Ljubljana, 31 March 2017 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy as the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund has sent to the European Commission the final implementation reports for the three 2007-2013 operational programmes. This is the basis on which the European Commission can make the payment of the final balance in 2018, i.e. 5 % of the available funding, which means Slovenia is on the right track to absorb all of the funds made available.
Final implementation reports for the Operational Programme for Strengthening Regional Development Potentials for the Period 2007-2013, the Operational Programme of Environmental and Transport Infrastructure Development for the Period 2007-2013 and the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development for the Period 2007-2013 are the last piece of the puzzle required from Slovenia by March 2017 so that the European Commission may proceed to making the payment of the final balance accounting for 5 % of the funding made available. This is a standard procedure under the EU Cohesion Policy which applies to all Member States.
Slovenia is wrapping up the 2007-2013 programmes as one of the most successful Member States. It belongs to the top eight countries that managed to get EU reimbursement of the maximum possible amount to the national budget prior to the official closure deadline; the latter accounts for 95 % (out of more than EUR 4 billion). Altogether, EU funding provides support in the amount of EUR 5.8 billion to projects and programmes of different beneficiaries ranging from state institutions, municipalities, and companies, to beneficiaries in the area of education, social care, culture, sport, etc. That said, the total amount, including the beneficiaries’ contributions totals more than EUR 6 billion of funding which has been invested in strengthening regional development potentials, enhancing environment and transport infrastructure development and supporting human resources development. More than 5,700 projects have been delivered in the 2007-2013 period, many of them manifesting success stories and making the lives of people better. Some of the achievements are outlined below.
The European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund supported the following:
in the area of transport infrastructure:
• modernisation of more than 150 kilometres of public railway lines (e.g. Pragersko-Hodoš railway line),
• deployment of maximum GSM-R coverage levels on 1,200 kilometres of public railway network,
• construction and modernisation of more than 100 kilometres of motorway sections to cut down annual travel time costs by EUR 48 million,
• installation of 141,222 m2 of noise barriers on existing motorway sections,
• construction of seven city by-passes,
• construction of 84 grade crossings,
• construction of more than 40 kilometres of cycle paths,
• deepening of the navigation channel of the Koper freight port to increase transhipment capacity,
• overhaul at the Edvard Rusjan Maribor Airport,
• construction of 12 park and ride facilities with 2,068 parking spaces in nine municipalities, deployment of integrated ticketing.
in the area of environment:
• construction of 670 kilometres of sewer lines and construction/modernisation of 43 wastewater treatment plants,
• supply of safe and better drinking water to more than 630,000 citizens with newly constructed water distribution network,
• development of five regional waste management centres,
• improvement of flood control and establishment of an integrated water quality monitoring system (three projects),
• energy rehabilitations of hospitals, secondary schools and higher education schools, nursery homes and other buildings owned by local communities (more than 360 projects),
• public lighting improvement, rehabilitation of district heating systems and individual stand–alone biomass systems to contribute to final energy savings, increase the use of renewables and curb greenhouse gas emissions.
in the area of regional infrastructure:
• roll-out of broadband including 15,000 new broadband connections,
• development of ER centres network,
• restoration and revitalisation of 33 cultural monuments,
• development or rehabilitation of about 340,000 m2 of sports areas.
in the area of education, employment and support to the economy:
• support to more than 4,200 companies,
• creation of about 1,500 patents and innovations,
• support to more than 540 young researchers in the economy,
• creation of more than 760 applied technologies, patents or innovations to meet the needs of the economy,
• support to more than 18,800 start-ups – self-employment,
• scholarships for more than 8,800 recipients,
• delivery of training for more than 14,400 individuals from 300 companies in the scope of competence centres,
• use of hiring subsidies to create new jobs for unemployed people,
• award of national vocation qualification to about 8,000 individuals,
• participation of more than 380,000 individuals in training and education,
• staff mobility - more than 1,000 visiting lecturers and researchers from abroad,
• participation of 30,000 children in the Healthy Lifestyle Programme,
• development of 43 electronic textbooks,
• participation of around 28,000 teachers in professional upskilling programmes,
• creation of more than 3,800 jobs for vulnerable group members,
• indirect involvement of around 70,000 children in accessibility and equal opportunities programmes,
• provision of more than 900 e-administration services,
• reduction in average length of court proceedings from 9.5 months to 3.1 months.
Successful projects which create added value and win back the trust of Slovenian citizens in their country and the EU are the fundamental goal of EU cohesion policy implementation in the 2014-2020 period. Slovenia has more than EUR 3 billion available until 2023. 190 projects, calls for proposals or programmes worth almost EUR 940 million have already been supported by the available funding – they all have one thing in common - creating growth and jobs.