COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 Country Report - SLOVENIA Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life - Main contents
Contents
| Document date | 02-08-2019 |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 04-08-2019 |
| Reference | 8302/19 ADD 22 REV 1 |
| From | Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director |
| External link | original article |
| Original document in PDF |  |
Council of the European Union
Brussels, 2 August 2019 (OR. en)
8302/19 ADD 22 REV 1
ENV 397 CLIMA 111 AGRI 201 PECHE 160 ECOFIN 380 COMPET 321
COVER NOTE
From: Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director
date of receipt: 31 July 2019
To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
No. Cion doc.: SWD(2019) 131 final/2
Subject: COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019 Country Report - SLOVENIA
Accompanying the document
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life
Delegations will find attached document SWD(2019) 131 final/2.
Encl.: SWD(2019) 131 final/2
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 31.7.2019 SWD(2019) 131 final/2
CORRIGENDUM
This document corrects document SWD(2019) 131 final of 04.04.2019
Footnotes 58 and 77 modified
The text shall read as follows:
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019
Country Report - SLOVENIA
Accompanying the document
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
The EU Environmental Implementation Review 2019:
A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life
{COM(2019) 149 final i} - {SWD(2019) 111 final} - {SWD(2019) 112 final} - {SWD(2019) 113 final} - {SWD(2019) 114 final} - {SWD(2019) 115 final} - {SWD(2019) 116 final} - {SWD(2019) 117 final} - {SWD(2019) 118 final} - {SWD(2019) 119 final} - {SWD(2019) 120 final} - {SWD(2019) 121 final} - {SWD(2019) 122 final} - {SWD(2019) 123 final} - {SWD(2019) 124 final} - {SWD(2019) 125 final} - {SWD(2019) 126 final} - {SWD(2019) 127 final} - {SWD(2019) 128 final} - {SWD(2019) 129 final} - {SWD(2019) 130 final} - {SWD(2019) 132 final} - {SWD(2019) 133 final} - {SWD(2019) 134 final} - {SWD(2019) 135 final} - {SWD(2019) 136 final} - {SWD(2019) 137 final} - {SWD(2019) 138 final} - {SWD(2019) 139 final}
This report has been written by the staff of the Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission. Comments are welcome, please send them to ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu
More information on the European Union is available at http://europa.eu .
Photographs: p. 4 — ©iStock/Remedios; p. 11 — ©gettyimages/DaLiu; p. 22 — ©iStock/TomasSereda; p. 23 — ©iStock/xbrchx; p. 26 — ©iStock/Tadej Pibernik
For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder.
©European Union, 2019
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 3
PART I: THEMATIC AREAS .............................................................................................................................. 4
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1.TURNING THE EU INTO A CIRCULAR, RESOURCE-EFFICIENT, GREEN AND COMPETITIVE LOW- CARBON ECONOMY .............................................................................................................................. 4
Measures towards a circular economy ................................................................................................. 4
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 7
Climate change ...................................................................................................................................... 8
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2.PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL .................................................. 11
Nature and biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 11
Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services .................................................................. 12
Estimating natural capital ................................................................................................................... 13
Invasive alien species .......................................................................................................................... 14
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Marine protection ............................................................................................................................... 15
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3.ENSURING CITIZENS’ HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE ........................................................................ 16
Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 16
Industrial emissions ............................................................................................................................. 17
Noise ................................................................................................................................................. 18
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 18
Chemicals ............................................................................................................................................ 20
Making cities more sustainable ........................................................................................................... 21
PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ................................................................... 24
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4.GREEN TAXATION, GREEN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING AND INVESTMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 24
Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 24
Green public procurement .................................................................................................................. 24
Environmental funding and investments ............................................................................................ 25
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5.STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE ......................................................................... 29
Information, public participation and access to justice ...................................................................... 29
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 31
Effectiveness of environmental administrations................................................................................. 32
International agreements ................................................................................................................... 33
Sustainable development and the implementation of the UN SDGs .................................................. 34
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Executive summary
Slovenia and the Environmental Implementation Review particular efforts to comply with the Urban Wastewater (EIR) Treatment Directive. It needs to adopt a realistic action
In the 2017 EIR, the main challenges identified for plan to prioritise wastewater investments, complete the Slovenia for the implementation of EU environmental delineation of agglomerations (i.e. population centres or
policy and law were: places of economic activity) and ensure an adequate budget for staff and other resources.
• to streamline the legal planning and environmental
assessments framework in compliance with EU A 2013-2018 noise action plan — which has generated legislation; considerable public interest — has also been adopted,
• to preserve Slovenia’s extensive Natura 2000 albeit with some delay.
network by integrating nature considerations in the The 2019 EIR shows that Slovenia has strengthened its planning and environmental assessment system; and economic instruments to increase the budget available
• to prioritise wastewater investments so that for residual waste treatment.
Slovenia can fulfil its Accession Treaty obligations. Examples of good practice
In its EIR national dialogue in January 2018, Slovenia • As the circular economy has increased in
focused on its environmental protection action
programme, on air quality and on its revised spatial importance, Slovenia has put in place a solid planning legislation. Stakeholders interested in framework, in the form of the ‘roadmap towards the environmental policy participated in the event. Following circular economy in Slovenia’. Local and regional the EIR national dialogue, a bilateral dialogue between authorities have contributed significantly to the Slovenia and the Commission on the action plan for policy. Several of Slovenia’s good practices are nature, people and the economy took place in March shown on the European circular economy
2018. stakeholder platform’s website. Examples include Ljubljana’s project turning invasive plants into a
In 2017, the Commission launched the TAIEX-EIR Peer to recycled paper; or the Econyl project collecting and Peer (EIR P2P) tool to facilitate peer learning between reprocessing used nylons, mainly from the fishing experts from national environmental authorities. A industry, into an innovative ecological material – Slovenian expert participated in a P2P workshop in ‘econyl’.
Budapest. Slovenian experts also participated in a • Slovenia can be a role model on improving a
reciprocal study visit on waste management in the Evora
region in Portugal and in Ljubljana. A P2P expert mission separate collection and increasing recycling rates in on noise protection is also planned in cooperation with a relatively short time, putting in place different
Austrian experts in March 2019. tools (e.g. a separate collection in Ljubljana, awareness raising campaigns for citizens, landfill
Progress on meeting challenges since the 2017 EIR tax).
Slovenia has passed new spatial planning legislation (the • Slovenia is one of the few Member States that makes
Spatial Planning Act and the Construction Act) to become green public procurement (GPP) mandatory. fully compliant with EU law on environmental However, despite an increase in GPP from 8 % to assessment and access to justice. 17 % of the total value of tenders between 2013 and
On nature conservation, Slovenia has made good 2015 there is further potential to grow.
progress in mapping and assessing its ecosystem services. • The tax regime creates favourable conditions to
However, more work is needed to safeguard the protect the environment as Slovenia boasts one of country’s rich natural heritage. In this area, there are the highest shares of environmental tax revenues in shortcomings in managing Natura 2000 sites and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across the EU. ensuring compliance with the nature directives.
The 2019 EIR shows that Slovenia needs to make
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Part I: Thematic areas
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1.Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and
competitive low-carbon economy
Measures towards a circular economy region’s leaders in the circular economy. The roadmap identifies four priority sectors, gives recommendations to
the government and identifies best practices. The
The Circular Economy Action Plan emphasises the need roadmap introduces the ‘circular triangle’ model which to move towards a life-cycle-driven ‘circular’ economy, unites three inseparable elements: (i) circular economy reusing resources as much as possible and bringing (business models); (ii) circular change (government residual waste close to zero. This can be facilitated by policies); and (iii) circular culture (citizens). The roadmap developing and providing access to innovative financial aims to involve stakeholders in identifying and instruments and funding for eco-innovation. connecting practices that are compatible with the circular
economy and in producing recommendations for the
Following the adoption of the Circular Economy Action government to help the transition.
Plan in 2015 and the setting up of a related stakeholder platform in 2017, the European Commission adopted a new package of deliverables in January 2018 1 . This included additional initiatives such as: (i) an EU strategy for plastics; (ii) a Communication on how to address the interplay between chemical, product and waste legislation; (iii) a report on critical raw materials; and (iv) a framework to monitor progress towards a circular economy 2 .
The circular economy monitoring framework 3 tracks key trends and patterns to understand how the various elements of the circular economy are developing and whether sufficient action has been taken. Among other key indicators, the circular (secondary) use of material in
Slovenia was 8.5 % in 2016 (EU-28 average 11.7 %) — a As part of its circular economy agenda, Slovenia also decrease compared with previous years. On the other adopted its framework programme for the transition to a hand, Slovenia performs above the EU-28 average on the green economy
5 in October 2015. This sets out strategic
number of people employed in the circular economy guidelines on how to develop new green technologies, (2.09 % of total employment in 2016 vs the EU-28 create jobs and promote Slovenian knowledge. It
average of 1.73 %). includes measures in nine areas: sustainable resource management; green growth; green jobs; green products
In the 2017 Eurobarometer 4 on attitudes of EU citizens and services; green tax reform; sustainable urban towards the environment, 92 % of Slovenian people said development; green public sector; green economy; and they were concerned about the effects of plastic green practices in agriculture. products on the environment (EU-28 average 87 %). 93 %
said they were worried about the impact of chemicals Resource productivity (how efficiently the economy uses (EU-28 average 90 %). Thus, Slovenian society appears to material resources to produce wealth)
6 has improved
strongly support circular economy initiatives and overall in Slovenia in the last 10 years. However, it is still
environmental protection measures. below the EU average, especially compared with the EU- 15. In 2017, it reached 1.43 EUR/kg compared to the EU
The 2018 ‘roadmap towards the circular economy in average of 2.04 EUR/kg (see Figure 1).
Slovenia’ sets the path for Slovenia to become one of the
1 European Commission, 2018 Circular Economy Package .
2 COM(2018) 029 . 5 Slovenian Government, Framework Programme for the Transition to a 3 European Commission, 2018 Circular Economy Package . Green Economy, 2015.
4 European Commission, Indicators for the Circular Economy Monitoring 6 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic Framework , 2018. product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC).
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2010-2017 7 The proportion of SMEs benefiting from public support measures for their resource-efficiency measures and the proportion of those that have taken such measures both fell in 2013-2015. In addition, the percentage of companies that offer green products is close to the EU average and the percentage that generate most of their revenue form such products is much higher than the EU average.
Figure 2: Environmental performance of SMEs 12
As part of its ‘smart specialisation strategy’ 8 , Slovenia has a well-developed plan to make the best possible use of the European Structural and Investment Funds to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
In December 2016, the Republic of Slovenia became a
‘government and cities’ member of the Ellen MacArthur
Foundation’s international Circular Economy 100 (CE100) programme which seeks to form a network of economic partners that will take circular economy-related measures to preserve natural resources and that will
exchange best practices and encourage innovation 9 .
Slovenia’s transition towards a circular economy is also thanks to a significant contribution from local and regional authorities. For example, Ljubljana was awarded the title of European Green City 2016, for being the
European capital with the highest share of separated waste collected (63%) 10 and the first capital in the EU in the ‘zero waste’ programme which is inspired by circular economy principles. In addition, in the city of Maribor, a
number of committed stakeholders have developed The latest Eurobarometer on ‘SMEs, resource efficiency umbrella projects to make the transition towards a and green markets’ 13 asked companies about both recent circular economy model 11 . resource-efficiency actions they had taken and additional Slovenia also hosted the ‘circular change’ conference in resource-efficiency actions they planned to take in the May 2017 and identified the circular economy as a major next 2 years. The Eurobarometer then compared these opportunity for the country. responses with responses given to the same questions in
2015. 22 % of Slovenian companies have taken no
2019 priority action resource efficiency measures (EU-28 average 11 %) and
• Continue efforts to speed up the uptake of the 62 % (+29 %) say they do not intend to take any further
circular economy by all economic sectors. measures. This is completely in contrast to the EU-28 average.
SMEs and resource efficiency Saving materials and minimising waste have both
Slovenian SMEs are broadly in line with the EU average in increased in recent years — 52 % (+7 %) and 51 % (+11 %) the environmental aspects of the Small Business Act 12 . of companies have taken measures in these respective
7 Eurostat, Resource productivity. 12 European Commission, 2018 SBA fact sheet - Slovenia, p.18.
8 Slovenian Government, Slovenia’s Smart Specialisation Strategy , 2015. 13 Flash Eurobarometer 456 ‘SME, resource efficiency and green
9 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ‘ Slovenia joins the Circular Economy 100 markets’ January 2018. The 8 dimensions were Save energy; Minimise programme ’, December 2016. waste; Save materials; Save Water; Recycle by reusing material 10 GreenLjiubliana website. internally; Design products easier to maintain, repair or reuse; Use 11 Wcycle project, official presentation. renewable energy; Sell scrap materials to another company.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
areas in the 2 years preceding the survey. However, even Figure 4: Slovenia’s eco-innovation performance 17 in these two areas only 10 % of respondents say that they intend to invest further.
