Slovenia
Programmes summaries :
"Development of environment and transport infrastructure"
1. Operational programme "Development of environment and transport infrastructure 2007-2013"
Programme co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) under the Convergence objective in Slovenia
2. On 27 August 2007 The European Commission approved the Operational Programme "Development of environment and transport infrastructure" for the period 2007-2013 in the Republic of Slovenia. This programme sets out the Community support for Slovenia within the framework of the "Convergence" objective. Community assistance to this programme through the ERDF amounts to EUR 224 million while the assistance through the Cohesion Fund will be EUR 1.41 billion giving a total expenditure, including Slovenia's contribution, of EUR 1.92 billion (approximately 46% of the total EU money invested in Slovenia under Cohesion policy 2007-2013).
3. The aim of the EU investment
The main goal of the operational programme is to provide the conditions for growth by providing sustainable mobility, by improving the quality of the environment and by constructing suitable and sustainable infrastructure. At the same time the programme will help to attain one of the core objectives defined in the NSRF, namely ensuring a balanced regional development in the entire country.
4. The expected impact of the investment
The programme will enable the construction and modernisation of 428 km of railways (especially the priority project in the trans-European transport network: the axis Lyons–Trieste–Divaca/ Koper–Divaca–Ljubljana–Budapest–Ukrainian border), the reconstruction and modernisation of 215 km of roads (65 km of which will be part of the Trans-European Network). The plan is also to increase the share of population served by the water supply to 96%, reduce the flood endangered area to 220.000 ha, reduce the amount of landfill with non-hazardous waste by 295.000 tonnes/year, enhance the safety of cyclists with 105 km of newly constructed and modernised cycling lanes and provide additional renewable energy capacity thus reducing energy intensity and emission of CO2 as well as air pollutants.
5. Priority axes
The operational programme is divided into 7 priority axes: 3 focusing on transport, 3 on the environment and 1 for Technical Assistance.
50% of the Cohesion Fund assets will be allocated to the transport sector and the other 50% to the environmental sector and the area of sustainable use of energy. The funds from the ERDF will be allocated to the transport sector.
Priority axis 1: Railway infrastructure – Cohesion Fund
The proposed investments for the modernisation and construction of new railway infrastructure will help to reduce negative environmental impacts by promoting railway transport. Roughly 30% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
Priority axis 2: Road and maritime infrastructure – Cohesion Fund
The investment in motorways will lead to a reduction of bottlenecks leading to greater traffic fluidity and safety as well as ensuring good traffic linkages inside Slovenia and with other European regions. With the investments in port infrastructures particular emphasis is given to motorways of the sea and the importance of inter-modal freight transport terminals.
Priority axis 3: Transport infrastructure – ERDF
This priority axis addresses the problem that less developed and more marginal Slovenian regions are often poorly connected to long distance international highways, thus leading to a poor regional traffic connection. The priority should significantly contribute to balanced regional development.
Priority axis 4: Municipal waste management – Cohesion Fund
The key objectives of this priority are the building of regional centres for waste management and the technological modernisation of existing ones.
Priority axis 5: Environment protection – water sector – Cohesion Fund
This priority axis will focus on three sub-areas of the water sector, namely collection and treatment of wastewater, water supply and flood prevention. In this context the programme will facilitate the construction of waste water treatment plants, the installation of main water supply systems and long-term protection of existing and potential potable water sources.
Priority axis 6: Sustainable use of energy
This priority axis aims to introduce a more sustainable use of energy thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and significantly increasing the share of renewable energy sources in primary energy. The activities will focus on the energy efficient restoration of existing buildings in the public sector, on the promotion of efficient use of electrical energy and on the promotion of innovative measures for local energy supply.
Priority axis 7: Technical assistance – Cohesion Fund
There is also provision for technical assistance in order to implement the programme. Financial support is available covering administration, monitoring, evaluation and control.
6. Managing Authority: Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
Contact details:
Mr Peter Wostner
Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
Kotnikova 28
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Tel: +386 1 308 31 96
Fax: +386 1 478 37 60
E-mail: peter.wostner@gov.si
Web: http://www.svlr.gov.si/
"Strengthening Regional Development Potentials"
1. Operational programme "Strengthening Regional Development Potentials 2007-2013" (OP SRDP)
Programme co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Convergence objective in Slovenia.
