International Trade Fair Celje hosts a public debate on the future of regional development
Opening address by Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek at the public debate on the future of regional development | Author Jaka Arbutina
Minister Jevšek underlined that the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development is drafting the amendment of the Act and would like a wide range of stakeholders to participate in the public debate. After the public debate, the amending act will be subject to the legislative procedure next year. According to Minister Jevšek, the aim of amending the Promotion of Balanced Regional Development Act is to “comprehensively address the challenges of individual territories, including sources of financing and a more efficient participation of stakeholders.”
State Secretary Andreja Katič added that “the amendments aim to define the roles of cohesion and development regions and strengthen the role of regional development agencies as well as identify regional projects, set out the monitoring and evaluation of regional policies and to introduce a systemic arrangement of deprivileged areas, for example of border problem areas.”
In his opening address, Minister Jevšek briefly presented the activities of the Ministry and the Government regarding the recent floods: “We are drafting the Reconstruction Act which will also feature a development component focusing on the affected areas to prevent these areas from falling behind in terms of their development. We have also amended Slovenia’s 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy programme which has already been approved by the Government at its last session. The available EU funding will thus be used to finance flood-related intervention measures, which will, in turn, also ensure 100% absorption of the funding available under the 2014-2020 period. 50 million euros of overcommitments will be reallocated to the Slovenian Reconstruction Fund and 20.5 million euros will be used to finance intervention measures.”
The Minister also said that the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development is cooperating with other ministries in preparing the EU Solidarity Fund application. Slovenia can expect a total of EUR 40 million in assistance. The deadline for submitting the application form is 27 October 2023.