News roundup - Thursday, 4 May, until 3pm
Ljubljana, 4 May - Below is a roundup of major events on Thursday, 4 May, until 3pm local time:
Govt to refund fines issued for breaking Covid-19 restrictions
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a bill to halt infraction proceedings and refund fines issued for breaking Covid-19 restrictions under the previous government which were later declared unconstitutional. Thus, the government is meeting one of its key coalition agreement commitments, Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan told the press. Between 7 March 2020 and 30 May 2022 a little more than 62,000 infraction proceedings were launched unconstitutionally and the fines issued totalled EUR 5.7 million. About 30% or just over EUR 1.7 million has been paid or recovered, while the rest is in the process of being recovered, Švarc Pipan said.
Slovenia part of initiative for changes to EU decision-making
BERLIN, Germany/BRUSSELS, Belgium - Nine EU countries, including Slovenia, have initiated a procedure to change the EU decision-making system, proposing that decisions on the EU foreign and security policies are reached with a qualified majority and no longer a consensus, the German Foreign Ministry said on Twitter. The nine countries have set up a group to launch the process of initiating the changes to strengthen the EU as a global player capable of making decisions more quickly. Apart from Slovenia, the group also includes Germany, Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Proposal to legalise assisted suicide unanimously rejected by Medical Ethics Commission
LJUBLJANA - As the collecting of signatures from voters continues to go on to allow an NGO to table a bill legalising assisted suicide, the Medical Ethics Commission at the Health Ministry issued an opinion opposing the bill, which it says entails a high level of ethical risk. The opinion has the members of the commission unanimously rejecting the bill in what follows a negative stance also expressed by the Medical Chamber in July last year. While the proposal has good intentions, it is problematic in its nature as it would put a burden on doctors that is explicitly at odds with the medical ethics code, the commission said.