At 18 % (+7 %), the proportion of Slovenian companies that rely on external support in their efforts to be more resource efficient is close to the EU average of 22 % (EU range 3 %-38 %). For advice, 26 % (+9 %) of companies rely on private sector consultancy, 21 % on business associations and only 7 % on public sector advice. For financing, 27 % of those collaborating with external partners make use of public grants and loans and only
11 % make use of private sector banks and funds. Although Slovenia has no specific eco-innovation policy,
it has taken some positive regulatory and political steps
SMEs are increasingly interested in getting help to in the last 2 years. The government has put in place a cooperate better in networks. Considering Slovenia’s clear policy for a greener and more circular economy (see small consultancy market, networking among public and the circular economy section).
private actors in the field of resource efficiency could be
a first step towards increasing interest in the topic 14 . The state plays a key role in eco-innovation by promoting
long-term collaboration in form of research & innovation
Eco-innovation partnerships (SRIPs). These involve interested
stakeholders in all relevant areas of Slovenia’s ‘smart
Slovenia ranked 12th on the 2018 European Innovation specialisation’ strategy. More than 400 companies and
Scoreboard, with a 1.4 % increase since 2010 15 . However,
with a total score of 117 in the overall Eco-innovation 100 knowledge institutions currently participate in SRIPs with more expected to join.
Scoreboard 2017, Slovenia ranked 6th in the EU (see
Figure 3). The business sector is an increasingly important driver for
Figure 3: 2017 Eco-innovation index (EU=100) 16 eco-innovation, as government budget appropriations for research and development (R&D) continue to decrease.
EU funding is also an important encouragement for R&D.
The Green Public Procurement is also a valuable tool in this respect and the adoption of a new decree on green public procurement (January 2018) is a step in a right
direction 18 .
Other major barriers to eco-innovation are the lack of a green budget reform 19 , the insufficient inter-ministerial coordination, limited access to funding, and an inefficient transfer of knowledge from higher education to the
private sector 20 .
Slovenia has only 11 out of the EU’s 3 814 Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) registered organisations and 17 sites out of 13 205 registered sites 21 . Regarding EU Ecolabel products, Slovenia has only
Slovenia has made significant progress in eco-innovation
17
since 2014 (see Figure 4). European Commission, Eco Innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation Scoreboard 2017 .
18 European Commission, Eco-Innovation Observatory, Country profile 2016-2017: Slovenia . 19 The green budget reform can be understood as “a transformation of
14 Adding up the individual indications for finance (public + private + Europe’s budgets and tax systems to ensure that Europe in the 21st friends) and advice (public + private consultancy + business century is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.”, associations) and ‘other’, the sum is 109 for the Slovenian SMEs; 185 for based on the definition of the aim of the Green Budget Europe . Austrian SME; 172 for the EU-28. 20 European Commission, Eco-Innovation Observatory, Country profile 15 European Commission, European innovation Scoreboard 2018 , p. 15. 2016-2017: Slovenia .
16 European Commission, Eco Innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation 21 European Commission, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme ,
Scoreboard 2017 . September 2018.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
30 licences 22 covering 72 products compared to the EU Slovenia produces an average of 471 kg of municipal 2 167 licences covering 72 227 products 23 . waste per person, per year. However, according to 2017
studies 29 the performance on waste generation varies Waste management widely between municipalities. Contributing factors
include: (i) the lifestyle and awareness of residents; (ii)
Turning waste into a resource is supported by: the municipality’s capacity for waste disposal; and (iii) (i) fully implementing EU waste legislation, which the willingness of municipalities to find new solutions.
includes the waste hierarchy, the need to ensure Figure 5 shows an increase in material recycling, separate collection of waste, the landfill diversion composting and incineration rates and a sharp decrease targets, etc.; in landfilling.
(ii) reducing waste generation and waste generation per
capita in absolute terms; and Figure 5: Municipal waste by treatment in Slovenia (iii) limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials 2010-2017 30
and phasing out landfilling of recyclable or recoverable waste.
This section focuses on management of municipal waste 24 for which EU law sets mandatory recycling targets 25 .
Slovenia has made good progress on municipal waste management in the past years. In 2017, its municipal waste recycling rates were well above the EU-28 average
(58 % vs 46 %) and have increased considerably since
2010 (see Figure 5) 26 . However, regarding the quality of the data, Slovenia reported a significant gap between
data on waste generated and data on waste treated 27 .
For the latest reported data, the gap is still considerable at 21 %. The wide variation in the last years (see Figure 5) was due to incomplete coverage of outputs from pretreatment
of waste 28 .
Despite the uncertainty of the data, Slovenia can still The country’s success is mainly due its efforts to change serve as a good example of how to improve waste waste management policy, moving from a nearly allmanagement in a short time and which tools (e.g. a landfilling (the landfilling rate was 65 % in 2007) to a separate collection in Ljubljana, awareness raising predominantly recycling society. In 2017, the landfilling campaigns for citizens, landfill tax) work best to increase rate was 10 % and the incineration rate was 11 % —an separate collection and recycling rates. important increase since 2014.
As shown in Figure 6, Slovenia’s municipal waste
22 The licences were awarded in the following product group categories:
holiday accommodation (17), paper products (6), cleaning up (5), DIY (1) recycling rate is growing faster than the EU-28 average.
and personal care (1). With a 58 % recycling rate for 2017, Slovenia has already
23 European Commission, Ecolabel Facts and Figures , September 2018. exceeded the 2020 municipal waste recycling target of
24 Municipal waste consists of mixed waste and separately collected 50 % 31 and is now focusing on the post-2020 recycling
waste from households and from other sources, where such waste is
similar in nature and composition to waste from households. This is targets
32 .
without prejudice to the allocation of responsibilities for waste management between public and private sectors.
25 See Article 11.2 of Directive 2008/98/EC . This Directive was amended in 2018 by Directive (EU) 2018/851, and more ambitious recycling 29 European Commission, 2016. Support to Implementation — The targets were introduced for the period up to 2035. Commission helps eight Member States to improve their municipal
26 All the rates in this report are calculated based on the generation of waste management, Slovenia country factsheet. municipal waste in the given year. 30 Eurostat, Municipal waste by waste operations .
27 Furthermore, Slovenia currently measures recycling performance 31 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by based on the quantity of collected wastes, thus possibly overstating the ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates amount of actual materials recycled, due to significant losses before and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50 % recycling of recycling. More accurate recycling rates will be available once data on municipal waste. quantities sent for final recycling are reported. 32 Directive (EU) 2018/851 , Directive (EU) 2018/852 , Directive (EU)
28 The issue has been spotted by the Slovenian Court of Auditors which 2018/850 and Directive (EU) 2018/849 amend the previous waste suggested that the data is not reliable due to inaccurate records being legislation and set more ambitious recycling targets for the period up to kept by the ministries. Additional issues spotted is the potential 2035. These targets will be taken into consideration to assess progress existence of free riders in the EPR system for packaging. in future Environmental Implementation Reports.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
In 2016, Slovenia adopted a second waste management However, it is unclear how these measures will be funded plan 33 to update the 2013 plan and expand it to cover all and their implementation is therefore uncertain. waste streams. This has led to several positive
developments in municipal waste management and in 2019 priority actions
waste prevention. For example, Slovenia has adopted • Introduce new policy instruments, including legislation for separate bio-waste collection when economic ones, to promote waste prevention, make composting at home is not possible. There are also plans reuse and recycling more economically attractive to increase home composting. Other key measures to and shift reusable and recyclable waste away from divert bio-waste from landfilling include promoting high incineration.
quality compost and digestate for fertilising purposes and • Improve and extend separate collection of waste, guidance on good composting practices. including for bio-waste. Set mandatory recycling
Figure 6: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2010-2017 34 targets for municipalities with measures in case of
non-compliance (e.g. fines).
• Improve the functioning of extended producer
responsibility systems, in line with the general
minimum requirements on EPR 35 . • Improve data on waste management. • Close and rehabilitate the non-compliant landfills as
a matter of priority.
Climate change
The EU has committed to undertaking ambitious climate action internationally as well as in the EU, having ratified the Paris Climate Agreement on 5 October 2016. The EU targets are to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 % by 2020 and by at least 40 % by 2030, compared to 1990. As a long-term target, the EU aims to reduce its emissions by 80-95 % by 2050, as part of the efforts required by developed countries as a group. Adapting to the adverse effects of climate change is vital to alleviate its already visible effects and improve preparedness for
Slovenia has also introduced ‘pay-as-you-throw’ and resilience to future impacts.
schemes, although they only apply to residual and biowaste
bins. Separate collection systems operate across The total revenues from the auctioning of emission Slovenia. They entail: (i) a door-to-door collection system allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU to collect bio-waste (covering more than 90 % of the ETS) over the years 2013-2017 were EUR 103 million. country) and residual waste; and (ii) a drop-off system for Slovenia has spent 67 % of the auctioning revenues on dry recyclables. climate and energy purposes.
On waste infrastructure, in addition to installations for For emissions not covered by the EU ETS, Member States mechanical biological treatment and incineration, other have binding national targets under the Effort Sharing sites will help to divert waste away from landfilling. legislation 36 . Slovenia had lower emissions than its annual Examples include the network of reuse and waste targets in each of the years 2013-2017. For 2020, prevention centres (planned capacity 5000 t/y) and the Slovenia's national target under the EU Effort Sharing expanding set of recycling/composting plants. Decision is to avoid increasing emissions by more than 4 The 2016 waste management plan sets out a clear % compared to 2005. For 2030, Slovenia's national target framework for the measures that are planned to further under the Effort Sharing Regulation will be to reduce improve municipal waste management in Slovenia. emissions by 15 % compared to 2005 (see Figure 8).
33 Programme for management of waste and Waste prevention programme of the Republic of Slovenia in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation on waste, Regulation on the management of packaging and packaging waste, and the Landfill
Regulation. 35 Directive (EU) 2018/851.
34 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste . 36 Regulation (EU) 2018/842 .
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Figure 7: Change in total greenhouse gas emissions Slovenia’s long-term climate strategy for next thirty years 1990-2017 (1990=100%) 37 will be prepared in accordance with the EU legislation.
Transition to a low carbon economy is already partly
elaborated in the Slovenian Development Strategy.
In June 2017, the Ministry of Infrastructure published a first document for public debate on the new Energy Concept of Slovenia, to be subsequently approved by the Parliament. The Concept is expected to set an objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 and to reach a share of at least 52% renewable energy sources. The draft document also foresees an increase in the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption to 27% by 2030. This increase could be more aspirational taking into account the EU ambition level for 2030 expected under the Recast of the Renewable Energy Directive of the Energy Union was
revised upwards to 32%.
Figure 9: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector (Mt. CO2-
eq.). Historical data 1990-2016. Projections 2017-2030 39
Slovenia has an Operational Programme for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 with an outlook to
2030. The Operational Programme sets indicative sectorial targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the non-ETS sectors.
Figure 8: Targets and emissions for Slovenia under the
Effort Sharing Decision and Effort Sharing Regulation 38
To control emissions from fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases), Member States must implement training and certification programmes and rules for penalties and notify these measures to the Commission by 2017.
Slovenia has notified both measures.
The accounting of GHG emissions and removals from forests and agriculture is governed by the Kyoto Protocol. Preliminary accounting for 2013-2016 shows net credits
of, on average, -0.3 Mt CO 2 -eq 40 per year, which
corresponds to 0.2% of the EU-28 accounted sink of -
39 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 ( EEA greenhouse gas data viewer ). Proxy GHG emission estimates for
37 Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2016 ( EEA 2017Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European greenhouse gas data viewer ). Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2017 Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by Approximated EU greenhouse gas inventory 2017 (European the European Environment Agency.
Environment Agency). Member States national projections, reviewed by 40 Eurostat : A carbon dioxide equivalent or CO2 equivalent, abbreviated the European Environment Agency. as CO2-eq is a metric measure used to compare the emissions from 38 Proxy GHG emission estimates for 2017 Approximated EU greenhouse various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming gas inventory 2017 (European Environment Agency). Member States potential, by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent national projections, reviewed by the European Environment Agency. amount of carbon dioxide with the same global warming potential.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
115.7 Mt CO 2 -eq. Slovenia is one of eight EU Member
States that exceed the cap of 3.5% from emissions of the base year (1986).
The EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, adopted in 2013, aims to make Europe more climateresilient, by promoting action by Member States, betterinformed decision making, and promoting adaptation in key vulnerable sectors. By adopting a coherent approach and providing for improved coordination, it seeks to enhance the preparedness and capacity of all governance levels to respond to the impacts of climate change.
Slovenia has a National Adaptation Strategy in place, developed through its Strategic Framework for Climate
Change Adaptation, since 2016. The framework provides a long-term vision and strategic guidelines for adaptation-related activities. Slovenia is currently in the process of developing a National Action Plan (NAP) based on a comprehensive national Climate Change
Vulnerability Assessment. Sectors that have devoted most attention to climate change adaptation action are water management (and associated risks of flood and drought), agriculture and forestry. No monitoring and reporting framework is operational to date.