2. On 27 August 2007 The European Commission approved the Operational Programme "Strengthening Regional Development Potentials" for the period 2007-2013 in the Republic of Slovenia. This programme sets out Community support for Slovenia within the framework of the "Convergence" objective. The total budget of the operational programme is EUR 2.01 billion and the Community assistance through the ERDF amounts to EUR 1.71 billion (approximately 40% of the total EU money invested in Slovenia under Cohesion policy 2007-2013).
3. The aim of the EU investment
Both the Slovene National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) and the Operational Programmes (OPs) for the period 2007-2013 are in line with the relevant recommendations regarding Cohesion Policy and the Community spending targets for the Lisbon Strategy.
The main goal of the Operational Programme "Strengthening Regional Development Potentials" (OP SRDP) is to attain the core objectives defined in the NSRF, namely fostering the country's competitiveness while ensuring a balanced regional development in the entire country. Although it is one of the new Member States, Slovenia took a progressive position regarding the Lisbon targets. The OP SRDP aims to enhance competitiveness, foster entrepreneurship, innovation and technology development, and facilitate job creation, including in the tourism sector while taking into account environmental and social concerns. More than 36% of the financial resources for the operational programme are allocated to activities directly linked to research, innovation and technology development. In total almost 65% of the ERDF financial resources available for this OP (i.e. more than EUR 1.10 billion out of EUR 1.71 billion) are earmarked for goals directly related to the Lisbon agenda.
4. The expected impact of the investment
The OP SRDP will enhance the competitiveness of the country by directly creating 11 500 new jobs, 2 100 ha of new business zones, 23 technological centres and centres of excellence, 150 extra innovations and patents per year, 700 new research man-years including 500 in the business sector, 800 projects for small and medium enterprises, an increase of the population served by broadband access from 94% to 100%, increased tourist accommodation capacities of 5 000 beds and an increase in tourist overnight stays from 7.6 to 8.4 million.
5. Priority axes
The operational programme is divided into 5 priority axes: 3 focusing on competitiveness, research excellence, economic-development infrastructure and integration of natural and cultural potentials; one on the development of regions and the last on technical assistance.
In aggregate, approximately 62% of the OP SRDP assets are allocated to competitiveness and integration measures while roughly 36% of funds go to development of regions with 2% for technical assistance.
Priority axis 1: Competitiveness and Research Excellence
This development priority specifically aims to guarantee a research and innovation breakthrough in the Slovene economy by focussing on Research and Development (R&D), innovation related investments and on activities encouraging entrepreneurship. The activities envisaged include the development of additional centres of excellence, interdisciplinary R&D projects and investments in the modernisation of R&D equipment. Roughly 24% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
Priority axis 2: Economic Development Infrastructure
The specific aim of this priority axis is the concentration of knowledge and the development of infrastructure for increased competitiveness of the economy mainly through the development of 'economic development logistical centres'. These include business-industrial-logistics zones, technological parks/centres, regional entrepreneurial incubators, university pre-incubators, higher education & research centres and inter-company educational centres in areas with a sufficient critical mass in terms of economic activity, capacity of existing knowledge institutions and the potential for economic development. Roughly 23% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
Priority axis 3: Integration of Natural and Cultural Potentials
This priority axis aims at the preservation and integration of natural and cultural potential for development and the improvement of tourism competitiveness, recreation and the quality of life. Some 15% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
Priority axis 4: Development of Regions
This axis pursues the strategic goal of the balanced development of regions and addresses in particular less developed and marginalized Slovenian regions. Through developing economic, social, education, transport and environment infrastructure (including public infrastructures in areas with special environmental protection regimes, primarily owned or managed by local/municipal authorities) and development of urban areas, it contributes to a more balanced regional, economic and sustainable development in the country. The development priority has a bottom-up approach based on "Regional Development Programmes" prepared by each of the development regions and is subdivided into 2 sections - Regional development programmes, and Development of border areas with Croatia. Roughly 36% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
Priority axis 5: Technical assistance
There is also provision for technical assistance in order to implement the programme. Financial support is available covering administration, monitoring, evaluation and control. About 2% of the available funds will be allocated to this priority.
6. Managing Authority: Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
Contact details:
Mr Peter Wostner
Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
Kotnikova 28
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Tel: +386 1 308 31 96
Fax: +386 1 478 37 60
E-mail: peter.wostner@gov.si
Web: http://www.svlr.gov.si/