Green light for amendment to Slovenia's EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027

SLOVENIA, November 27 - ''Today's approval of amendments sends a strong message. Cohesion policy should make a difference on the ground so that the citizens should enjoy its benefits. I am glad that the government recognized the importance of operation of strategic importance Renovation of the Rotovž Centre and included it in the Programme. The building will become the cultural beating heart of cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija. This proves that we are serious about balanced regional development. By investing in homes, security, and businesses, we build solid foundations for the future of all our regions,’’ said Minister Jevšek in his statement to the media on the sidelines of the visit to the construction site.   

The amendment is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme and ensure that EU funding is absorbed more rapidly, particularly in 2026.

The amendment involves reallocation of 243.5 million euros and a further 15.5 million euros from the safety net for the following new priorities:

• Competitiveness (53.5 million euros): support for investments contributing to the objectives of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), funding under the call for proposals for development and deployment of strategic technologies (30 million euros) and supercomputer 2 (HPC 2, 23.5 million euros).
• Energy security and green transition (57.7 million euros): cross-border connections, modernisation of transmission and distribution networks, energy storage systems, and the roll-out of charging infrastructure.
• Defence and security: Slovenia will earmark over 81.4 million euros for dual use; 46 million euros will go for dual use infrastructure for healthcare purposes (investments in regional hospitals). 
• Affordable and sustainable housing (41.9 million euros): funding will be earmarked for co-financing the provision of affordable and sustainable public rental dwellings and assisted living flacilities.

The amended Programme includes the operation of strategic importance in cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija. The project, which is set to receive 18 million euros in EU funding, involves the renovation of the Maribor-based Rotovž Centre to address the spatial, functional and development issues of three central cultural institutions in cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija, i.e. the Maribor Library, the Maribor Art Gallery and the Art Cinema.   

Two new measures have been designed as part of the Just Transition Fund. The Savinjsko-Šaleška region will benefit from 5 million euros for the purchase and transfer of dwellings owned by the Velenje Coal Mine and the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant to the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia to provide public rental housing for various target groups. The Zasavje coal region will benefit from 1.5 million euros for the maintenance and transfer of individual housing units.

The amended Programme ushers in system improvements, such as extension of eligibility period by the end of 2030 and a higher co-financing rate for new objectives which can be increased by 10 percentage points up to a maximum of 100%.

As part of the government's visit to the Podravje region, Minister Jevšek, State Secretary Srečko Đurov and their team visited the construction site of the Rotovž Centre, the Drava Creative Park Business Incubator, and participated in the laying of the foundation stone for the Center of Excellence in Photonics, Micro and Nanotechnologies of University of Maribor, which is implemented as part of the Innovum platform projects. Innovum is a 101 million euro project which has received 86 million euros from the European Union and consists of 13 projects. The laying of the foundation stone for the center of excellence marks the beginning of the renovation of technical faculties in the city. At the end of the visit, the minister met with the mayors and business representatives to present EU-funded measures implemented in the Podravje region during this government's term of office in the framework of the agreements on the development of regions, programmes for border problem areas, and Interreg programmes.