2019 priority action
In this report, no priority actions have been included on climate action, as the Commission will first need to assess the draft national energy and climate plans which the
Member States needed to send by end of 2018. These plans should increase the consistency between energy and climate policies and could therefore become a good example of how to link sector-specific policies on other interlinked themes such as agriculture-nature-water and transport-air-health.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
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2.Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital
Nature and biodiversity concerns about carrying-out all conservation measures effectively on the ground and enforcing implementation
through sanctions and inspections. These concerns also
The EU biodiversity strategy aims to halt the loss of apply to SPAs and there have been complaints recently biodiversity in the EU by 2020. It requires full on the implementation of the nature directives. The implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives to complaints concern failures to adapt agricultural achieve favourable conservation status of protected activities on several sites, which did not allow to meet species and habitats. It also requires that the agricultural the sites’ conservation objectives.
and forest sectors help to maintain and improve
biodiversity. In 2017, the Slovenian Court of Auditors published an
audit report on the management of Natura 2000 sites in
Biodiversity strategy 2015-2016 44 . The report focused on the effectiveness of
the management by the government, the Ministry of the
Slovenia adopted its first national biodiversity strategy Environment and Spatial Planning and the Nature
and action plan in 2001 41 . They expired in 2011 and an Protection Institute. The report concluded that the
analysis conducted in 2012 concluded that they had not management of Natura 2000 sites was partly effective been fully implemented. The Ministry of the Environment but that it could be improved.
started working on a new strategy in 2014 but instead decided to include national biodiversity policy measures into the new national nature conservation programme to harmonise the adoption with a global cycle. It is still being prepared as a part of the national environmental protection programme.
Setting up a coherent network of Natura 2000 sites
As of early 2018, Slovenia has designated 355 Natura
2000 sites. They include 324 sites of Community importance (SCI) under the Habitats Directive and 31 special protection areas (SPA) under the Birds Directive.
Together, these sites cover 37.9 % of the land area, the largest proportion of land area coverage in the EU (EU
average 18.1 %) and 10.6 km² of marine waters 42 . The court noted that the authorities had managed to integrate conservation measures into most of the
In relation to the selection of marine SPAs, following the selected sectors. However, it said that the integration Arbitrary Agreement with Croatia, Slovenia changed its efforts could be improved, especially for agriculture. The sea borders and withdrew from the exclusive economic court also concluded that the monitoring of the zone. This development reduces a potential need for the implementation and adaptation of conservation designation of a new marine Natura 2000 site. measures was ineffective.
Slovenia needs to cooperate with neighbouring countries The awareness among some stakeholder groups and to ensure coherent species conservation measures. sectors about the EU nature legislation and the Natura
2000 benefits has potential to improve. More aware
Designating Natura 2000 sites and setting conservation stakeholders and sectors could in turn better support the objectives and measures nature objectives and the biodiversity targets.
All special areas of conservation were designated on A bilateral meeting on nature took place in March 2018 time. Their conservation objectives and measures are between the authorities and stakeholders in all economic outlined in the comprehensive 2015-2020 Natura 2000 sectors as planned in the nature, people and economy management programme 43 . However, there are still action plan. The main implementation challenges were
discussed and a number of conclusions and actions were
agreed which are to be followed up in 2019.
41 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Biodiversity
Conservation Strategy of Slovenia , 2001.
42 European Environmental Agency, Natura 2000 Barometer , 2018.
43 Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Natura 2000 management 44 Slovenian Court of Auditors, Audit report on the management of programme (2015-2020) , 2015. Natura 2000 sites in the period 2015-2016 , 2017.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Considering that most of Slovenia’s habitats and species
covered by the Habitats Directive have an unfavourable Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and
conservation status (for details please refer to the 2017
EIR), it is extremely important to fully implement the their services
conservation measures in all Natura 2000 sites. It is The EU biodiversity strategy aims to maintain and restore equally important to follow up on the conclusions of the ecosystems and their services by including green
bilateral meeting mentioned above and on the
programme’s midterm review. infrastructure in spatial planning and restoring at least 15 % of degraded ecosystems by 2020. The EU green
infrastructure strategy promotes the incorporation of Progress in maintaining or restoring favourable
conservation status of species and habitats green infrastructure into related plans and programmes.
As Member States report only every 6 years on the The EU has provided guidance on the further deployment progress made under both directives, no new of green and blue infrastructure in Slovenia 45 and a information is available on the state of natural habitats country page on the Biodiversity Information System for and species or on the progress made in improving the Europe (BISE) 46 . This information will also contribute to conservation status of species and habitats in Slovenia the final evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to since the 2017 EIR. The next report under Article 17 of 2020.
the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
will be available in 2019. Slovenia’s 2030 development strategy
47 , adopted in
December 2017, provides a framework to achieve a high
2019 priority actions quality of life for all. The 2004 spatial development
• Adopt concrete measures to enable the full strategy
48
emphasises the ecological, environmental, social and structural purposes of green and open spaces.
implementation of the Natura 2000 management It requires cities to prepare ‘green systems’ that include programme by 2020. Ensure adequate follow up of elements of green infrastructure. City municipalities the midterm implementation report due in 2018 and adopted ‘sustainable urban development strategies’ in the 2017 Court of Auditors report on Natura 2000. 2015 and implementation plans in the spring of 2017, Address the weaknesses identified in the both of which include measures for the use of green implementation of conservation measures together infrastructure. A 2050 spatial development strategy is
with relevant sectors and stakeholders.
• being prepared, which includes a strategic national green Implement fully conservation measures in all Natura infrastructure network of multifunctional spatial and
2000 sites, with special attention to adapting landscape elements. It also includes guidelines for agricultural practices within the sites where integrating green infrastructure into regional and local
conservation status of habitats and/or species are spatial plans.
experiencing a decline due to agricultural activities.
• Develop and promote smart and streamlined Considering the Natura 2000 coverage in Slovenia, there implementation approaches, in particular as regards is no doubt it forms the backbone of the green site appropriate assessment procedures and species infrastructure. It has to be upgraded to improve permitting procedures, ensuring the necessary ecological connectivity among Natura 2000 sites and to knowledge and data availability and strengthen provide green infrastructure in urban areas outside communication with stakeholders. Natura 2000 sites.
• Build capacity of the competent authorities (central, Ljubljana has become well known for its green
regional, site management bodies) for the infrastructure and was recognised as the European Green management of Natura 2000 sites and Capital in 2016. It has developed a green network, which implementation of nature directives. Improve the prevents floods and provides multiple socio-cultural and
quality and availability of data on the conservation ecological benefits.
status of habitats and species. Green infrastructure has been integrated into various
sectors in Slovenia. Agri-environment-climate payments
45 The recommendations of the green infrastructure strategy review report and the EU Guidance on a strategic framework for further supporting the deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure . 46 Biodiversity Information System for Europe. 47 Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenia’s Development Strategy until 2030, 2017. 48 Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, Spatial Development Strategy of Slovenia , 2004.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
and measures to support grassland habitats and species environmental measures and LIFE funds). For example, are the main tools to promoting green infrastructure on ERDF funds are used for Natura 2000 projects, prioritising
agricultural land 49 . restoration and improvement activities identified in
The 2015-2021 river basin management plans encourage Natura 2000 2015-2020 management programme, to the use of non-structural measures to reduce floods. improve conservation status of target species and They set conservation objectives such as ensuring the habitats.
57 However, there is a lack of financing for
continuity of watercourses and maintaining or restoring sustainable tourism infrastructure and green bridges e.g. riparian habitats (i.e. the zone between land and a river along highways. Older roads, train tracks, and hydroor stream) 50 . A management plan was adopted 51 to power plants do not incorporate green infrastructure implement the Marine Framework Directive in 2017. This elements. More financing is needed for research, studies will include measures to protect sea floor integrity and and data management on green infrastructure and safeguard the structure and functions of marine ecosystem services
58
.
ecosystems among other measures to achieve good
environmental status. Estimating natural capital
The Sečovlje Salina − coastal green infrastructure The EU biodiversity strategy calls on Member States to
One example of coastal green infrastructure is the map and assess the state of ecosystems and their Sečovlje Salina, a coastal estuary in which evaporation services
59 in their national territories by 2014, assess the
basins for sea salt have existed for more than 700 years. economic value of such services and integrate these Habitats and species have evolved to depend on this values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and environment. It is both a Natura 2000 site and a national level by 2020.
nationally designated protected area according to the
Nature Conservation Act. A private company, called Slovenia carried out several ecosystem services Soline, was outsourced to manage the area and combine assessments — mainly at local level. The government is salt production with tourism, recreational and education currently collecting projects and research on ecosystem activities while preserving the unique protected saline services to prepare a database of case studies. habitats and vegetation 52 . Local authorities have started The Interreg project ‘Alpine Space: Alpine ecosystem to restore other coastal wetlands and to develop crossservices — mapping, maintenance and management’ border blue-green corridors 53 in the Adriatic-Ionian (AlpES) runs from December 2015 to December 2019. It region 54 with the help of stakeholders. aims to introduce a framework for regional/transnational
ecosystem services and help specific target groups to
Tourism is a big industry in Slovenia and the country is understand, value and manage them. The project will marketed as providing ‘green, active and healthy’ assess eight ecosystem services and will develop and test experiences 55 . Green tourism and sustainable indicators in pilot regions. This process will provide basic
development are at the core of Slovenia’s 2017-2021 guidelines for national assessments.
sustainable growth tourism strategy 56 . Conservation
action and visitor management go hand-in-hand to The results of Slovenia’s national assessment will feed minimise the negative environmental impact of tourism. into its first map of ecosystem services. Activities on non There are also further opportunities for green forested habitat types will continue (70 % of the first infrastructure investment. cycle is complete) and land-use data of forested and
agricultural areas will continue to be updated every 4
There are a number of potential sources of financing for years.
green infrastructure, including EU funds (such as
territorial cooperation, cohesion policy, agri At the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their
Services (MAES) working group meeting in September 2018, Slovenia was shown to have made some progress
49 Trinomics et al., 2016. since January 2016 in implementing MAES (Figure 10).
50 Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Natura 2000 management programme (2015-2020) , 2015.
51 Decree on the marine environment management plan (OJ RS, No.
41/17). 57 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, KOHEZIJSKA
52 Trinomics et al., 2016. POLITIKA 2014 - 2020 NA PODROČJU OKOLJA IN PROSTORA .
53 Green infrastructure which combines green spaces with aquatic 58 Trinomics, ALTERRA, Arcadis, Risk & Policy Analysis, STELLA ecosystems and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) Consulting, and Regional Environmental Centre (2016) ‘Green and marine areas. Infrastructure in Slovenia’, in Supporting the Implementation of Green 54 EUSAIR, Towards the Green Coast. Infrastructure, Final Report to the European Commission under Service 55 Green scheme of Slovenian tourism. Contract ENV.B.2/SER/2014/0012, Annex I.
56 Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Strategy for the 59 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food,
Sustainable Growth of Slovenian Tourism for 2017-2021. clean water and pollination on which human society depends.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Figure 10: Implementation of MAES (September 2018) 60 Figure 11: Number of IAS of EU concern, based on available georeferenced information for Slovenia 64
This assessment was made by the ESMERALDA project and based on 27 implementation questions. The assessment is updated every 6 months.
Business and biodiversity platforms, networks and Between the entry into force of the EU list and 23 communities of practice are key tools for promoting and January 2019, Slovenia has not notified two new facilitating natural capital assessments among business appearances of IAS of EU concern to the Commission and financial service providers, for instance via the (Article 16(2) of the IAS Regulation).
Natural Capital Coalition’s protocol 61 . The assessments As, according to the baseline distribution, coypu contribute to the EU biodiversity strategy by helping (Myocastor coypu) still seems in an early invasion stage, private businesses to better understand and value both Slovenia is advised to try to eradicate this species to help their impact and dependence on nature. Biodiversity avoid considerable long-term management costs.
platforms have been established at EU level 62 and in a
number of Member States. Slovenia has not yet Slovenia has notified the Commission of its competent established such a platform. authorities responsible for implementing the IAS
Regulation in accordance with its Article 24(2). It has also
Invasive alien species informed the Commission of the national provisions on penalties applicable to infringements (Article 30(4)).
Under the EU biodiversity strategy, the following are to
be achieved by 2020: Soil protection
(i) invasive alien species identified;
(ii) priority species controlled or eradicated; and The EU soil thematic strategy underlines the need to (iii) pathways managed to prevent new invasive species ensure a sustainable use of soils. This entails preventing from disrupting European biodiversity. further soil degradation and preserving its functions, as This is supported by the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) well as restoring degraded soils. The 2011 Roadmap to a Regulation, which entered into force on 1 January 2015. Resource Efficient Europe states that by 2020, EU policies
must take into account their direct and indirect impact
The report on the baseline distribution of invasive alien on land use.
species 63 (Figure 11), for which Slovenia reviewed its
country and grid-level data, shows that eight of the 37 Soil is a finite and extremely fragile resource and it is species on the first EU list have already been observed in increasingly degrading in the EU.
Slovenia. Seven of these species are established in the The percentage of artificial land 65 (Figure 12) shows the country, but none of them seem to be very widely relative pressure on nature and biodiversity and the distributed. The stone moroko (Pseudorasbora parva) environmental pressure on people living in urbanised and sliders (Trachemys scripta) seem to be the most areas. A similar measure is population density.
widely spread invasive alien species (IAS) of EU concern.
64 Tsiamis K; Gervasini E; Deriu I; D`amico F; Nunes A; Addamo A; De
60 Esmeralda Project. Jesus Cardoso A. Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union 61 Natural Capital Coalition, Natural Capital Protocol. concern. Ispra (Italy): Publications Office of the European Union ; 2017. 62 Business and Biodiversity, The European Business and Biodiversity 65 Artificial land cover is defined as the total of roofed built-up areas
Campaign aims to promote the business case for biodiversity in the EU (including buildings and greenhouses), artificial non built-up areas
Member States through workshops, seminars and a cross media (including sealed area features, such as yards, farmyards, cemeteries, communication strategy. car parking areas etc. and linear features, such as streets, roads,
63 Tsiamis K; Gervasini E; Deriu I; D`amico F; Nunes A; Addamo A; De railways, runways, bridges) and other artificial areas (including bridges Jesus Cardoso A. Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union and viaducts, mobile homes, solar panels, power plants, electrical concern. Ispra (Italy): Publications Office of the European Union ; 2017. substations, pipelines, water sewage plants, and open dump sites).
