127th regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia

SLOVENIA, November 7 - The Government has finalised the text of the draft act amending the Spatial Management Act and submitted it to the National Assembly for adoption in summary proceedings. The main amendments include the extension of the validity of the existing municipal spatial plans and the validity of the previous spatial development conditions until 30 October 2026.

Pursuant to Article 295 of the current Spatial Management Act, the existing municipal spatial planning document may be used as a basis for issuing building permits and carrying out spatial development until 31 December 2024. In order to prevent social, economic and environmental damage, it is necessary to amend the Act in order to extend the validity period of existing municipal spatial plans and the related spatial development conditions until 30 October 2026. The draft Act proposes to extend the deadline for the use of spatial components to the same date. Similarly, the period of validity of the spatial development conditions adopted in accordance with the Urban Planning and Other Forms of Land Use Act (ZUN) is also extended to 30 October 2026. The drafting and adoption of municipal spatial plans remains the primary responsibility of municipalities. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has been working closely with municipalities that have not yet adopted a municipal spatial plan.

At today's session, the Government included 63 new projects in the current 2024–2027 Development Programme Plan, and reintroduced the project approved for co-financing based on a public call by the Ministry of the Economy for the selection of co-financing investments in sports infrastructure in 2024. The total value of all 64 projects is almost EUR 124 million, with over EUR 39 million provided by the budget and the rest from other sources. Four projects will also receive co-financing from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy through the Eco Fund's public call for grants to municipalities for the construction of near-zero energy buildings. The investments aim to provide high quality public sports infrastructure for all categories of users and to ensure the efficient use and management of public sports infrastructure, including sports facilities and outdoor sports areas. The aim is to co-finance the renovation, new construction and reconstruction of public sports facilities and the modernisation or creation of new outdoor sports areas. This includes improving access to these facilities and areas for users with functional impairments. Part of the investment will also focus on the implementation of flood and landslide protection measures for public sports facilities and outdoor sports areas, ensuring the technological upgrade of existing spots infrastructure. These projects will improve the accessibility of public sports facilities and outdoor sports areas, increasing the quality and number of publicly accessible sports spaces in both urban and natural environments. Access will be adapted to people with different types and levels of disability, while conditions will be created to protect sports infrastructure against future natural disasters.

Minister Han was authorised by the Government to sign a memorandum of understanding for the PALFINGER Group's investment in a new strategic production facility. The PALFINGER Group expressed its interest in investing up to EUR 70 million in a new production facility in Ormož by 2028. The PALFINGER Group, a leading manufacturer and provider of cranes and lifting solutions, headquartered in Austria, operates in 34 worldwide and employs approximately 12 thousand employees. It has been operating in Maribor since 1993 and has achieved impressive business results in recent years. Since 2019, the company has increased its total revenue in Slovenia from EUR 121 million to EUR 240 million by 2023, while also increasing the value added per employee from EUR 44 thousand to EUR 62 thousand. By signing the memorandum of understanding, the signatories will express their shared intention for PALFINGER to invest in Ormož as part of the initial stages of establishing a new strategic production facility. PALFINGER has expressed its interest in investing EUR 70 million in a new production facility in Ormož by 2028, while maintaining the operation of the existing PALFINGER Group's facility in Maribor. The ultimate goal of the overall investment is to complete the five planned stages by 2035. The next stages would focus on expanding the capacities for manufacturing crane booms, on transferring the capacities of the system for manufacturing booms and telescope sub-assembly components, and on further expanding the capacities for ensuring strategic growth. This memorandum of understanding is signed in order to define the investment in the establishment of a new state-of-the-art production facility and the construction of a training centre to train highly qualified staff and of a logistics centre to optimise supply chains, its social and economic added value, and potential support measures from Slovenia for the planned investment. The Slovenian Government believes that signing the memorandum of understanding for this significant new investment demonstrates Slovenia's appeal to foreign investors and highlights its stimulating and competitive business environment.

The Government decided to provide material aid to the Palestinian civilian population affected by the war in Gaza through Jordan, supplying food and medical aid. The estimated value of the material aid is up to EUR 532,538, with EUR 492,538 provided by the Ministry of Defence and up to EUR 40,000 by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The Government also instructed the Ministry of Defence to consider deploying a Slovenian Army helicopter to transport humanitarian aid, contingent upon the establishment of a secure humanitarian air bridge between Jordan and Gaza when conditions permit. The security and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely dire and worsening, with severe shortages of water, food, electricity and fuel. Diseases are spreading, and medical and hospital capacities are limited, putting the civilian population, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups, at high risk. Slovenia acknowledges the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian civilian population affected by the war in Gaza, a concern emphasised by Prime Minister Robert Golob and King Abdullah II of Jordan during their bilateral meeting at the 60th Munich Security Conference. As a responsible non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Slovenia is committed to ensuring aid to civilian populations suffering in military conflicts. Since the start of the conflict, the EU has provided material aid, including food and temporary accommodation supplies, to the Palestinian civilian population, i.e. on 22 February 2024 and 14 March 2024. The total value of the material aid provided by Slovenia to the Palestinian civilian population, including transport, amounts to EUR 2,144,668.