News roundup - Thursday, 30 March

Constitutional procedure launched to change appointments of judges

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Constitutional Commission approved with 11 votes in favour and five against the launch of procedures for constitutional changes under which the appointment of judges would be transferred from the National Assembly to the president. The nomination of candidates would remain in the hands of the Judicial Council and the judges would get a three-year probation period before they get lifetime tenure. An expert group will review the draft bill and submit a report by the end of April.

Government changing two energy crisis-related acts

LJUBLJANA - The government amended two emergency acts passed last year to deal with the energy crisis, introducing the latest decisions at the EU level regarding joint purchase of gas, among other things, and making changes in the taxation of windfall profits made by power producers to finance measures to deal with high costs of energy.

Biggest observation satellite operator to acquire Sinergise

LJUBLJANA/SAN FRANCISCO, US - The Ljubljana-based geographic information system company Sinergise will be acquired by Planet, the San Francisco-based operator of the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites, the companies announced. Pending certain closing conditions, the transaction is to be completed in the second quarter of Planet's current fiscal year, which started in February. The value of the deal has not been revealed.

Agreement reached at A&E Europe

MARIBOR - An agreement was reached between the workers and the management of the Maribor-based thread maker A&E Europe after two days of negotiations following a strike aimed at preventing the closure of the US-owned company. The management, the works council and the strike committee determines the severance and also agreed that certain parts of the production line will remain in operation at least until the end of October. There will be a transitional period for the buyers as well.

Project on role of the dead in society wins ERC grant

LJUBLJANA - A Slovenian-led project on the role of death in the lives of individuals in modern society has won the European Research Council (ERC) advanced grant for established researchers. Led by folklore researcher Mirjam Mencej, the nearly EUR 2 million project will launch in September and last five years. The project will research how the dead affect the thinking, values and behaviour of people, how they participate in their social relationships, and how they influence individuals inside a broader societal, cultural and political context. Their role will be researched in three different contexts in four countries.

Govt moves to improve water supply to Slovenian Istria

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed measures to secure sufficient drinking water supply to the Slovenian Istria, earmarking EUR 92 million for investments that could be implemented in three to four years. This comes after a severe drought last summer revealed major shortcomings in the water supply system and led to water rationing. The medium-term measures include an upgrade of the water distribution system in the Kras region in Brestovica, and construction of a new connecting pipeline between the water treatment facilities in Korotan near Postojna and Rodik.

Slovenia entering partnership with Dončić's Mavs to boost tourism

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport intends to conclude a partnership agreement with the NBA team Dallas Mavericks, whose biggest star is Slovenia's Luka Dončić, to promote the national tourism brand I Feel sLOVEnia and utilise business opportunities in the US. The ministry said that the US, as one of the largest and strongest economies in the world, was a priority market for Slovenia in terms of internationalisation of the Slovenian economy and in terms of investments and tourism.

Debate hears UK still open for business, trade on the rise

KRANJSKA GORA - A business event was held in Kranjska Gora to discuss the issues raised by Brexit, with the organisers noting that the UK is still open for business, and that trade between and the UK and the EU is continually on the rise. The event was hosted by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the Spirit Slovenia investment promotion agency to present business in the UK market and to discuss how to successfully enter it after Brexit.

Coalition extending state damage entitlement to crime victims from outside EU

LJUBLJANA - Coalition parties submitted to parliament a legislative proposal that will enable victims of crimes to claim compensation from a state scheme irrespective of their nationality, meaning they need not be Slovenian or EU citizens. The proposal on the extension of the scheme, available in cases where perpetrators cannot be traced or damages cannot be recovered from them, comes after warnings from the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman.

Minister unveils proposal to attract young people to public administration

PORTOROŽ - Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik warned about the ageing structure of civil servants as she addressed a conference in Portorož, at which she unveiled a proposal to make career options in public administration more attractive to young people. The proposal sets out the idea of a single recruitment system that would prioritise job qualifications or skills.

Anti-graft commission should not be repressive, panel hears

LJUBLJANA - A debate on the future of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (KPK) heard that the KPK should not be a repressive body, while it should maintain its preventive role and strive for greater efficiency. The participants agreed that the commission does not need new powers and competences.

Criminal prosecution against fmr senior staff at Faculty of Arts dropped

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Prosecutor's Office dropped the criminal prosecution against five former members of senior staff at the Faculty of Arts suspected of abuse of office via involvement in an unwarranted payments scheme. After the judicial investigation, the prosecutor found there was no evidence a criminal offence had been committed.

Damage to agriculture due to 2022 drought estimated at EUR 148m

LJUBLJANA - Direct damage to agriculture caused by drought in 2022 reached EUR 148.47 million, according to the final estimate confirmed by the government today. The amount exceeds the threshold for state aid, the Government Communications Office said. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food will now draw up a programme to repair the damage.

Insurance sector collected over EUR 3bn in premiums last year

LJUBLJANA - Insurers in Slovenia collected EUR 2.63 billion in gross insurance premiums in 2022, which is 5.9% more than in 2021. Combined with the re-insurers, more than EUR 3 billion in gross insurance premiums was collected for the first time ever and more than EUR 2 billion was paid out in damage payouts, the Insurance Supervision Agency said.

Downward trend persists in survey unemployment

LJUBLJANA - Survey unemployment continued to inch lower in February, reaching 3.2%, 0.1 percentage points lower than the month before, and 0.9 percentage points lower than a year prior, the Statistics Office said. It is estimated that some 32,000 people aged between 15 and 74 were out of a job last month. Of them 51% were men and 49% were women. For men, survey unemployment stood at 3% and for women it was 3.5%.

Prices of commercial property up 15% year-on-year

LJUBLJANA - The prices of commercial property - offices and retail space - increased by a record 15% in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. The prices have grown for the ninth consecutive quarter, this time by 3.6% compared on the quarter before, data by the Statistics Office shows. Year-on-year, the prices of offices grew by 15.1% and the prices of retail premises by 12.6% in the fourth quarter.

Average hourly labour costs in Slovenia well below EU average

LUXEMBOURG - In 2022, the average hourly labour costs in Slovenia in "the whole economy" rose by 5% to EUR 23.10, which compares to EUR 30.50 at the level of the EU, which saw the same increase, and to EUR 34.30 in the euro area, where the increase was 4.7%. In Slovenia, labour costs were much higher than in central and eastern European members states and the figure puts it in a group of Mediterranean countries.