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Figure 12: Proportion of artificial land cover, 2015 66 erosion is high on average. Note that these figures are the output of an EU level model and can therefore not be considered as locally measured values. The actual rate of soil loss can vary strongly within a Member State depending on local conditions.
Soil organic matter plays an important role in the carbon cycle and in climate change. Slovenia has an average concentration of soil organic carbon of 58.9 g/kg (across all land cover types) compared to the EU mean of 47
g/kg.
Marine protection
EU coastal and marine policy and legislation require that by 2020 the impact of pressures on marine waters be reduced to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) and ensure that coastal zones are managed
sustainably.
Slovenia is below the EU average for artificial land The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) 70 aims coverage (3.3 % vs 4.1 %). The population density is to achieve good environmental status of the EU’s marine 102.5/km 2 , which is also below the EU average of 118 67 . waters by 2020. To that end, Member States must
Contamination can severely reduce soil quality and develop a marine strategy for their marine waters, and threaten human health or the environment. A recent cooperate with the EU countries that share the same report of the European Commission 68 estimated that marine (sub)region. For Slovenia, the Convention for the potentially polluting activities have taken or are still Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal taking place on approximately 2.8 million sites in the EU. Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) At EU level, 650 000 of these sites have been registered plays an important role in achieving the Directive’s goal.
in national or regional inventories. 65 500 contaminated Member States were required to set up their programme sites already have been remediated. Slovenia has of measures and report to the Commission on it by registered 378 sites where potentially polluting activities 31 March 2016. The Commission could not assess have taken or are taking place. whether Slovenia’s measures were appropriate to reach
Soil erosion by water is a natural process, but this natural a good environmental status
71
given that the country had
process can be aggravated by climate change and human reported its measures too late to be included in the activities such as inappropriate agricultural practices, Commission’s assessment
72
.
deforestation, forest fires or construction works. High 2019 priority action
levels of soil erosion can reduce productivity in
agriculture and can have negative and transboundary • Ensure reporting of the updates to the different
impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. High steps of the marine strategy on time, in accordance levels of soil erosion can also have negative and with the deadlines set in the Marine Strategy transboundary effects on rivers and lakes (due to Framework Directive.
increased sediment volumes and transport of contaminants). According to the RUSLE2015 model 69 ,
Slovenia has an average soil loss rate by water of 7.43 tonnes per hectare per year (t ha −a yr −y ) compared to the
EU mean of 2.46 t ha −a yr −y . This indicates that soil
66 Eurostat, Land covered by artificial surfaces by NUTS 2 regions .
67 Eurostat, Population density by NUTS 3 region .
68 Ana Paya Perez, Natalia Rodriguez Eugenio (2018), Status of local soil contamination in Europe: Revision of the indicator “Progress in the 70 Directive 2008/56/EC. management Contaminated Sites in Europe”. 71 Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the
69 Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., Council assessing Member States' monitoring programmes under the Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, C., The new assessment of Marine Strategy Framework Directive, COM/2017/03 final. soil loss by water erosion in Europe, (2015) Environmental Science and 72 Slovenia reported its programme of measures to the Commission on
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
-
3.Ensuring citizens’ health and quality of life
Despite these reductions in emissions, the country needs
Air quality to make additional efforts to meet its emission reduction
commitments (compared with 2005 emission levels) set
EU clean air policy and legislation require the significant out by the new National Emissions Ceilings Directive 76 for
improvement of air quality in the EU, moving the EU the years 2020 to 2029 and from 2030 onwards.
closer to the quality recommended by the World Health Air quality in Slovenia continues to give cause for Organisation. Air pollution and its impacts on human concern. For 2015, the European Environment Agency 77 health, ecosystems and biodiversity should be further estimated that about 1 800 premature deaths were reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding critical attributable to fine particulate matter 78 concentrations, loads and levels. This requires strengthening efforts to 100 to ozone 79 concentrations and 160 to nitrogen reach full compliance with EU air quality legislation and dioxide 80 concentrations.
defining strategic targets and actions beyond 2020.
For 2017 81 , exceedances were registered for
The EU has developed a comprehensive body of air concentrations of particulate matter (PM 10 ) in 2 out of 4 quality legislation 73 , which establishes health-based air quality zones (Celje and Ljubljana). In addition, standards and objectives for a number of air pollutants. Slovenia reported exceedances above target values for
ozone concentrations.
Emissions of several air pollutants have decreased
significantly in Slovenia 74 . The emission reductions See Figure 14 for the number of air quality zones between 1990 and 2014, mentioned in the 2017 EIR, exceeding NO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 levels.
continued. Between 2014 and 2016, emissions of sulphur Figure 14: Air quality zones exceeding EU air quality oxides (SO x ) fell by 49.9 % and emissions of nitrogen standards in 2017 82
oxides (NO x ) fell by 7.92 %. Meanwhile, emissions of volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) increased by
2.17 %, emissions of ammonia (NH 3 ) increased by 4.01 % and emissions of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) increased by 3.92 % (see Figure 13 for the total PM 2.5 and NO x emissions per sector).
Figure 13: PM 2.5 and NO x emissions by sector in
Slovenia 75
The persistent breaches of air quality standards (for PM 10 ), which have severe negative effects on health and the environment, are being followed up by the European Commission through infringement procedures in all Member States concerned, including Slovenia. The aim is
77 EEA, Air Quality in Europe – 2018 Report , p. 64. Please see details in this report as regards the underpinning methodology. 78 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. PM 10 (PM 2.5 ) refers to particles with a diameter of 10 (2.5) micrometres or less. PM is emitted from many anthropogenic sources, including combustion. 79 Low-level ozone is produced by photochemical action. 80 NO x is emitted during fuel combustion e.g. from industrial facilities and the road transport sector. NO x is a group of gases comprising
73 European Commission, Air Quality Standards , 2016. nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO
2 ). 74 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 81 EEA, EIONET Central Data Repository . viewer (NEC Directive) 82 EEA, EIONET Central Data Repository. Data reflects the reporting 75 2016 NECD data submitted by Member State to the EEA. situation as of 26 November 2018.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
to ensure that adequate measures are put in place to Figure 15: Number of IED industrial installations by bring all zones into compliance. sector, Slovenia (2015) 86
2019 priority actions
• Take action, under the National Air Pollution Control
Programme (NAPCP), to reduce the main emission sources.
• Accelerate the reduction in particulate matter (PM 2.5
and PM 10 ) emissions and concentrations. This will require, for example, further reducing emissions from energy production and heat generation using solid fuels, or increasing efficient and clean district heating.
• Upgrade and improve the air quality monitoring
network, and ensure timely reporting of adequate
data. The sectors identified as contributing the most emissions
to air in Slovenia are: (i) energy-power for sulphur oxides
Industrial emissions (SO x ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), particulate matter (PM 2.5 )
and mercury (Hg); (ii) ‘other activities’ (mainly the The main objectives of EU policy on industrial emissions intensive rearing of poultry and pigs, surface treatment are to: and pulp, paper and wood products) for non-methane (i) protect air, water and soil; volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) and ammonia (ii) prevent and manage waste; (NH3); (iii) iron and steel for most of the reported heavy (iii) improve energy and resource efficiency; and metals (HM) (e.g. Cd, Pb, Hg); and (iv) non-ferrous metal (iv) clean up contaminated sites. production for sulphur oxides (SO x ), and cadmium (Cd). To achieve this, the EU takes an integrated approach to The breakdown is shown in Figure 16. the prevention and control of routine and accidental
industrial emissions. The cornerstone of the policy is the Figure 16: Emissions to air from IED sectors and all other Industrial Emissions Directive 83 (IED). national total air emissions, Slovenia (2015)
The below overview of industrial activities regulated by the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is based on the
‘industrial emissions policy country profiles’ project 84 .
In Slovenia, around 190 industrial installations must have a permit according to the IED 85 . In 2015, the industrial sectors in Slovenia with the most IED installations (see
Figure 15) were the intensive rearing of poultry or pigs
(16 %), non-hazardous waste management (14 %) and surface treatment using an electrolytic or chemical process (12 %).
On water emissions, the chemicals sector contributes
83 Directive 2010/75 i/EU covers industrial activities carried out above most to copper (Cu) emissions, the iron and steel sector
certain thresholds. It covers energy industry, metal production, mineral contributes most to nickel (Ni) emissions and ‘other
and chemical industry and waste management, as well as a wide range activities’ (mainly the intensive rearing of poultry and of industrial and agricultural sectors (e.g. intensive rearing of pig and pigs and surface treatment of metals and plastics)
poultry, pulp and paper production, painting and cleaning).
84 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – contribute most to total organic carbon and zinc (Zn)
Slovenia.
85 This overview of industrial activities regulated by IED is based on the project on Industrial Emissions policy Country profiles: Ricardo Energy 86 European Commission, Industrial emissions policy country profile – and Environment, Industrial emissions country profile Slovenia , 2018. Slovenia.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
emissions. No data have been reported for the waste for the previous reporting round (reference year 2011) is management, energy-power and mineral industry complete as are the action plans (reference year 2013).
sectors. These instruments, adopted after public consultations,
The enforcement approach under the IED creates strong should include the measures to keep noise low or reduce rights for citizens to have access to relevant information it. and to participate in the permitting process for IED
installations. This empowers NGOs and the general public Water quality and management
to ensure that permits are appropriately granted and
their conditions respected. EU legislation and policy requires that the impact of
The best available techniques (BAT) reference documents pressures on transitional, coastal and fresh waters and BAT conclusions are developed through the (including surface and ground waters) be significantly exchange of information between Member States, reduced. Achieving, maintaining or enhancing a good industrial associations, NGOs and the Commission. This status of water bodies as defined by the Water ensures a good collaboration with stakeholders and a Framework Directive will ensure that EU citizens benefit better application of the IED rules. from good quality and safe drinking and bathing water. It
will further ensure that the nutrient cycle (nitrogen and
Thanks to the national competent authorities’ efforts to phosphorus) is managed in a more sustainable and apply the legally binding BAT conclusions and associated resource-efficient way.
BAT emission levels in environmental permits, pollution
has decreased considerably and continuously in the EU. The existing EU water legislation 90 puts in place a
For example, by applying the recently adopted BAT protective framework to ensure high standards for all emission levels for large combustion plants, emissions of water bodies in the EU and addresses specific pollution sulphur dioxide will be cut on average by between 25 % sources (for example, from agriculture, urban areas and and 81 %, nitrogen oxide by between 8 % and 56 %, dust industrial activities). It also requires that the projected by between 31 % and 78 % and mercury by between impacts of climate change are integrated into the 19 % and 71 %. The extent of the reduction depends on corresponding planning instruments e.g. flood risk the situation in individual plants. management plans and river basin management plans,
including programme of measures which include the
2019 priority actions actions that Member States plan to take in order to
• Review permits to ensure that they comply with the achieve the environmental objectives.
newly adopted BAT conclusions. Water Framework Directive
• Strengthen control and enforcement to ensure
compliance with the BAT conclusions. Slovenia has adopted and reported the second generation of River Basin Management Plans under the Noise Water Framework Directive. The European Commission has assessed the status and the development since the
adoption of the first River Basin Management Plans,
The Environmental Noise Directive 87 provides for a including suggested actions in the EIR report 2017.
common approach to avoiding, preventing and reducing
the harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise. The most significant pressures on surface water is an
unknown anthropogenic pressure (affecting 99% of
Excessive noise from aircraft, railways and roads is one of surface water bodies), followed by urban wastewater the main causes of environmental health-related issues (73%) and physical alterations (59%). For groundwater in the EU 88 . Based on a limited set of data 89 , bodies, the most significant pressure is diffuse pollution environmental noise causes at least 50 premature deaths from agriculture (14%).
per year in Slovenia and is responsible for around 150 Chemical pollution was the most significant impact on all hospital admissions. Noise also disturbs the sleep of surface water categories (affecting 99% of surface water roughly 60 000 people in Slovenia. The Environmental bodies), followed by organic pollution (73%) and nutrient
Noise Directive is being implemented. The noise mapping
87 Directive 2002/49/EC . 90 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC), the Urban 88 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) (on discharges of
Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), municipal and some industrial wastewaters), the Drinking Water
World Health Organisation, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Directive (98/83/EC) (on potable water quality), the Water Framework Denmark. Directive (2000/60/EC) (on water resources management), the Nitrates 89 European Environment Agency, Noise Fact Sheets 2017 . Directive (91/676/EEC) and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC).
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
pollution (72%). For groundwater, nutrient pollution is low in a very significant proportion of water bodies but (14%) was the most significant impact. significant progress has been made.
The confidence in the classification of the ecological The monitoring situation of the quantitative status of status has improved significantly. The number of water groundwater bodies has improved as the number of sites bodies with unknown status/potential has decreased monitored has increased. All groundwater bodies were in significantly. good quantitative status.
