routes.

An important objective is to increase the use of public passenger transport, encouraged by the purchase of new zero-emission vehicles. Modern buses can increase the number of passengers carried within the public passenger transport system, improving the sustainable mobility of the population.

Co-financing the purchase of new vehicles also aims to reduce emissions of air pollutants by removing outdated buses with high particle emissions. The overall effect is therefore lower particle pollution in outdoor air or improved air quality, as municipalities will replace existing buses with high particle emissions with buses with low emissions.

The grant amounts to EUR 7,000,000.00, namely up to EUR 3,800,000.00 for 2022 and up to EUR 3,200,000.00 for 2023.

Extension of Dušan Flis Hoče Primary School

The Government has also included the “Extension of Dušan Flis Hoče Primary School" project in the current Development Programme Plan 2022-2025.

The main purpose of the investment project is to provide the basic conditions for safe and quality implementation of the primary school education process in the existing building of the Dušan Flis Hoče Primary School and to improve the quality of life of the rural population. The investment will provide the basic conditions for primary school education and for increasing the range of cultural, educational, sport and recreational activities in the indoor leisure facilities, as well as adequate conditions for the use of the canteen during snack and lunch time. The main aim of the investment is the extension and reconstruction of the school building in the total surface area of 781 m² to ensure equal conditions for all children attending the primary school in the municipality, and improve the standards and functionality of the premises.

The total estimated value of payments is up to EUR 2,350,751.66, namely up to a maximum of EUR 141,933.50 from the funds provided under budget item 559 - Climate Change Fund - Expenditure of the Climate Change Fund, and up to EUR 2,208,818.16 from the budget of the Hoče-Slivnica Municipality.

Studor Municipal infrastructure

In the current Development Programme Plan 2022-2025, the Government has modified the "Studor Municipal Infrastructure" project.

This involves the co-financing of a local community project whose activities include the implementation of development policies in accordance with the provisions of the fourth paragraph of Article 11 of the Triglav National Park Act on the basis of the Decree on criteria for promotion and financing of projects, investments and implementation of activities in the Triglav National Park (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No 116/21).

The Bohinj Municipality is in charge of the project implementation. Both the value and duration of the project are subject to the amendment, namely the new project value is increased by EUR 513,000.00 to EUR 1,018,000.00, of which in 2022 the amount of EUR 165,000.00 comes from the budget and EUR 85,000.00 from the funds of the Municipality. The project is extended to 2023, and in that year the amount of EUR 768,000.00 will be provided from the budget. The change in the schedule is due to weather conditions and a change in the value of the project as a result of a more precise specification of works at the project documentation level, as well as a rise in prices on the raw materials market.

Slovenia's reply to the European Commission regarding the non-notification of the regulations concerning the transposition of the directive as regards better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection rules

At the session of the Committee, the Government adopted a reply to the European Commission's reasoned opinion on the non-notification of the regulations concerning the transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of 27 November 2019.

In its reply, the Government stated that the Republic of Slovenia has now ensured that all the provisions of the Directive have been transposed into its national law, and that it has fulfilled all its obligations under the Directive.

The delay was due to a combination of circumstances, namely coping with the COVID-19 epidemic, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021, the parliamentary elections and the related formation of a new Government. Nevertheless, the new Government discussed and approved the final draft Consumer Protection Act (ZVPot-1) on 8 July 2022, agreed on by the ministries, and forwarded it to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for discussion and adoption in a fast-track procedure. Moreover, the above Act was duly notified on 7 November 2022.

The ZVPot-1 failed to regulate some of the provisions of the Directive and they were, therefore, included in the Rules on the Forms for Exercising the Right to Withdraw from a Distance Contract or Off-Premises Contract. The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, responsible for drafting the above Rules, has already developed and adopted them. The Rules were published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia on 2 November 2022 and duly notified on 7 November 2022.