100th regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia

SLOVENIA, April 17 - The Government approved the Act Amending the Criminal Procedure Act. The main objective of the amendment to the Act is to adapt the procedural provisions necessary for obtaining electronic communication traffic data and banking data in compliance with the Constitutional Court decision. The amendment to the Act also implements two other decisions of the Constitutional Court, namely on the alternative prison sentences and on the request for protection of legality. The possibility of suspending or interrupting a prison sentence (in the case of a request for protection of legality at the request of the applicant) is regulated. The amendment to the Act also brings the legal order of the Republic of Slovenia in line with two EU Directives (on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings, and on procedural safeguards for children who are suspects or accused persons in criminal proceedings), which have already been transposed largely into national law.

The Government also issued the Decree on the method of determining the conditions and criteria for allocating investment incentives and conditions for strategic investment, which aims to ensure that national rules on aid allocation are following European rules on state aid. The Decree regulates various forms of aid, including regional aid, aid to small and medium-sized enterprises and aid for research, development, and innovation, under which, inter alia, aid is granted under the Investment Promotion Act. The Decree on the method of determining the conditions and criteria for allocating investment incentives and conditions for strategic investment now provides that a small or medium-sized enterprise is eligible for cofinancing in 100% of the cost of intangible assets. The ceiling up to which an incentive in the form of regional aid does not need to be notified individually to the European Commission has been raised to EUR 110 million (previously EUR 100 million). In practice, the maximum amount of aid or incentive will also be raised from the current EUR 22.5 million to EUR 24.75 million. At the same time, the ceiling up to which an incentive in the form of aid to a small or medium-sized enterprise does not need to be notified individually to the European Commission has been raised to EUR 8,250,000 (EUR 7.5 million so far).

The Government has given the green light to negotiations for full membership in the European Space Agency (ESA). Full membership in the ESA will bring Slovenia several advantages, including the possibility to participate in programmes in which the Slovenian space sector has not been able to participate so far (the Basic Technology Research Programme and the Science Programme), which shows the space sector’s maturity. At the same time, membership further opens the door for cooperation with companies from the ESA Member States and other countries, including for commercial projects. It also allows for equal participation with other ESA members in key decision-making. It is a recognition that Slovenia meets the demanding criteria for full membership set by ESA and strengthens Slovenia's reputation in the world as an increasingly important player in the international space sector.