The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has approved the second amendment to the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027, through which Slovenia is adapting to the new developmental and strategic priorities of the European Union and national needs. The key objective of the amendment is the more efficient use of available funds and a focus on areas with the greatest developmental impact.
Priority areas remain competitiveness, energy transition and security, defense and security, affordable housing, and water resilience and supply. To this end, Slovenia will redistribute more than 240 million euros of non-refundable European funds.
- Competitiveness 53.5 million euros – Support for investments contributing to the objectives of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), funds for a public call for the development and production of strategic technologies amounting to 30 million euros, and supercomputer 2 (HPC 2) in the amount of 23.5 million euros.
- Energy transition and energy security 57.7 million euros – The measure covers cross-border energy connections, the transmission/distribution network, storage facilities, and charging infrastructure.
- Defense and security – Slovenia will allocate over 81.4 million euros for so-called dual-use. Of this, 46 million euros will be dedicated to providing health infrastructure for dual-use (investments in regional hospitals).
- Affordable and sustainable housing 41.9 million euros – For the co-financing of affordable and sustainable public rental housing and public rental assisted living units
For the Savinja-Šalek coal region, the amendment brings a significant measure within the framework of the Just Transition Fund. It envisages the purchase or transfer of apartments from the Velenje Coal Mine and the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant to the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia. These will be intended for providing public rental housing for various target groups, contributing to greater housing accessibility and improving the quality of life in the region. 5 million euros are allocated for this measure.
The programme amendment also introduces systemic benefits, such as the extension of the European cohesion policy implementation until the end of 2030 and a higher co-financing rate for new objectives, which can increase up to 100%.
For the Savinja-Šalek region, this means additional opportunities for projects that will support economic restructuring, the development of new competencies, and the creation of conditions for a sustainable future. Measures such as the transfer of housing are a concrete step toward mitigating the social consequences of closing coal activities and strengthening the stability of the local environment.