The ecological status/potential is at least good for most Most significant pressures are identified in the River natural lakes and rivers, and in all coastal waterbodies Basin Management Plans and addressed by measures (see Figure 17). There was an increase in the proportion (Key type of measures) mapped against most of these in of water bodies of at least good status/potential from the Danube River Basin District (RBD) (fewer in the 52% to 58% between the first (2009-2015) and second Adriatic RBD). Some measures have been completed River Basin Management Plans (2016-2021) while there since the first Programme of Measures but obstacles was a decrease in the proportion with unknown status such as lack of finance and lack of measures in both RBD from 10% to 3%. have occurred.
Figure 17: Ecological status or potential of surface water There is no new data on drinking water since the 2017
bodies in Slovenia 91 EIR, which found Slovenia’s compliance with the Drinking
Water Directive’s microbiological and chemical
parameters to be very high.
Bathing Water Directive
Figure 18 shows that in 2017, out of Slovenia’s 47 bathing waters, 74.5 % were of excellent quality, 23.4 % of good quality and 2.1 % of sufficient quality (74.5 %, 17 % and 8.5 % respectively in 2016) 92 . Detailed information on Slovenia’s bathing waters is available on a national web portal 93 and on an interactive map viewer designed and
hosted by the European Environment Agency 94 .
Figure 18: Bathing water quality 2014–2017 95
There was a large decrease in the proportion of surface water bodies with good chemical status from 95% to
0.6% comparing the status described in the first and second River Basin Management Plans, resulting largely from differences in the methodology for status classification used in these two Plans. This is a general pattern and might be due to the presence of mercury in biota. There are relatively few lake and coastal water monitoring sites overall and only around half are being monitored for chemical status. Monitoring of Priority
Substances has not been undertaken in all surface water bodies but an assessment of chemical status in all surface
water bodies has been made by expert judgement or 92 European Environment Agency, European bathing water quality in
extrapolation. The confidence in the assessment of status 2016 , 2017, p. 17. 93 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Kopalne vode.
94 EEA, State of bathing waters .
95 European Environment Agency, European bathing water quality in
91 EEA, WISE dashboard. 2017 , 2018, p. 21.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive public participation and the active involvement of
Slovenia has not met the deadline of 31 December 2015 stakeholders in relation to the Flood Risk Management for the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Plan.
Treatment Directive 96 . The data for 2014 on Slovenia’s 2019 priority actions
compliance with its first and second transitional
deadlines (2008 and 2010) showed that 15 • Continue to improve monitoring of surface waters by
agglomerations did not meet the requirements on covering all relevant quality elements in all water collection and on secondary treatment. Slovenia has also categories, and should complete the development of had problems with the delineation of agglomerations and assessment methods for all relevant biological with individual systems such as septic tanks. The quality elements in all water categories.
Commission is following-up on these instances of non• Take steps in order to ensure the implementation of
compliance. measures to address hydromorphological pressures,
if necessary by reviewing permits/concessions and
An investment of around EUR 420 million 97 is needed to allocating the necessary resources. ensure that wastewater in the remaining agglomerations • Complete necessary projects to ensure full is properly collected and treated. The planned projects compliance with Urban Wastewater Treatment are only expected to be completed by 2021, which far Directive as soon as possible. exceeds the 2015 deadline set in Slovenia’s Accession • Ensure effective implementation of measures to Treaty. Slovenia must therefore finalise the projects for address nutrients pollution from agriculture, the agglomerations that are in breach of the Directive as following 2015 legislative amendments. soon as possible. • Take steps to reinforce the aspect of public
Nitrates Directive participation and the active involvement of
stakeholders in relation to the Flood Risk
Regarding nitrates, Slovenia’s rivers have extremely low Management Plan.
concentrations of nitrates. Nitrate levels in Slovenia’s rivers are on average less than 10 mg/l. Although
concentrations increased in 2012-2015 as compared with Chemicals
2008-2011. Moreover, for the same periods, the
proportion of groundwater monitoring stations with an The EU seeks to ensure that by 2020 chemicals are average nitrates concentration above 50 mg/l increased produced and used in ways that minimise any significant from 7.7 % to 11.6 %. Slovenia applies its nitrates action adverse effects on human health and the environment. programme throughout the country as the entire An EU strategy for a non-toxic environment that is territory of Slovenia has been designated as a nitrate conducive to innovation and to developing sustainable
vulnerable zone. substitutes, including non-chemical options, is being prepared.
Floods Directive
The Floods Directive established a framework for the The EU’s chemicals legislation
98 provides baseline
assessment and management of flood risks, aiming at the protection for human health and the environment. It also reduction of the adverse consequences associated with ensures stability and predictability for businesses significant floods. operating within the internal market.
Slovenia has adopted and reported its first Flood Risk In 2016, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Management Plans under the Directive and the European published a report on the operation of Registration,
Commission conducted an assessment. Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging
The Commission’s assessment found that good efforts (CLP) Regulation 99 that showed that enforcement
were made with positive results in setting objectives and activities are still evolving. Member States cooperate devising measures focusing on prevention, protection closely within the Forum for Exchange of Information on
and preparedness. The assessment also showed that, as Enforcement 100 . This cooperation has shown that there
was the case for other Member States, Slovenia’s Flood is scope to increase the effectiveness of enforcement Risk Management Plans do not yet include a baseline to
monitor the progress achieved in implementing the 98
measures (and by extension of the objectives too). In Principally for chemicals: REACH (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p.1.); for Classification, Labelling and Packaging, the CLP Regulation (: OJ L 252,
addition, there is scope for reinforcing the aspect of 31.12.2006, p.1.), together with legislation on biocidal products and
plant protection products.
99 European Chemicals Agency, Report on the Operation of REACH and 96 COM(2017) 749 and SWD(2017) 445. CLP 2016.
97 COM(2017) 749 and SWD(2017) 445. 100 ECHA, On the basis of the projects REF-1, REF-2 and REF-3 .
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
activities, particularly for registration obligations and as the Green Capital Award 105 , the Green Leaf Award 106 safety data sheets where the level of non-compliance is and the Green City Tool 107 .
still relatively high. Financing greener cities
While progress has been made, there is room to further
improve and harmonise enforcement activities across the Slovenia has assigned about EUR 122 million or 4 % of its EU, including controls on imported goods. Enforcement cohesion policy allocation to sustainable urban remains weak in some Member States, particularly development. This includes EUR 112 million or 7.9 % regarding controls on imports and supply chain under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) obligations. The enforcement architecture is complex in and EUR 10 million or 1.1 % under the cohesion fund
108 .
most EU countries and enforcement projects reveal Slovenia participates in the European Urban differences in compliance between Member States. Development Network (UDN) 109 , which includes more
A 2015 Commission study already emphasised the than 500 cities across the EU responsible for carrying out importance of harmonised market surveillance and integrated measures based on sustainable urban enforcement when implementing REACH at Member development strategies financed by ERDF in 2014-2020.
State level, deeming it to be a critical success factor in Of the UDN’s initiatives, the ERDF supports urban
the operation of a harmonised single market 101 . innovative actions to test new and unproven solutions for
In March 2018, the Commission published an evaluation urban challenges. The urban innovation actions have a of REACH 102 . The evaluation concludes that REACH total ERDF budget of EUR 372 million for 2014-2020. delivers on its objectives, but that progress made is Slovenia has received funding for two urban innovation slower than anticipated. In addition, the registration actions on the circular economy: the Applause project in dossiers often are incomplete. The evaluation underlines Ljubljana and the Urban soil 4 food project in Maribor
110
.
the need to enhance enforcement by all actors, including Participation in EU urban initiatives and networks registrants, downstream users and in particular for
importers, to ensure a level playing field, meet the Slovenian municipalities are generally involved in EU objectives of REACH and ensure consistency with the initiatives on environmental protection and climate actions envisaged to improve environmental compliance change.
and governance. Consistent reporting of Member State Ljubljana received the EU Green Capital Award in 2016 111 enforcement activities was considered important in that for having put in place a comprehensive set of policies to respect. create a more sustainable city.
In Slovenia, the Chemicals Office of the Republic of Five Slovenian municipalities are involved in 11 different
Slovenian (CORS) — a constituent body within the thematic networks 112 under the URBACT 113 initiative to Ministry of Health 103 , is responsible for enforcing REACH support sustainable urban development. Several of these and the CLP Regulation. networks, such as the Active Travel Network Results and
the Urban Green Labs, also have an environmental angle.
Making cities more sustainable Maribor seems to be the most active Slovenian city in the
URBACT initiative, participating in six networks.
EU policy on the urban environment encourages cities to Several Horizon 2020 network projects have also put policies in place for sustainable urban planning and contributed to the sustainability of Slovenian cities. For design. These should include innovative approaches to example, the CIVITAS Prosperity project, described later urban public transport and mobility, sustainable in this section.
buildings, energy efficiency and urban biodiversity conservation.
The population living in urban areas in Europe is 105
projected to rise to just over 80% by 2050 104 . Urban areas European Commission, European Green Capital. 106 European Commission, European Green Leaf Award.
pose particular challenges for the environment and 107 European Commission, Green City Tool. human health, but they also provide opportunities for 108 Partnership Agreement between Slovenia and the European
using resources more efficiently. The EU encourages Commission for the period 2014-2020 , 2014, p. 200. 109
municipalities to become greener through initiatives such European Commission, The Urban Development Network . 110 Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) Initiative.
111 European Commission, Ljubljana becomes European Green Capital
101 European Commission, Monitoring the Impacts of REACH on 2016.
Innovation, Competitiveness and SMEs, Final Report , 2015. 112 URBACT, Associated Networks by country .
102 COM(2018) 116 . 113 URBACT programme is the European Territorial Cooperation
103 ECHA, National Inspectorates – Slovenia . programme aiming to foster sustainable integrated urban development 104 European Commission, Eurostat, Urban Europe , 2016, p.9. in cities across Europe.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Urban sprawl
Slovenia had a weighted urban proliferation rate, at 1.73
UPU/m 2 118 in 2009 compared to a European average (EU- 28+4) of 1.64 UPU/m 2 , having increased by 13 % from
2006 to 2009 119 .
Traffic congestion and urban mobility
Traffic congestion is not among the main environmental issues affecting Slovenia. However, many subjects covered in this report are partly related to traffic
congestion, especially air quality and noise.
Slovenia had 531 passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants in
29 Slovenian cities are also actively involved in the EU 2016, slightly above the EU average of 505. This is an Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy initiative as increase on 2014 when there were 518 passenger cars of June 2018. per 1 000 inhabitants
120 . Despite this increase, the amount of hours spent per year in traffic jams has not
Given that in 2017, 20.7 % of people living in Slovenian gone up. At 27.39 hours spent in traffic jams in 2014 and cities said that their neighbourhood was affected by 26.95 hours in 2016, Slovenia is in line with the EU pollution, grime or other environmental problems (the average on traffic congestion 121 .
EU average was around 20 %) 114 , such efforts should be
strongly encouraged. Traffic congestion in Slovenia’s cities is generally low.
Ljubljana is the only city with a somewhat high
Nature and cities congestion level 122 . Compared with other European cities
Around 18 % of Slovenia’s Natura 2000 network is in (EU cities plus Norwegian, Swiss and Russian cities), functional urban areas 115 , above the EU average of 15 % Ljubljana is the 202nd most congested city of the 215 (see Figure 19). cities on the list.
Figure 19: Proportion of Natura 2000 network in Passenger cars account for 86.3 % of inland passenger Functional Urban Areas (FUA) 116 transport in Slovenia (EU-28 average 82.9 %). Buses and
trolley buses account for around 11.8 % (EU average 9.4 %) of passenger transport and trains for only 2 % (EU
average 7.7 %) 123 . This makes Slovenia the EU country
with the fourth highest share of passenger car transport after Portugal, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. While, cars are the favourite mode of transport in Slovenia, 3.4 % above the EU average, rail transport is much less
popular (5.7 % below the EU average) 124 .
66.7 % of freight transport is by road (EU average 76.4 %) and 33.3 % by railways (EU average 17.4 %) 125 . These figures indicate a high degree of environmental sustainability, especially the proportion of rail transport
Ljubljana took part in the 2013-2017 ‘Green Surge’ of freight, which is 15.9 % above the EU average.
(Green Infrastructure and Urban Biodiversity for
Sustainable Urban Development and the Green However, aside from the freight transport figures, the Economy) project. The project aimed to identify, develop country’s transport sector is characterised by high energy and test ways of connecting green spaces, biodiversity, and carbon intensity
people and the green economy, to meet the major urban challenges related to climate change adaptation,
demographic changes, human health and well-being 117 . 118 Urban Permeation Units measure the size of the built-up area as well
as its degree of dispersion throughout the region.
119 EEA, Urban Sprawl in Europe, Annex I , 2014, pp.4-5.
114 Eurostat, Pollution, grime or other environmental problems by 120 Eurostat, Passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants , 2018. degree of urbanisation . 121 European Commission, Hours spent in road congestion annually .
115 European Commission, Definition of Functional Urban Areas . 122 TOMTOM, TOMTOM Traffic Index .
116 European Commission, the 7 th Report on Economic, Social and 123 Eurostat, Passenger transport Statistics by modal split .
Territorial Cohesion , 2017, p. 121. 124 Eurostat, Modal split of passenger transport .
