168th regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia

16. 9. 2025

Government of the Republic of Slovenia

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposed Protection of Public Order Act and the starting points for the preparation of a proposed amendment to the Minor Offences Act. It also determined the text of the application for accreditation of a new public higher education institution, a public university based in Novo mesto, thereby taking a new step towards the establishment of this university.

Establishment of a new public higher education institution, a public university based in Novo mesto

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia determined the text of the application for accreditation of a new public higher education institution, a public university based in Novo mesto. Igor Papič, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, has been authorised to submit an application for accreditation to the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and to carry out further procedures related to the consideration of this application.

The Government also authorised Minister Papič to harmonise proposals for agreements on the transfer of the founders, obligations and responsibilities of private higher education institutions at the University of Novo mesto, the Faculty of Industrial Engineering Novo mesto and the Faculty of Organisation Studies in Novo mesto to the Republic of Slovenia. Once the decision of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education on the accreditation of the new public higher education institution becomes final, the Minister will have to submit these agreements to the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for conclusion.

Source: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Government defines text of the proposed Protection of Public Order Act

The Government defined the text of the proposed Protection of Public Order Act and submitted it to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for consideration under the ordinary procedure.

Key changes include:

The proposed Act regulates the clear definition of the protection of public order and defines behaviours that constitute a violation of public order and consequently interfere in an unlawful manner with the constitutionally guaranteed rights of others.
Distinction between offences of violent and reckless behaviour in general and offences of violent and reckless behaviour against family members of the offender. Higher fines are imposed for violent and reckless behaviour towards family members than for violent and reckless behaviour towards other persons.
Separate consideration of violent and reckless behaviour at a sporting event or in connection with a sporting event or during travel to or from a sporting event. Higher fines are imposed for these offences, taking into account the provisions of the Police Tasks and Powers Act.
Offences committed with the intention of inciting intolerance are defined in more detail, with newly established fines for individual offences.
The collection of voluntary contributions is regulated in more detail, and new penalties are also specified for this offence, namely in connection with the collection of voluntary contributions in an intrusive or offensive manner.
Elimination of camping regulations and transfer of regulatory powers to local self-government communities, in accordance with the needs of local communities.
Assigned jurisdiction for individual offences to municipal wardens, which is in line with the plan for future general security policy.
In addition, indecent behaviour in the form of exposing sexual organs in a public place where there is a large concentration of people or where children are present is also criminalised.
New fines have been set for individual offences.

Source: Ministry of the Interior

Starting points for preparing proposed amendment to the Minor Offences Act

At today’s session, the Government took note of the starting points for preparing the proposed Act Amending the Minor Offences Act (ZP-1).

The starting points for the objectives of the proposed amendments to the Minor Offences Act are the following:

upgrading and clarifying the rules governing minor offence law with a view to enabling more efficient conduct of expedited minor ofence proceedings;
tightening of punitive policy in the area of minor offence law;
strengthening the legal position of the alleged offender;
relieving the courts of certain minor offence cases;
examining the adequacy of regulating procedural rights with regard to ensuring compliance with the adversarial principle;
elimination of shortcomings, ambiguities and inconsistencies in the applicable legal provisions.

The new proposed Act will provide for at least the following solutions:

amendments to the institution of community service (tightening the conditions for approving community service in order to prevent abuse of this institution by offenders);
increasing the possibility of ordering substitute imprisonment; when it is not possible to collect fines (also due to social circumstances), these are converted into substitute imprisonment;
clearer definition of liability of legal persons;
amendment of minor offence decisions in expedited minor offence proceedings and adjustment of the request for judicial protection as a legal remedy in expedited minor offence proceedings;
simplification of the work of minor offence authorities in proceedings relating to the Directive facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences;
amendments to the institution of securing enforcement;
relieving the exclusively competent Ljubljana Local Court of the burden of deciding on more serious minor offence cases.

Source: Ministry of Justice

Starting points for second amendment to Programme for the implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the 2021–2027

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia confirmed the starting points for the amendment to the Programme for the implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the 2021–2027 period (PECP 21–27) in Slovenia. It instructed the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development to coordinate the amendment to the PECP 21–27 with all stakeholders in accordance with the adopted guidelines and to submit it to the European Commission for approval by 1 December 2025, at the latest. In addition, it instructed the Ministry to also provide cohesion funds for the Maribor Rotovž project.

Due to the changed geopolitical situation, the European Union is amending its cohesion legislation, which is expected to be published by the end of September 2025. With the planned amendment to the PECP 21–27, Slovenia is adapting to the new development and strategic priorities of the European Union and its own national needs. The key reason for the change is to make more efficient use of available resources, ensuring greater focus on areas with the greatest development impact.

The priority areas of the new cohesion legislation are competitiveness, energy transition and security, defence and security, affordable housing and water resilience and supply. The amendments bring greater financial and administrative flexibility.

To support the achievement of Slovenia's objectives in new and changed areas, we plan to reallocate funds from existing to new cohesion policy measures across several specific objectives, totalling EUR 241 million.

Source: Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development