The small and medium-sized enterprises test of regulations

All new Slovenian legislation must pass the so-called SME test, which means that every regulation and law is tested according to its impacts on small and medium-sized enterprises. If these impacts are negative, the law or regulation cannot be adopted. In this context, we cooperate closely with the business sector and chambers of commerce that represent the interests of businesses. Thus we ensure that the regulations we adopt have no negative consequences for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Companies in difficulties

In spite of all the incentives and opportunities, a company might find itself in difficulties. Hence the process of granting state aid for rescuing and restructuring companies in difficulty has a very specific role within the general system of state aid in Slovenia and indeed the EU. It may, for example, be justified by social or regional political reasons, the need to take into account the strategic role of individual economic operators in the national economy, or, in an exceptional case, the desire to maintain a competitive market structure when the disappearance of companies or cooperatives could lead to a monopolistic or a harmful oligopolistic situation. Granting state aid for rescuing and restructuring companies and cooperatives in difficulty is permissible only in exceptional cases and justified only if the appropriate legal conditions are observed.

The activities carried out in the field of rescuing and restructuring companies are as follows:

• providing guidance and advice to companies and cooperatives in preparing restructuring programmes;
• producing technical background documents for the minister responsible for the economy, tourism and sport related to decisions on granting state aid for rescuing and restructuring companies;
• monitoring and supervising the implementation of restructuring projects;
• drafting reports on the aid granted;
• preparing expert analyses on the effectiveness of the aid granted;
• drafting proposals referring to the regulatory framework of the sector and its areas of action;
• carrying out and coordinating activities in communication with the European Commission. 

Social entrepreneurship

In Slovenia, special attention is devoted to cooperative enterprises, social entrepreneurship and employee buyouts. Our country has much room for improvement in this area, which is growing rapidly both in Europe and indeed in the world, but the continuing stories of success inspire us and make us feel proud.