Slovenia receives a further EUR 41 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility

Slovenia has received another 41 million euros from the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM). According to the Ministry of Finance, this marks the largest possible payment under the sixth request, as Slovenia has met all its milestones. The European Commission approved the payment after Slovenia fulfilled all 15 targets and conditions set in its sixth request, which was submitted earlier this year. The gross value of the tranche amounted to 89.53 million euros, while the net amount paid was 41 million euros. The commission took into account advance payments of non-repayable funds from previous years during the final calculation. The funds will be directed toward ongoing projects that contribute to achieving the target values of milestones and goals for the ninth tranche of non-repayable funds and the fourth tranche of loans, according to the ministry. To date, Slovenia has received nearly two billion euros from the RRM, representing 86.9 percent of the available funds. This includes 1.34 billion euros in non-repayable grants and 470 million euros in loans. Officially, Slovenia has completed 122 of the total 182 milestones and targets through successful payment requests. The remaining milestones and targets will be included in the seventh and final payment request, valued at just under 272 million euros. Implementation of measures under the recovery and resilience plan is nearing completion. By the end of August, all open activities related to meeting and proving the fulfillment of the last milestones and targets must be concluded. The ministry explained that Slovenia can receive the remaining funds in full if it successfully meets all the milestones and targets linked to the final payment request and does not invalidate any milestones or targets on investments and reforms for which funding was previously received. According to the ministries, 26 of the 60 milestones and targets in the final payment request have been fulfilled. The finance ministry noted that this means the target values have been achieved and all necessary evidence has been submitted, providing satisfactory assurance that the milestones and targets have been met. The remaining 34 milestones and targets are currently being finalized. As of the end of July, the country had disbursed 1.7 billion euros to final recipients for implemented project activities since the start of the recovery and resilience plan. Of this, approximately 400 million euros were disbursed this year. The implementation of the recovery and resilience plan is entering its final phase. All open activities related to achieving and demonstrating the fulfillment of the last milestones and targets must be completed by the end of August. The government emphasized that Slovenia can fully receive the remaining funds if it successfully fulfills all the milestones and targets associated with the final payment request and does not invalidate any milestones or targets on investments and reforms for which funding was previously received. According to the current assessment, 26 of the 60 milestones and targets in the final payment request have already been fulfilled. The finance ministry stated that this indicates the target values have been achieved and all required documentation has been submitted, offering satisfactory proof that the milestones and targets have been reached. The remaining 34 milestones and targets are currently undergoing finalization. The state has allocated 1.7 billion euros to final recipients for implemented project activities since the beginning of the recovery and resilience plan until the end of July. Approximately 400 million euros of this amount were disbursed this year alone. Meanwhile, discussions regarding the future of the Public Institute for Contemporary Dance Development remain uncertain. After a meeting on financing the institute, attended by Mayor Samo Turel of Nova Gorica and Mayor Matija Kovač of Celje, it is still unclear what the institute’s future holds. Turel acknowledged he is not particularly optimistic. The Ministry of Culture highlighted challenges in securing funding for the Public Institute for Contemporary Dance Development, stating that the ministry lacks sufficient funds. Additionally, the agreement outlining mutual obligations among the three founding entities of the new public institution was technically incomplete, as it did not clearly specify the amount of funds the ministry would allocate as initial capital or startup resources for the institute’s operations. The ministry also pointed out that the institute was supposedly established in April when the municipalities approved the decision to establish the institute in two separate sessions. However, Turel clarified that this is technically incorrect, as the government had already adopted the decision to establish the public institute in November 2025. Despite this, the technical accuracy of the establishment date remains a point of contention. The situation highlights the complex interplay between administrative procedures and financial commitments, underscoring the need for clear agreements and timely funding to ensure the sustainability of cultural institutions. As the final stages of the recovery and resilience plan approach, the focus shifts to ensuring all outstanding requirements are met, while uncertainties surrounding specific cultural initiatives persist.