News roundup - Friday, 13 September, until 3pm

Committee will not be discussing Kos nomination today

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee will not be discussing the nomination of Marta Kos for Slovenia's EU commissioner candidate today, committee chair Franc Breznik, an MP of the opposition Democrats (SDS), made clear on Thursday evening, saying he could not call the session because he had not received the documents he had asked for. Appearing at a current affairs show on the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, Breznik also said that he had written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking her for a letter in which she allegedly demanded that the government swap out its initial candidate, Tomaž Vesel.

Cement plant threatens closure due to stricter co-incineration rules

ANHOVO - Alpacem Cement, the Anhovo-based cement maker, once again underlined that it would be impossible to meet the environmental conditions for co-incineration under an environmental decree the government is set to adopt. Unless the document is amended, Slovenia's only cement plant could be shut down, the Austrian-owned company said. The main issue Alpacem has with the decree and the legislative changes is the requirement that the emission values for co-incineration, to be laid down by the government, must be at least as strict as those set out in the best available technology (BAT) conclusions for incineration.

SD subsequently complies with party financing rules

LJUBLJANA - The junior coalition Social Democrats (SD) donated to charity almost EUR 3,000 they received from foreigners after the were urged to do so in the audit report for 2022 to comply with party financing rules. The Court of Audit found in the audit for 2022 in July that the party received EUR 2,900 from two individuals who are not Slovenian citizens, which runs contrary to the Political Parties Act. The SD otherwise received a positive opinion from the court.

SDS says new network charges system to hurt agriculture

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) are concerned that the incoming new system of electricity network charges will negatively affect agriculture and the entire food sector. The party thus called on the government to adopt measures so the change does not bring additional costs to the sector. The sector is highly dependent on daily reoccurring events which have to be performed at set intervals, either for the well-being of the animals, noted the SDS's forum for agriculture and rural areas.

Ljubljana airport records million passengers much earlier this year

BRNIK - Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport welcomed its millionth passenger this year in early September, a month earlier than in 2023, the airport operator Fraport Slovenija said. The number of passengers is expected to reach some 1.4 million by the end of the year, or 92% compared to the time before the coronavirus pandemic. In the first eight months of the year, more than 979,500 passengers were recorded at the airport, which is 18% more than in the same period last year.

Equal opportunities advocate calls for gender-balanced staffing

LJUBLJANA - Advocate of the Principle of Equality Miha Lobnik proposed to parliament to extend the rule on gender-balanced distribution of posts to companies with more than 250 employees and companies owned by the state or by local communities. Lobnik said that this would mean some 500 companies in Slovenia instead of only some 30 as the government envisaged, stressing that the goal of gender-balanced distribution of managerial posts should be pursued more ambitiously.

Vasle says ECB acted based on decline in inflation

LJUBLJANA - Commenting on Thursday's decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut key interest rates for the second time this year in the face of the decline in inflation, Bank of Slovenia governor Boštjan Vasle said that the ECB would continue to strive for a monetary policy leading to 2% inflation, which is a mid-term goal. "Our decisions will continue to ensure an appropriate monetary policy with a view to achieving a timely return of inflation to the 2% medium-term objective," he said.

Road traffic emissions in Slovenia growing

LJUBLJANA - Some 1.2 million cars were registered in Slovenia at the end of 2023, up 15% in the last decade, the Statistics Office said ahead of the European Mobility Week. It noted that greenhouse gas emissions in road traffic increased by 25% from 2008 to 2022, while the total CO2 emissions have decreased by 24%. In 2022 road traffic produced 5.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions or 42% of all annual CO2 emissions. Cars accounted for 52% and lorries and buses for 48% of road traffic emissions.