117 European Commission, GREEN SURGE. 125 Eurostat, Modal split of freight transport .
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Slovenia is focusing on developing its car market. An estimated 1 % of cars in circulation will be electric cars by
2020 and this will rise to an estimated 16.9 % by 2030.
Slovenia has good recharging facilities in place — one public recharging point for every 1.64 electric vehicles.
The development of the electric car market is supported by currently applied or planned measures, such as tax exemptions and benefits and incentives to buy and use
electric cars 126 .
There is no legal obligation for local authorities to implement sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) in
Slovenia. However, the Ministry of Infrastructure, which is responsible for urban transport, has recognised the importance of SUMPs and started to support SUMP actions at different levels. It has developed, among other measures, a national platform for sustainable mobility. In addition, Slovenia (Ljutomer) is taking part in the Horizon
2020 Prosperity project. This project aims to build cities’ capacity to develop and implement SUMPs that genuinely reflect the spirit of the EU SUMP guidelines, rather than simply creating additional paper work.
Slovenia is developing and testing innovative traffic management measures to reduce the energy and carbon intensity of transport. For instance, the Connecting
Europe Facility co-finances the national initiative to set up a traffic management centre. This centre will help monitor and manage traffic and provide traffic-related information. Once in place, it should improve mobility, traffic safety, and reduce environmental harm 127 .
126 European Commission, Transport in the European Union, Current
127 INEA, Traffic Management Integration in the National Traffic
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Part II: Enabling framework: implementation tools
-
4.Green taxation, green public procurement, environmental funding and
investments
•
Green taxation and environmentally harmful CO 2 emissions; • the use of lubricating oils and fluids;
subsidies • environmental pollution due to the generation of
waste with end-of-life tires resulting from the use
Financial incentives, taxation and other economic of a tires; instruments are effective and efficient ways to meet • environmental pollution due to the use of environmental policy objectives. The circular economy packaging and wrapped goods and consequently action plan encourages their use. Environmentally the generation of packaging waste; harmful subsidies are monitored in the context of the • environmental pollution caused by the use of European Semester and the energy union governance electrical and electronic equipment, including process. portable batteries and accumulators, and
Slovenia’s revenue from environmentally relevant taxes consequently the generation of electrical and electronic equipment waste;
remains above the EU average. Environmental taxes • environmental pollution due to the use of volatile
stood at 3.73 % of GDP in 2017 (EU-28 average: 2.4 %),
as shown in Figure 20, and energy taxes at 3.16 % of organic compounds; • environmental pollution caused by waste water
GDP, against an EU average of 1.84 %. In the same year,
the environmental tax came to 10.13 % of total discharge; and •
revenues from taxes and social security contributions environmental pollution from the landfilling of (much higher than the EU-28 average of 5.97 %). waste
129 .
Figure 20: Environmental tax revenues as % of GDP Green public procurement
(2017) 128
The EU green public procurement policies encourage Member States to take further steps to apply green procurement criteria to at least 50 % of public tenders. The European Commission is helping to increase the use of public procurement as a strategic tool to support environmental protection.
The purchasing power of public procurement amounts to around EUR 1.8 trillion in the EU (approximately 14% of GDP). A substantial proportion of this money goes to sectors with a high environmental impact such as construction or transport. Therefore, green public procurement (GPP) can help to significantly lower the negative impact of public spending on the environment and can help support sustainable innovative businesses. The Commission has proposed EU GPP criteria 130 .
Slovenia was one of the first EU countries to make GPP mandatory. The national GPP action plan’s target was that 50 % of awarded contracts should incorporate green public procurement by 2012. Eight product
129 Ministry of Finance, Environmental taxes , 2018.
Slovenia has eight pollution and resources taxes in 130 In the Communication ‘Public procurement for a better
place. These taxes are on: environment’ (COM (2008) 400) the Commission recommended the
creation of a process for setting common GPP criteria. The basic concept of GPP relies on having clear, verifiable, justifiable and ambitious environmental criteria for products and services, based on a
128 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues , 2017. life-cycle approach and scientific evidence base.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
categories are included in the GPP target: paper, Slovenia stands out as one of the few Member States electricity, office equipment, furniture, transport, food with mandatory GPP requirements However, the actual and catering, construction, cleaning products and uptake of GPP could be further improved. services.
A European Parliament study shows that Slovenia’s Environmental funding and investments
previous national GPP action plan 131 was partly
implemented. However, Slovenia currently has no European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) rules national GPP action plan 132 in place, as the 2009 plan is oblige Member States to promote environment and no longer valid. climate in their funding strategies and programmes for
economic, social and territorial cohesion, rural
In January 2018, a new GPP decree came into force as development and maritime policy.
part of the framework programme for the transition to
a green economy. This decree extended the number of Achieving sustainability involves mobilising public and product and service categories for which GPP is private financing sources 135 . Use of the European mandatory to 20 (adding for example, road building, Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) 136 is essential if street lighting and textiles). It defined objectives for countries are to achieve their environmental goals and each product or service (for example 15 % of food integrate these into other policy areas. Other should be organic, 50 % of office paper and hygienic instruments such as Horizon 2020, the LIFE paper products should come from sustainably managed programme 137 and the European Fund for Strategic forests and at least 50 % of electricity should come from Investments (EFSI) 138 may also support the renewable sources or high-efficiency cogeneration) 133 . implementation and spread of good practices.
However, the decree does not include any sanctions for
non-compliance. European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020
Guidelines have been developed for different product Through its national Operational Programme, Slovenia categories to help organisations procuring them has been allocated EUR 3.87 billion from ESIF funds for implement GPP correctly. These guidelines are largely 2014-2020. This means that with its national based on the EU GPP criteria. contribution of EUR 1.02 billion, Slovenia has a total
budget of EUR 4.9 billion to invest in the country within
Despite the GPP requirements, the uptake of GPP is still the ESIF framework 139 . Areas of investment include low. In 2015, the contracting authorities attributed innovation and business competitiveness, support for 5 396 public contracts (or 9 305 lots) at an amount of SMEs, support for agriculture and fishery holdings, the almost EUR 1.6 billion. At least one environmental low-carbon economy, transport, environment, requirement was included in 1 528 lots, accounting for sustainable employment, social inclusion, education and 16 % of all lots tendered in 2015. The value of these lots public administration.
was EUR 276 million, representing 17 % of the total
value of tenders 134 . There has been some improvement Cohesion policy
compared to 2013, when contracting authorities applied Slovenia receives around over EUR 3billion in cohesion GPP requirements to only 11.7 % of contracts, or 8 % by policy funding for 2014-2020, including EUR 64 million value. for European Territorial Cooperation and EUR 718.8
Slovenian authorities organise several conferences and million from the European Social Fund. The country has workshops each year to help with the implementation one Operational Programme covering two regions: the of GPP as well as training activities for procurers. A less developed region of Eastern Slovenia (Vzhodna helpdesk has also been set up and a related network of Slovenija) and the more developed region of Western experts for certain products/services will soon be in Slovenia (Zahodna Slovenija). In the current period, place to cooperate with the helpdesk. there is a clear shift from infrastructure-based support
135 See, for example, Action plan on financing sustainable growth (COM(2018) 97 ). 136 i.e. the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the European Agricultural
131 European Parliament, Green Public Procurement and the Action Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Plan for the Circular Economy, 2017, pp. 79-80. Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The ERDF, the CF and the ESF are referred to as 132 GPP national action plan is referred to in the 2003 Communication . the ‘cohesion policy funds’.
MS were encouraged to draw up a national action plan by 2006 and 137 European Commission, LIFE programme. then update it every three years. 138 European Investment Bank, European Fund for Strategic
133 Slovenian Government, GPP Decree , 2018. Investments, 2016.
134 Update on GPP development activities by members of GPP advisory 139 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds group (October 2016). (Country factsheet Slovenia) , 2016.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
to more innovation and entrepreneurship-oriented Rural development
investments 140 . Slovenia’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) sets
EU funds are a key asset for protecting the environment out the country priorities for using the EUR 1.1 billion in EU Member States 141 . available for 2014-2020. This funding includes EUR 838
Of Slovenia’s cohesion policy budget, over EUR 570 million from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural million have been allocated to protecting the Development (EAFRD)
146 .
environment and using resources efficiently and The RDP has three priorities. The first is to restore, sustainably. This amount includes recent additional represerve and improving agriculture and forestry allocations to this sector. It accounts for around 18.7 % ecosystems (roughly one third of Slovenian farmland is of Slovenia’s overall cohesion policy budget, above the covered by funded contracts to improve biodiversity EU average of around 11 % 142 . and water and soil management). The second is to
Slovenia’s key priority is its water sector. This has been increase the competitiveness of the agri-sector and allocated around EUR 300 million (EUR 161 million for sustainable forestry (2.9 % of farms receive support for urban wastewater treatment, EUR 125 million for economic and environmental investments, including for drinking water and EUR 14 million for other water greater resource efficiency). The third priority is to measures). The second highest allocation of EUR 90 increase social inclusion and local development in rural million is for climate change adaptation, specifically for areas — 66 % of the population should be covered by flood protection measures. EUR 47 million goes to local development strategies. Nearly 420 jobs are efficient land use in urban areas (including funding for expected to be created as a result of the programme.
the renovation of buildings in degraded urban areas), followed by EUR 44 million to protect Natura 2000 areas and biodiversity. A further EUR 41 million has been allocated to protect, develop and promote cultural and natural heritage. Air quality measures receive EUR 39 million. Finally, EUR 8 million is to support environmentally-friendly production processes and resource efficiency in SMEs 143 .
The Ljubljana wastewater collection and treatment project is one of the biggest environmental projects supported by the cohesion policy. Thanks to this project, over 20 000 more of the city’s inhabitants will be connected to the sewerage and wastewater
treatment system and the level of treatment will One of the EAFRD-RDP projects entitled ‘Let’s clean the improve. These results will help bring Slovenia closer to water’, implemented within the LEADER
147
framework,
the requirements of the Urban Wastewater Treatment targeted the population of two hill-top municipalities —
Directive 144 . Škofja Loka and Gorenja Vas. The project raised the awareness of the local population about the possibilities
EU funds for 2007-2013 were entirely spent 145 . for and requirements of constructing small wastewater
treatment plants for up to 50 p.e. in this challenging
location and encouraged the construction of plants 148 .
140 Open Data Portal for the ESIF.
141 ‘The objectives of the ESI Funds shall be pursued in line with the On integrating environmental concerns into the
principle of sustainable development and with the Union’s promotion common agricultural policy (CAP), the two key areas
of the aim of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the are: (i) to use the EAFRD to pay for environmental land environment, as set out in Article 11 and Article 191(1) TFEU, taking management and other environmental measures; and
into account the polluter pays principle’ Article 8, Reg. (EU) No
1303/2013 . (ii) to ensure that the first pillar of the CAP was
142 European Commission, Mainstreaming the environment in cohesion policy in 2014-2020: Report of the European Network of 146 European Commission, Factsheet on 2014-2020 Rural Development Environmental Authorities — Managing Authorities (ENEA-MA) Programme for Slovenia . working group , 2016. 147 LEADER is a local development method which has been used for 20 143 Operational Programme for the Implementation of EU Cohesion years to engage local actors in the design and delivery of strategies,
Policy in the period 2014-2020 in Slovenia , 2018. decision-making and resource allocation for the development of their 144 COWI-MILIEU 2017 Study on the integration of environmental rural areas. In the rural development context, LEADER is implemented concerns in the Cohesion Policy funds (ERDF, ESF, CF), p. 246. under the national and regional RDPs.
145 European Commission, Cohesion Policy — Supporting Growth and 148 European Network for Rural Development, Projects Brochure, The jobs in Slovenia (2007-2013), 2016 ; and European Commission, SF European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, Resource Efficient 2007-2013 Funds Absorption Rate, 2018. Rural Economies , 2018.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
implemented effectively for cross-compliance and first In addition to the abovementioned work programmes, pillar ‘greening’. The direct payment allocation for climate and biodiversity expenditure is present across Slovenia for 2015-2020 is EUR 680 million. Of this, 30 % the entire Horizon 2020. In Slovenia, projects accepted will go towards greening practices that benefit the for funding in all Horizon 2020 working programmes environment 149 . until December 2018 included EUR 87 million destined
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to climate action (40.2 % of the total Horizon 2020 contribution to Slovenia) and EUR 7 million for
Slovenia receives around EUR 32.6 million in cobiodiversity-related actions (3.3 % of the Horizon 2020
financing for fisheries and the maritime sector, contribution to Slovenia) 159 .
including an EU contribution of EUR 24.8 million 150 . LIFE programme
This helps financing projects that benefit the
environment in sustainable fisheries (Priority 1 of the Since its launch in 1992, the LIFE programme has co Operational Programme) and sustainable aquaculture financed 42 projects in Slovenia at a total investment of (Priority 2) 151 . Around 36 % or EUR 9 million 152 of the EUR 66 million, of which the EU provided EUR 36 funding goes towards environmental projects. million
160 .
The Connecting Europe Facility Of the projects co-financed to date, 22 have focused on nature conservation, 10 on environmental innovation,
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a key EU funding four on information and communication and two on the instrument developed specifically to direct investment former LIFE third countries strand. 22 projects received into European transport, energy and digital support from LIFE’s nature and biodiversity strand. infrastructures. It aims to address identified missing These projects mostly dealt with conservation, links and bottlenecks and promote sustainability. restoration and/or protection of habitats (e.g.
