4th regular session: Government Highlights Recovery and Resilience Plan Implementation as Key Priority

SLOVENIA, June 23 - To date, the European Commission has paid Slovenia the maximum possible amount under the first five payment requests for available RRP funds, as Slovenia has fulfilled all the related milestones and targets. Recently, the European Commission also gave the green light to the sixth payment request. Following the receipt of the funds under this request, expected in the second half of next month, Slovenia will have received almost 87% of the available EU funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, amounting to EUR 1.81 billion, of which EUR 1.34 billion in grants and EUR 0.47 billion in loans.

To date, Slovenia has paid final recipients more than EUR 1.6 billion for completed project activities, including more than EUR 292 million this year.

Slovenia will submit the seventh and final payment request, together with all evidence demonstrating the fulfilment of the remaining milestones and targets, to Brussels by 30 September 2026 at the latest, when the official deadline for submitting the final payment requests expires. The request will comprise the milestones and targets of the ninth instalment for grants and the fourth instalment for loans. These are mostly milestones and targets related to investment measures. In order for them to be achieved, the projects through which the investments are implemented must also be completed on time. This is where complications are arising.

Slovenia may receive the maximum value of the final payment request, or the remaining funds, amounting to just under EUR 272 million. It must fulfil the milestones and targets under the seventh payment request and must not reverse any milestones and targets for which it has already received funds under previously paid requests.

With a view to maximising the use of available funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Member States regularly propose amendments to their RRPs to the European Commission. On 18 June 2026, the European Commission gave a positive assessment of the proposal for the sixth amendment to Slovenia’s RRP, which must still be formally approved by the Council of the European Union.

In accordance with the sixth amendment to the RRP, 60 milestones and targets are linked to the seventh payment request. The ministries responsible for implementing the milestones and targets report that, to date, only five milestones and targets under the seventh payment request have been fully fulfilled, which is a cause for serious concern. This means that the ministries have submitted evidence for only a small number of the planned milestones and targets. Evidence demonstrating the fulfilment of the remaining milestones and targets must be submitted by the ministries by 31 August 2026 at the latest.

In order to maximise the use of European recovery and resilience funds, ministries must therefore move particularly quickly with the procedures for fulfilling and completing the following milestones and targets:

• the number of newly built electricity transformer stations;
• the length of the constructed distribution network, namely the low-voltage network;
• the energy renovation of public sector buildings;
• the construction or establishment of infrastructure to reduce the risk of landslides;
• the construction of flood protection infrastructure;
• the establishment of a national water control centre;
• the assessment of flood risk in the river basins of the Republic of Slovenia;
• the promotion of alternative fuels infrastructure in transport;
• the construction of the Ljubljana Infectious Diseases Clinic up to the third construction phase and certain accompanying works from the fourth and fifth construction phases;
• beds in newly built institutions for institutional care;
• registered charging points for zero-emission vehicles.

All ministries and government offices will now do everything in their power to ensure that Slovenia succeeds in completing the milestones and targets under this final payment request. In future, the Government will ensure significantly more effective management of national projects so that Slovenia does not again find itself under such time pressure. The absorption of European funds is one of the key sources for ensuring the prosperity of our community. The Government will therefore approach this issue with the utmost responsibility.

Source: Ministry of Finance

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision establishing the Government Working Group to Advise on Audits of Financial Operations During Handover Procedures at Ministries and Government Offices and on Subsequent Audits of State Administration Bodies. The working group is being established to ensure the coordinated, transparent and effective consideration of issues related to audits of financial operations during handover procedures at ministries and government offices, to monitor findings in state administration bodies, and to coordinate subsequent audits in state administration bodies.

The working group is composed of Ivan Simič, MSc, as chair; Suzana Hötzl, as deputy chair; and Andreja Vrečič, as member.

The tasks of the working group are to provide advice on audits of financial operations during handover procedures at ministries and government offices and on subsequent audits of state administration bodies, to monitor findings and the implementation of recommendations, and to prepare reports and proposals for measures to improve the efficiency, economy, transparency and integrity of the functioning of the state administration.

The working group will contribute to the timely identification of risks, the prevention of irregularities and the strengthening of accountability in the management of public funds. It will not conduct audits, inspections or other official procedures, nor will it interfere with the competences of individual authorities. Instead, it will ensure the coordinated operation of existing oversight mechanisms and the timely notification of the Government of identified risks and systemic shortcomings.

Source: Office of the Prime Minister