163th regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia

The Government adopted a proposal for the Employee Ownership Cooperative Act, which establishes a legal basis for regulating stable and systemically regulated employee participation in ownership. The proposal enables a stable and systemically sustainable model of transferring ownership to employees, bringing positive effects for employers, employees and the economy as a whole. The act proposal regulates the special status of ownership cooperatives and a special form of tax incentives for persons disposing of equity interest, parent companies and members of owner cooperatives. The act proposal introduces the possibility of ownership succession, which ensures long-term and stable participation of employees in the ownership of companies, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises, thereby responding to the needs of the economy and local communities in ensuring the stability and sustainability of domestically owned companies.

The proposal of the Act on the Exchange of Electronic Invoices and Other Electronic Documents introduces the mandatory use of electronic invoices (e-invoices) in business transactions between business entities within Slovenia, with the aim of encouraging them to switch to electronic business operations as quickly as possible. This simplifies business operations and ultimately reduces costs associated with issuing invoices. In accordance with the Provision of Payment Services to Budget Users Act, which follows European legislation, budget users have been required to use e-invoices since 2015. Under the new rules, the exchange of e-invoices would become mandatory for all business entities entered in the Slovenian Business Register. This means that the obligation to exchange e-invoices with budget users and entities liable for public procurement would be extended to all business entities registered in Slovenia, while for many entities the Act would not bring any changes. The act proposal does not introduce any changes for natural persons – companies would continue to issue invoices to consumers in paper form, unless the natural person voluntarily consents to the issuance of invoices in electronic form and agrees to this with the company. However, consumers may withdraw their consent to receive e-invoices at any time and request that the business entity send them invoices in paper form. The obligation to use e-invoices in business transactions between all business entities within Slovenia would enter into force on 1 January 2028. The economy is following the trend of business digitalisation and is focused on issuing e-invoices, so making e-invoicing mandatory for businesses will bring positive results, because until now, the issuance or receipt of e-invoices was not mandatory in existing business relationships with other entities for which the obligation is not specified in the applicable Act.

The Government also issued the Decree amending the Decree on the compulsory health insurance service programme, the capacities required for its implementation and the amount of funding for services for 2025 (2025 Decree). The Decree is a key document of the Ministry of Health, replacing the so-called general agreement at the annual level. The amendments to the 2025 Decree, which were adopted today by the Government, will improve access to and the quality of healthcare services at all levels, from preventive check-ups to the most complex hospital treatments. The most important change is the introduction of new weights for the payment of acute hospital treatment, which will enter into force on 1 January 2026. The weights are based on a national cost analysis involving 11 hospitals with a representative sample of all services. The new weighting calculations will enable fairer and more transparent payment for hospital services, as the prices of individual treatments will reflect the actual costs of treatment. Additional funds for implementation of the weights from 1 January 2026 amount to 61 million, including for psychiatry, prosthetics, ENT, dermatology, physiotherapy, allergology, gynaecology, infectology, medical rehabilitation, clinical psychology, health education and mobile palliative care. Overall, the programmes are expanding by 10.3 teams. The total value of all amendments in the Decree amounts to EUR 26.1 million. The EUR 26.1 million includes EUR 12.1 million for better programme evaluations and EUR 14.0 million for programme expansions.

The Government adopted the guidelines for establishing a Public institute of the Republic of Slovenia for emergency medical assistance. The establishment of a public institute that will act as the central body at the national level represents a key step towards the effective planning, coordination and comprehensive implementation of emergency medical assistance (EMA). With clearly defined responsibilities, the Public Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Emergency Medical Assistance (JZRSNMP) will enable more coordinated, transparent and uniform management of the emergency medical assistance system throughout the country.

The Government has adopted the Strategy for the Development of the Defence Industry and Technology Base in the Republic of Slovenia. The Strategy is the first of its kind in Slovenia and is based on the Resolution on the overall long-term programme for the development and equipping of the Slovenian Armed Forces until 2040. The purpose of the Strategy for the Development of the Defence Industry and Technology Base in the Republic of Slovenia is to promote and strengthen the Slovenian defence industry, integrate it into the broader EU environment and contribute to the strengthening of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). A strong Slovenian defence industry will increase the availability of defence products and services in the market and, in line with its capabilities, strengthen the responsiveness of the EDTIB and contribute to the reliability of supply chains and supply. In order to encourage the integration of small and medium-sized enterprises into the international arena and create a level playing field, it is necessary to increase strategic investment in key domestic companies in the defence sector and to strengthen the role or influence of the state in their management. In order to support the effective development of the national defence industry, it is necessary to ensure appropriate forms of financing for companies. Strengthening the Slovenian defence industry is linked to strengthening the European security and defence industry. In 2024, the European Commission also presented the first European Strategy for the Defence Industry at EU level and proposed an ambitious set of new measures to support the competitiveness and preparedness of the European defence industry. A holding company will be established to invest in projects and companies with the aim of supporting research and development in the defence industry, strengthening security and increasing resilience.

The Government took note of the Information on the implementation of the draft Resolution on the overall long-term programme for the development and equipping of the Slovenian Armed Forces until 2040 in the field of defence spending. In order to fulfil the legal obligations, respect for international commitments and the development of the necessary capabilities of the Slovenian Armed Forces, which will enable its readiness and consequently contribute to broader resilience, the new Resolution on the overall long-term programme for the development and equipping of the Slovenian Armed Forces until 2040, adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia on 12 June 2025, includes a significantly more ambitious projection of defence expenditure, which should reach 2% of GDP in 2025 and then gradually increase to 3% of GDP by 2030. The material is presented in two pillars, with the first pillar representing funds for core military requirements and the second pillar representing funds for investments related to defence, security and resilience – dual-use investments.