News

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development formally moved its seat to Maribor on Wednesday, 8 July, to become the first ministry in Slovenia headquartered outside Ljubljana.

Dr Monika Kirbiš Rojs, Minister of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development, met today with the leadership of the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia at the Ministry’s future headquarters in Maribor. The working meeting was attended by the President of the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia, Nejc Smole, Vice Presidents Gregor Košir and Gregor Macedoni, and Secretary General Jasmina Vidmar.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Integrated Territorial Investment project called Urban Municipality of Novo mesto Seidlova – phase 2. European Regional Development Fund contribution to the project stands at €989 thousand.

At the main ceremony marking the Municipality of Benedikt's 27th municipal holiday, Minister Dr Monika Kirbiš Rojs addressed the audience as the keynote speaker and underlined the importance of local communities and smaller municipalities for the country’s comprehensive and balanced progress. As she noted, municipalities like Benedikt are not on the periphery of the country, but rather an important part of it.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Rogaška Slatina Cemetery project. The European Regional Development Fund contribution stands at just over €646 thousand.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the renovation of the town hall in Ptuj. The project will receive €2.95 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for three urban regeneration projects worth a total of €9.74 million. The projects will receive €5.43 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

A working meeting between the mayors of municipalities of the Podravje region and Dr Monika Kirbiš Rojs, Minister of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development, took place today in Maribor. The meeting was organised by the Regional Development Agency for Podravje - Maribor at the initiative of Danijel Vrbnjak, President of the Podravje Regional Council, and hosted by the Urban Municipality of Maribor.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development hosted a meeting with representatives of the Association of Urban Municipalities of Slovenia and the Association of Municipalities of Slovenia.

On 30 June 2026, Slovenian municipalities received financial incentives for joint municipal administrations in accordance with the act governing the financing of municipalities.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development, the Slovenian Regional Development Fund, and the Slovene Enterprise Fund jointly developed a plan for calls for proposals and financial instruments for 2027 and 2028. Through these initiatives, €85.4 million will be made available.

A development conference of the Savinjsko-šaleška coal region called Forging a New Direction took place on 18 June 2026 in the Logarska dolina valley. The conference brought together representatives of national institutions, local communities, development institutions, business community, education institutions, and civil society to discuss the region’s key development challenges and opportunities and next steps in the just transition process.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Advanced Mobile Imaging System for Realtime Diagnostics and Planning. The European Regional Development Fund contribution stands at €6.58 million.

Many of the measures introduced in Slovenia under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, implemented with the support of EU funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility – NextGenerationEU, have already been successfully completed or will be by August 2026. Most of the activities related to measures aimed at increasing productivity and fostering a business-friendly environment for investors have also been completed.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Policy Ivan Meglič took part in the 6th Slovenian Rural Parliament, where he underscored the importance of continuous dialogue with local communities in shaping development policies. The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss the quality of life in rural areas and its importance for balanced development of Slovenia.

Rok Šimenc, State Secretary at the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development, and Sofia Alves, Director at the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, visited the Zasavje region today. They attended the Zasavje 2026 Just Transition Conference and visited the flood-recovery project in Zagorje ob Savi, co-financed by the European Union Solidarity Fund.

An official handover ceremony was held today at the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development. The outgoing minister, Dr Aleksander Jevšek, formally handed over responsibilities to the new minister, Dr Monika Kirbiš Rojs, who announced upon assuming office that she would immediately continue ongoing work and pursue key development priorities.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) project Digital Urban Municipality of Velenje. European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to €1.56 million.

Slovenian Regional Development Fund opened an exhibition at the Ribnica Castle to mark its 30th anniversary, showcasing three decades of work and impact. Numerous representatives of national and local institutions, development organisations and funding recipients from across Slovenia gathered to celebrate three decades of working together to reduce regional disparities and foster sustainable development.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater infrastructure development in Prebold. The European Regional Development Fund will contribute over €522,000 to support the project.