The European Commission yesterday approved Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 that Slovenia officially submitted to Brussels at the end of October.
''I would like to thank everyone involved in the preparation of the programme for their hard work and cooperation. Despite the short timeframe we were given, we were able to secure 3.2 billion euros in Cohesion Policy funding. Coupled with national co-financing, our country will have a total of about 4 billion euros available for investments and further development,'' said dr Aleksander Jevšek, Minister for Development and European Cohesion Policy on this occasion.
The first calls for proposals under the programming period 2021-2027, which will be implemented up until the end of 2029, are expected to be published in the first half of next year. In the meantime, the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy (GODC) will prepare the necessary implementing documents and bases governing Cohesion Policy implementation. GODC has also announced administrative simplifications in an effort to cut red tape, facilitate timely start of EU-funded projects, and further improve efficiency and effectiveness of use of EU funding.
''GODC is currently working on the national regulation governing Cohesion Policy implementation. We hope that the draft regulation will be submitted to other government departments for inter-ministerial coordination before the end of the year,'' said Minister Jevšek.
Slovenia is also successful in implementing Interreg programmes. The latter make up a framework for implementing joint policies and measures, and foster sharing of knowledge and experience between national, regional, and local actors from different countries.
The first call for proposals under the Interreg Slovenia-Austria Programme will be published by GODC on 16 December. The first calls under the Interreg Slovenia-Hungary Programme and Interreg Slovenia-Croatia Programme are expected to be launched next year in February and March respectively.
The European Commission has already approved 11 out of 13 Interreg programmes in which Slovenia participates. Moreover, GODC has been given its third mandate in a row to manage three cross-border programmes, i.e. Slovenia-Austria, Slovenia-Hungary, and Slovenia-Croatia, in the capacity as Managing Authority. The total amount of EU funding available under the three cross-border programmes stands at 99.2 million euros.