By the end of 2017, Slovenia had signed agreements for freshwater wetlands or peat bogs) and species (e.g. EUR 209 million for projects under the CEF 153 . For Slovenian brown bears or nocturnal animals such as transport funding under the CEF, the rail sector received moths and bats). Some projects were to support the biggest contribution (for the second ‘Divača-Koper’ administrative capacity and planning (e.g. preparing
track), followed by roads and maritime transport 154 . Slovenia’s 2014-2020 Natura 2000 management programme) 161 .
For energy, the CEF finances a number of ‘TEN-E’
projects of common interest 155 . This includes a EUR 40 In the period 2014 – 2017, the EU has allocated about million CEF grant for a smart grids project that improves EUR 21 million to 13 Slovenian projects (12 traditional the links between Slovenia and Croatia’s electricity grids and 1 capacity building project). Slovenia is doing well in and increases the use of renewable energy in the terms of the LIFE programme support and it significantly region 156 . exceeded its national allocation for this period
162 .
Horizon 2020 European Investment Bank
Slovenia has benefited from Horizon 2020 funding since In 2013-2017, European Investment Bank (EIB) financing the programme started in 2014. As of January 2019, 302 in Slovenia totalled nearly EUR 1.6 billion. This support beneficiaries received EUR 84.1 million for projects from was mainly to provide credit lines for businesses and the Societal Challenges work programmes dealing with transport. No loans were given directly to environmentenvironmental
issues 157 158 . related projects, except for a limited amount of funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy 163 .
149 Regulation (EU) 1307/2013.
150 European Commission, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund,
Slovenia, 2015.
151 Operativni Program ESPR , 2014. the maximum grant amount decided by the Commission. It normally 152 European Commission, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, corresponds to the requested grant, but it may be lower.
Slovenia , 2015. 158 i.e. (ii) Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine 153 European Commission, European Semester Country Report for and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy; (iii)
Slovenia, 2018 , p. 14. Secure, clean and efficient energy; (iv) Smart, green and integrated 154 European Commission, Connecting Europe Facility — Transport transport; and (v) Climate action, environment, resource efficiency grants 2014-2017, Slovenia , 2018. and raw materials.
155 European Commission, Projects of Common Interest. 159 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA
156 European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/news(COmmon Research DAta Warehouse) . events/newsroom/%E2 %82 %AC40-million-cef-funding-to-connect 160 European Commission, LIFE by country: Slovenia . slovenian-and-croatian-electricity-grids . 161 European Commission, LIFE in Slovenia , 2016.
157 European Commission own calculations based on CORDA 162 Commission services based on data provided by EASME.
(COmmon Research DAta Warehouse) . A maximum grant amount is 163 European Investment Bank, Financed projects .
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
In 2018 alone, the EIB Group (the European Investment financial gaps in areas such as circular economy, water Bank and the European Investment Fund) 164 loaned management, green infrastructure, biodiversity or air Slovenian businesses and public institutions EUR 63.5 pollution are delaying the correct implementation of EU million, as shown in Figure 21. Of this, EUR 5.5 million environmental law and policies. Therefore, ensuring (9 %) went to environmental projects. financial resources to reduce the implementation gap
Figure 21: EIB loans to Slovenia in 2018 165 should be considered as a priority for the country.
2019 priority action
• Mobilise investment, including through EU funds, to
promote sustainable water management, in particular the wastewater sector; support a circular economy; protect biodiversity and develop green
infrastructure; and reduce air pollution.
European Fund for Strategic Investments
The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) helps bridge the current investment gap in the EU. As of
January 2019, the EFSI had mobilised EUR 161 million in
Slovenia. This is expected to trigger EUR 927 million in additional investment 166 .
Slovenia participates in two approved initiatives — one to support the transport sector and one to support
SMEs. The SME project is expected to trigger EUR 620 million in secondary investments which will benefit
1 700 smaller companies or start-ups 167 .
National environmental financing
Slovenia spent EUR 226.1 million on environmental protection in 2016, a decrease of 42 % from 2015 168 . Of these payments, 19 % were for waste management activities (the annual average percentage of environmental spending allocated to waste management in the EU is 49.7 %). EUR 83.1 million was for wastewater management (37 % of the total) and
EUR 23.4 million was for reducing pollution (10 % of the total). 11 % of environmental expenditure was to protect biodiversity and the landscape (EUR 25.8 million). Between 2012 and 2016, the general government funding for environmental protection was
EUR 1.5 billion 169 .
As it has been mentioned in the report, one of the challenges for Slovenia is to ensure that environmental financing remains at an adequate level. Existent
164 EIB, Slovenia and the EIB , 2018.
165 EIB, Slovenia and the EIB , 2018.
166 European Investment Bank, EFSI project map.
167 European Commission, Investment Plan for Europe, Country
Factsheet: Slovenia , 2018.
168 Eurostat, General Government Expenditure by function , 2018.
169 Eurostat, General Government Expenditure by function , 2018.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
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5.Strengthening environmental governance
Information, public participation and access to data from 2017
174
. Slovenia has made good progress in data identification and documentation. However, it
justice needs to make a greater effort to make the data
accessible through services, to improve the conditions for
Citizens can more effectively protect the environment if data reuse and to prioritise environmental datasets in the they can rely on the three ‘pillars’ of the Aarhus implementation of environmental legislation. In Convention: particular, it needs to prioritise datasets identified as (i) access to information; high-value spatial data sets 175 .
(ii) public participation in decision making; and
(iii) access to justice in environmental matters. Figure 22: Access to spatial data through view and download services in Slovenia (2017)
It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public and business that environmental information is shared efficiently and effectively 170 . Public participation allows authorities to make decisions that take public concerns into account. Access to justice is a set of guarantees that allows citizens and NGOs to use national courts to
protect the environment 171 . It includes the right to bring legal challenges (‘legal standing’) 172 .
Environmental information
In Slovenia, environmental data is centralised at government level. The Ministry of the Environment and
Spatial Planning and Waters, its Executive Environmental
Agency and its Water Agency each host a web portal with such information. The content is mostly about the state of the environment in the country and about environmental legislation, including some references to Public participation the specific EU legislation. These sites hold most of the
legal information and reports. They also provide links to In Slovenia, public participation provisions for the other relevant sites. All sites have some information environment are integrated in many laws and available in English in addition to Slovenian, although the regulations
176 . These include, in particular, the
English content is substantially less than the Slovenian Environment Protection Act with several decrees, the law
content. that ratifies the Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context, the Aarhus
Slovenia’s implementation of the INSPIRE Directive leaves Convention, the access to public information act, the act room for improvement. The accessibility of spatial data on general administrative procedures and other sectoral through ‘view and download’ services is poor. The review laws. The 2017 report on the implementation of the of the country’s performance is based on its 2016 Aarhus Convention 177 notes that the applicable
implementation report 173 and its most recent monitoring construction legislation (as opposed to environmental
legislation) did not include the Aarhus Convention
170 The Aarhus Convention, the Access to Environmental Information requirements when obtaining building permits. It further
Directive, 2003/4/EC and the INSPIRE Directive, 2007/2 together create notes that there was not enough transparency in or
a legal foundation for the sharing of environmental information public dialogue on building design decisions. However, between public authorities and with the public. This EIR focuses on the report acknowledges that there are plans to amend
INSPIRE.
171 The guarantees are explained in Commission Notice on access to this legislation to bring it in line with the Convention.
justice in environmental matters, OJL 275 , 18.8.2017 and a related
Citizen's Guide.
172 This EIR looks at how well Member States explain access to justice 174 INSPIRE monitoring dashboard. rights to the public, and at legal standing and other major barriers to 175 List of high value spatial data sets. bringing cases on nature and air pollution. 176 Directive 2003/35/EC .
173 INSPIRE SI country sheet 2017. 177 UNECE, 2017 National implementation reports by Parties , page 26.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
In 2008, the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning extent to which general legal acts are constitutional and issued a special instruction that the public should legal. On the interpretation of the legal interest, the participate in decision making on environmental constitutional court expressed its position in 2007 as regulations 178 . Consequently, draft regulations along with follows: ‘one has no legal interest if a regulation does not invitations to the public to participate in their affect the status of the plaintiff directly’. In such cases, preparation, are published on the Ministry of the legal interest can be shown only when all other remedies Environment and Spatial Planning’s website 179 . The have been used (Decision U-I-276/07). Therefore, website publishes the comments and opinions submitted contesting the non-constitutional nature of a regulation by the general public as well as information on the is the first step in a procedure against an individual government’s position on draft regulations. decision. This also applies to a legal interest of
The Eurobarometer figures from 2017 180 show that environmental NGOs.
people in Slovenia agree strongly (85 % of respondents) The costs of administrative court procedure are set out in that an individual can play a role in protecting the the Administrative Fees Act and judicial fees are set out environment. This is a slight decrease since 2014. in the Court Fees Act. Fees are usually around EUR 100,
but if the procedure before the court includes a claim for Access to justice compensation, then the fees correlate to the amount of
Slovenia needs to make significant progress in informing the requested compensation. The principle of ‘loser pays’ the general public and environmental associations about applies in judicial actions. In administrative procedures how they can have access to justice in environmental and for the administrative court, country and district matters under national and EU law. To this end, the courts and higher courts, legal representation is not public authorities should ensure that structured and mandatory. Before the Supreme Court legal user-friendly information is available on line. representation by a lawyer is mandatory.
A complainant in an administrative dispute is a person 2019 priority actions
who is a party or an accessory participant in a procedure • Improve access to spatial data and services by for issuing of an administrative act. The same applies to making stronger linkages between the country environmental NGOs with a special status as association INSPIRE portals , identify and document all spatial acting in public interest in environmental protection. datasets required to implement environmental law,
The standing for individuals in Slovenia’s administrative and make the data and documentation at least procedure is narrowly defined as follows: ‘natural and accessible 'as is' to other public authorities and the legal persons whose rights, obligations or legal interests public through the digital services envisaged in the may be affected by the administrative decision’. This INSPIRE Directive.
means that only these natural or legal persons can • Improve the legal framework and/or the practical
initiate the procedure and influence its course. The application access to information to facilitate public judicial review may be started by the same parties as participation across the implementation of EU those starting an administrative procedure. legislation with impact on the environment in line Environmental NGOs with the status to act in the public with the Aarhus Convention.
interest have a standing position in environmental matters based on the Environmental Protection Act, the
Nature Conservation Act, the environmental impact assessment and integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit procedures.
Problems in implementing Article 9.3. of the Aarhus
Convention arise because of the restrictive interpretation of a legal interest, which is a prerequisite for launching a procedure. Individuals and environmental NGOs complain particularly about their difficulty in gaining access to the constitutional court, which reviews the
178 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Navodilo o postopku sodelovanje javnosti pri sprejemanju predpisov .
179 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Predpisi in
Dokumenti v Pripravi - Okoljski Predpisi.
180 European Commission, Special 468 Eurobarometer , ‘Attitudes of
European citizens towards the environment’, 2017.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Environmental Law (IMPEL) in whose activities Slovenia
Compliance assurance actively participates.
Environmental compliance assurance covers all the work Citizen science and complaint handling
undertaken by public authorities to ensure that Engaging the general public through citizen science can industries, farmers and others fulfil their obligations to increase knowledge about the environment and help the
protect water, air and nature, and manage waste 181 . It authorities in their work. In Slovenia, there is no specific includes support measures provided by the authorities, online information on citizens’ engagement.
such as:
(i) compliance promotion 182 ; The availability of clear online information about how to (ii) inspections and other checks that they carry out, i.e. make a complaint is an indicator of how responsive compliance monitoring 183 ; and authorities are to complaints from the public. The (iii) the steps that they take to stop breaches, impose Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for Environment sanctions and require damage to be remedied, i.e. and Spatial Planning (‘the Inspectorate’) provides general enforcement 184 . information on its website 190 on how to submit Citizen science and complaints enable authorities to complaints about environmental violations and about focus their efforts better. Environmental liability 185 alleged maladministration by the competent ensures that the polluter pays to remedy any damage. authorities 191 . Such complaints can be submitted
anonymously. The Inspectorate 192 publishes an annual
Compliance promotion and monitoring report on the complaints received and their resolution,
including any follow-up actions.
In Slovenia, there is no website providing information to
businesses and farmers on how to comply with their Enforcement
environmental obligations. The provision and the quality
of such information in Member States is an indicator of When monitoring identifies problems, a range of how actively authorities promote compliance in areas responses may be appropriate. The Inspectorate’s annual with serious implementation gaps. activity reports include proposed follow-up measures to
detected instances of non-compliance in its area of
Major industrial installations can present a serious responsibility 193 . However, there is no information pollution risk. Public authorities must have plans to available on the sanctions applied or on whether inspect these installations and must make individual compliance has been reached after the follow-up inspection reports available to the public 186 . In Slovenia, measures and enforcement action have been taken. there is a specific website on the IED 187 , which is available Information on responses to cross-compliance breaches
to the general public and to operators of installations on nitrates and nature is also not publicly available.
who are obliged by the IED to get an environmental
permit. The website includes information on operators Tackling waste, wildlife crimes and other environmental and environmental permits, reference documents, BAT offences is especially challenging. It requires close conclusions and relevant notifications. Inspection reports cooperation between inspectors, customs authorities, are published on the Inspectorate of the Republic of police and prosecutors. The Inspectorate’s annual activity Slovenia for Environment and Spatial Planning’s website. reports mention ongoing cooperation with other relevant
The reports include major findings and conclusions on authorities 194 . However, there is no publicly available whether further action is necessary 188 . Inspections of information on cooperation and coordination industrial installations are based on risk assessment 189 mechanisms for tackling different types of environmental using methodology developed by European Union crime.
Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of
181 The concept is explained in detail in COM(2018) 10 i and SWD(2018)
10.
182 This EIR focuses on the help given to farmers to comply with nature and nitrates legislation.
183 This EIR focuses on inspections of major industrial installations. 190 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Delovna Področja. 184 This EIR focuses on the availability of enforcement data and co 191 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Delovna Področja. ordination between authorities to tackle environmental crime. 192 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Poročilo o Delu
185 Directive 2004/35/CE , creates the framework. za Leto 2016.
186 Article 23, Directive 2010/75/EU. 193 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Poročila o Delu in 187 ARSO . Letni Načrti Dela.
188 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, IED Poročila . 194 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Poročila o Delu in 189 IRSOP , Work plan , March 2018, p. 41. Letni Načrti Dela.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Environmental liability 2018. During the workshop, experts from Finland, the Netherlands and Slovenia shared their experience and
The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) establishes a advice with participants from the governments of framework based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland on how prevent and remedy environmental damage. The 2017 to prepare a national circular economy action plan.
EIR focused on gathering better information on
environmental damage, on financial security and on Slovenian experts also participated in a reciprocal TAIEX- establishing guidance. The Commission is still collecting EIR P2P study visit on waste management with
evidence on the progress made. Portuguese experts in September 2018. The visits took place in the Evora region in Portugal and in Ljubljana,
2019 priority actions Slovenia. The aim was to give the experts from the Evora
• Better inform the public about compliance region the opportunity to learn from the best practices of Ljubljana and get first-hand expert advice on waste
promotion, monitoring and enforcement. At a
minimum, this should involve ensuring information management.
to farmers on how to comply with obligations on Finally, experts from the competent authority nitrates and nature. In addition, more online responsible for overseeing the EU Timber Regulation information should be provided on inspection plans, (EUTR) participated in a TAIEX-EIR P2P workshop to industrial inspections and on the follow up to strengthen cooperation among the competent detected cross-compliance breaches on nitrates and authorities from eight Mediterranean EU countries. The nature. aim was to improve and harmonise the implementation
• Ensure more information on how professionals of the EUTR in the Mediterranean region. Experts from dealing with environmental crime work together. the Netherlands and Denmark shared their experiences
• Improve financial security for liabilities and ELD- from the Nordic-Baltic network of EUTR competent guidance and publish information on environmental authorities.
damage. Coordination and integration
Effectiveness of environmental The transposition of the revised environmental impact administrations assessment (EIA) Directive 196 provides an opportunity for
countries to streamline their regulatory framework on Those involved in implementing environmental environmental assessments. Despite not meeting the legislation at EU, national, regional and local levels need transposition deadline of May 2017, Slovenia has to have the knowledge, tools and capacity to ensure that transposed the revised Directive.
the legislation and the governance of the enforcement The Commission encourages the streamlining of the process bring about the intended benefits. environmental assessments to reduce duplication and
Administrative capacity and quality avoid overlaps in environmental assessments for project s . Streamlining helps to reduce unnecessary
Central, regional and local administrations must have the administrative burden. It also accelerates decision ability to carry out their own tasks and work effectively making without compromising the quality of the with each other within a system of multi-level environmental assessment procedure 197 .
governance. In transposing the revised EIA Directive, Slovenia further
The 2017 European Quality of Government Index gives streamlined its environmental assessments. The new Slovenia a ranking of xxx (EU28 = 0) 195 . legislation (the Spatial Planning Act and the Construction
To ensure effective environmental governance, Act), adopted in October and November 2017, integrate environmental authorities must have staff with the various assessments and permitting procedures. They appropriate administrative and technical knowledge and provide for joint assessments under the EIA Directive, skills. Along with the 2017 EIR, the Commission launched appropriate assessment under the Habitats Directive and the TAIEX-EIR Peer to Peer (P2P) initiative to encourage the Water Framework Directive and coordinated
peer learning between experts from environmental authorities in different Member States.
An expert from the Slovenian government participated in 196 Directive 2014/52/EU. 197
a TAIEX-EIR P2P workshop in Budapest on 17-18 May The Commission issued a guidance document in 2016 regarding the setting up of coordinated and/or joint procedures that are
simultaneously subject to assessments under the EIA Directive, Habitats 195 European Commission, The 7 th Report on Economic, Social and Directive, Water Framework Directive, and the Industrial Emissions
Territorial Cohesion , 2017, p. 140. Directive, OJ C 273, 27.7.2016, p. 1.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
assessments under the EIA Directive and the Industrial of faster disbursement of EU funds, and as a result of an Emissions Directive. electoral cycle effect 200 .
Following the adoption of the Spatial Planning Act and 2019 priority action
the Construction Act, a new Environmental Protection
Act should be adopted in spring 2019. An amended • Slovenia can further improve its overall
Nature Conservation Act is also expected to be adopted. environmental governance (such as transparency, The adoption of these acts will conclude the round of citizen engagement, compliance and enforcement, legislative reforms in this area that started in 2013, partly as well as administrative capacity and coordination).
because of the Commission’s infringement procedures.
The adoption of these acts are also in line with the 2017 International agreements
EIR’s suggested action to ensure that EU environmental
legislation is respected in the national permitting The EU Treaties require the EU environmental policy to system’s reform which aims to remove unnecessary promote measures at international level to deal with administrative burden and streamline procedures. regional or worldwide environmental problems.
Whereas Slovenia’s progress in streamlining
environmental assessments is recognised, the conformity The EU is committed to strengthening environmental law check should provide further evidence on compliance. and its implementation globally. It therefore continues to
support the Global Pact for the Environment process,
Adaptability, reform dynamics and innovation which was launched by the United Nations General
(eGovernment) Assembly in May 2018 201 . The EIR is one of the tools to
ensure that the Member States set a good example by
Slovenian public authorities are increasingly adopting and respecting European Union environmental policies and using electronic services that enable them to interact laws and international agreements.
with the public online. The country performance was in
line with the EU average in 2018. For Digital Public Slovenia has signed and ratified almost all multilateral Services, the country has a score of 0.57/1 based on environmental agreements. It has signed the Barcelona Europe's Digital Progress Report 2018, EU28 average Convention’s Offshore Protocol and the Nagoya Protocol being 0.57/1 198 . The situation has considerably improved but has not yet ratified them.
since the year 2016, mainly in terms of open data. Forests: EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) 202 / Forest Law
The Ministry of Public Administration has taken a clear Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) lead in coordinating digital public services in Slovenia. Regulation 203
This Ministry is responsible for telecom regulation, e In accordance with the EUTR, which prohibits the placing Government, access to public sector data, data policy, on the EU market of illegally harvested timber, network security and e-IDAS regulation implementation. competent authorities in all EU Member States must In the DESI Report 2018, Slovenia had a score of 58 out of conduct regular checks on operators and traders, and 100 on digital public services, in line with the EU apply penalties in case of non-compliance.
average 199 .By the end of 2017, about 65 public Between March 2015 and February 2017, Slovenia
institutions had opened their data for re-use and there carried out a total of 424 checks on operators of are now 3 700 data sets available to the public across all domestic timber and 29 checks on operators importing governmental departments. The Ministry of Public timber. The number of checks should be linked to the Administration is harvesting data sets from the Statistical estimated number of operators in Slovenia who place Office and plans to also include data from sources such as timber on the EU market for the first time 204 . Slovenia the Parliament, the Bank of Slovenia, the cadastre and also carried out 60 checks on traders 205 .
public utilities providers.
Enabling financing and effective use of funds 200 European Commission, European Semester Country Report 2018 , pp.
The country receives significant EU support, which is 4, 5, 38.
mainly devoted to foster regional development. UN General Assembly Resolution 72/277 and Organizational session
Governmental investment is strengthening again because of the ad hoc open-ended working group . 202 Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 .
203 Regulation (EC) No 2173/2005.
204 Based on customs’ data, it was estimated that 460 Slovenian operators placed domestic timber on the EU market for the first time and 1 423 imported timber.
198 European Commission, DESI country profile Slovenia , 2018, p. 9. 205 Traders were checked by 19 countries, with numbers of checks
199 European Commission, Digital Economy and Society Index Report ranging from 1 (Denmark, France, Luxembourg) to 747 (Cyprus). 12 out 2018, Digital Public Services . of 19 countries conducted between 1 and 65 checks.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
Furthermore, Slovenia has taken various enforcement illegal trade reports from the Member States to the CITES measures against operators of both domestic timber and Secretariat. imported timber for infringements of due diligence,
prohibition or traceability. Some of these operators have 2019 priority action
received fines 206 . • Increase efforts to be party to relevant multilateral
Slovenia did not specifically report on its cooperation environmental agreements, by signing and ratifying obligation under Article 12 of the EUTR. However, the remaining agreements.
Slovenia has been involved in two networks: (i) a Central
European regional network that also includes Austria, Sustainable development and the
Hungary and Slovakia; and (ii) the EUTR Mediterranean implementation of the UN SDGs
network. Finally, Slovenia has offered to train delegates from other countries, for example by hosting a study visit Sustainable development links environmental, social and for delegates from Serbia and Montenegro. economic policies in a coherent framework and therefore
Genetic resources: Nagoya Protocol on Access to helps to implement environmental legislation and Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of policies.
Benefits Arising (ABS) 207 The 2030 Slovenian Development Strategy 211 , adopted in
In line with the provisions of the EU ABS Regulation, 2017, has started a medium-term planning process to set which transposes the required compliance measures out how the priority tasks and measures are determined under the Nagoya Protocol into EU law, Slovenia has and validated. The strategy sets out five orientations, appointed competent authorities for genetic resources. It which also include a well-preserved healthy natural has also applied the Regulation’s sanctions for environment, and twelve interconnected development infringements. Slovenia is still working on setting up a goals. These include, among others, Goal 8 − Low-Carbon risk-based plan for checks. So far, it has not submitted a Circular Economy and Goal 9 − Sustainable Natural due diligence declaration or applied any penalties. Resource Management. Each development goal has Slovenia submitted its first ABS implementation report to regularly assessed performance indicators. Performance
the Commission at the end of 2017. indicators for Goal 8 are as follows: material productivity; share of renewable energy in gross final energy
International wildlife trade: the Convention on consumption; and GDP per total greenhouse gas International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild emissions; and for Goal 9: utilised agricultural area;
Fauna and Flora (CITES) 208 biochemical oxygen demand in rivers; and a new
Slovenia has established relevant national authorities for synthetic indicator Ecological Footprint (EF)
212
as one of
the international wildlife trade and regularly processes the most widely used and recognised integrated requests for import, export, re-export, and intra-EU trade sustainability indicators for human pressure on
documents. ecosystems, with the ambitious target of 20% reduction by 2030. EF (including the 20 % reduction target) is also
National reports on seizures data of illegal wildlife proposed as key indicator for the new national shipments (in particular those reported annually to EU- environmental action programme up to 2030.
TWIX 209 team (TRAFFIC 210 ) under its contract with the
Commission, and those exchanged through the EU-TWIX A number of policies and measures should help Slovenia
platform, show the activity of customs authorities. to achieve its 2030 Development Strategy’s goals. Priority tasks and actions for the government, local authorities
EU-TWIX then compiles, cleans and adapts the data to and other stakeholders are set in line with these goals. the CITES reporting format before transmitting them to The government office for development and European the European Commission, which submits all the annual cohesion policy coordinated the preparation of the
strategy. A special government council for development will be created to coordinate the implementation of the
206 24 fines have been issued against operators of domestic timber and strategy. This consultative working body will include a
2 fines against importers of timber. wide range of stakeholders such as representatives of
207 Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 .
208 European Commission, The Convention on International Trade in social partners, the private sector, civil society,
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) . institutions, regional and local communities and the
209 EU-TWIX (the European Union Trade in Wildlife Information government.
exchange) is an internet tool to assist the EU in the fight against wildlife trade crime.
210 TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) is a leading non-governmental organisation working globally on trade in 211 Slovenian Development Strategy 2030. wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation 212 Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Technical Report: The and sustainable development. Ecological Footprint of Slovenia.
Environmental Implementation Review 2019: Slovenia
To ensure that the strategy is properly implemented, the long-term sustainability of public finances and a compatible budget need to be ensured. A four-year national development policy programme and a mediumterm fiscal strategy will be prepared for this purpose.
According to the SDG index, developed by the
Bertelsmann Stiftung and the UN Sustainable
Development Solutions Network, Slovenia ranks 9th out of 157 countries for sustainable development. This shows that Slovenia is taking the right steps, but that it needs to continue to implement the necessary policies. For this purpose, the country needs to involve stakeholders and civil society in an inclusive process.
Slovenia submitted its voluntary national review on the implementation of the SDGs to the UN in 2017 213 .
213 Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the 2030
| 15 Apr '19 |
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Environmental Implementation Review 2019: A Europe that protects its citizens and enhances their quality of life COVER NOTE |
Secretary-General of the European Commission 8302/19 |
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