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Slovenia is not inclined to condition the disbursement of cohesion funds on reforms

by AI | 19.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Slovenia is not in favor of conditioning the disbursement of cohesion funds on the implementation of reforms and investments within the framework of the future long-term EU budget.

Slovenian Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development Alexander Jevšek. Photo: Katja Kodba/STA

Brussels – Slovenia, according to the competent minister Aleksandar Jevšek, is not in favor of linking the disbursement of European cohesion funds to reforms and investments in the upcoming EU multiannual financial framework (MFF). Slovenia has actually absorbed the least cohesion funds among all member states in the current financial perspective. Therefore, the government is taking measures to accelerate absorption.

Last week, the European Commission advocated in a document, which serves as the basis for discussions on preparing the MFF 2028-2034 proposal, to prepare a plan with reforms and investments for each member state. The execution of this plan would determine the allocation of European funds.

“Slovenia is not in favor of this solution, but rather that cohesion funds be allocated at the regional level, which will then have greater autonomy in managing these funds,” said Slovenian Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development, Jevšek. The government still needs to adopt a stance on this, he added.

According to Brussels data, Slovenia, by the end of last October, absorbed the least cohesion funds among all 27 member states in the current financial perspective. The share of allocated funds amounted to only 14.4 percent of just over 4.5 billion euros planned for the 2021-2027 period. The EU average was 30.6 percent.

Jevšek stated that in view of the slow absorption, the Ministry of Cohesion has taken measures to speed it up and prepared appropriate changes to the European cohesion policy implementation program, which the government is expected to adopt on Thursday. (February 18)