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This summary is provided by the STA:
Logar supports ICC on behalf of EU
LJUBLJANA - As a representative of the Slovenian EU presidency, Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) on behalf of the EU and its member states as he addressed via video call on Monday the 20th session of the assembly of states parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Logar also emphasised the role of the ICC's independence and integrity.
Kovesi: Slovenian delegated prosecutors to be very busy
LJUBLJANA - After Slovenia's two delegated prosecutors Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir assumed their offices on 1 December, the bloc's chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi told the STA that a more detailed analysis of the situation in Slovenia regarding the prosecution of crimes against the EU's financial interests was yet to be conducted. However, given the statistics so far, she has no doubts that the pair will be kept "very busy".
EU finance ministers agree rules for reduced VAT rates
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU finance ministers, meeting in Brussels under the chairmanship of Slovenia's Andrej Šircelj, reached political consensus to upgrade the EU rules on reduced VAT rates, updating the list of goods and services for which reduced rates or exemptions are allowed. The new rules give member states more flexibility to choose which products will be subject to reduced, super-reduced or zero VAT rates. Meanwhile, the meeting failed to clinch agreement on review of the 1997 Code of Conduct on Business Taxation, with Šircelj saying a new proposal would now have to be drawn up.
EU health ministers for fast and coordinated action to contain Omicron
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU health ministers, meeting in Brussels on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Slovenia's Janez Poklukar, called for fast and coordinated action to tackle the surge in coronavirus and the spread of the Omicron variant. They supported the general applicability of the EU digital Covid certificate and emphasized the importance of vaccination and booster jabs. Poklukar said the ministers did not discuss mandatory vaccination, which he believes should be a last resort measure.
Tonin and Lenarčič address EU Civil Protection conference
LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Slovenia's EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič hosted a virtual event on knowledge exchange and dialogue in civil protection and disaster management at the EU level, which accompanied the launch of the Knowledge Network online platform. The platform will bring together existing programmes - training, exercises, existing experience, knowledge dissemination - and offer centralised access to all information relevant to civil protection.
Tonin discusses innovation in defence at EDA conference
LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin took part in the 2021 annual conference of the European Defence Agency (EDA), which focused on innovation in the field of defence. Addressing the event by video link, he highlighted the role of defence innovation for the development of strategic and technological sovereignty, said the Defence Ministry. He also highlighted the role of small and medium-sized companies, saying they can be the driving force of progress in innovation.
Slovenian community calls on Nehammer to update minorities law
KLAGENFURT, Austria - An umbrella organisation of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian state of Carinthia has urged new Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and his government to immediately initiate reform legislation on ethnic minorities. In the call issued on Monday, the National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) congratulated Nehammer on taking over and also thanked the former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for significantly raising the financial support for the minority last year.
Slovenia sells share of former Yugoslav embassy to Serbia
BERN, Switzerland - Slovenia sold to Serbia its stake in a property in the Swiss capital of Bern which used to house the embassy of the former Yugoslavia and is currently home to the Serbian embassy in Switzerland, for 1.089 million Swiss francs (EUR 1.046 million), the Foreign Ministry announced. The successor countries to Yugoslavia agreed in 2016 to jointly sell five of its former properties, including the home of the diplomatic mission of the former Yugoslavia in Bern.
New daily coronavirus cases down week-on-week
LJUBLJANA - The number of new daily coronavirus cases in Slovenia continued its week-on-week decline, as 1,950 infections were confirmed on Monday, down over 530 compared to a week ago. Currently, 1,005 patients need hospital treatment, down 45 from yesterday, including 266 in intensive care, down by two. Another 17 people died, government data show.
Medical ethics committee approves of anti-Covid drug Lagevrio
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's national medical ethics committee has no reservations towards Lagevrio, a medicine also known as molnupiravir. The committee maintains that the drug brings significant progress in fighting the coronavirus epidemic, as it prevents a severe course of Covid-19 or death. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the drug for coronavirus treatment on 19 November even if it is not yet registered.
Janković, six others plead not guilty in air conditioning case
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković and six co-defendants pleaded not guilty in a case concerning alleged wrongdoing related to the air conditioning engine room of the Stožice Sports Park at the pre-trial hearing. The defence was critical of the evidence presented by the prosecution and proposed certain pieces of evidence be excluded.
Prosecutor suggests justice might not be done in Balkan Warrior case
LJUBLJANA - Prosecutor Blanka Žgajnar does not know why the Supreme Court has annulled the verdict in the Balkan Warrior drug trafficking case and released the defendants, as she is yet to get the ruling. However, she doubts a retrial could be completed in two years before the case becomes statute barred. The Supreme Court took the decision just before statute-barred deadlines will be extended from two to five years when the changes to the penal code enter into force on 15 December.
Slovenian Caritas raises over EUR 40,000 for Haiti
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Caritas announced having raised nearly EUR 41,000 in aid for the earthquake-stricken Haiti since the start of November in a campaign as part of a three-year strategic humanitarian partnership with the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. As part of the campaign, the ministry has contributed EUR 30,000 and the Slovenian Catholic charity EUR 10,808.
State forestry company holds first auction of valuable timber
KOČEVSKA REKA - The SiDG state forestry company held its first public auction of valuable timber in Kočevska Reka on Monday, with almost the entire offering of around 650 m3 of timber being sold. The auction was visited by Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who endorsed this method of selling wood from the state-owned forests.
LTH Castings launches production of parts for e-BMW powertrains
LJUBLJANA - The foundry LTH Castings officially launched a new production line for aluminium components for powertrains of all-electric BMW cars in its Ljubljana facility. The company said on the occasion that the new line brought new jobs, and labelled it as a new step towards transition to e-mobility and digitalisation.
Slovenia saw biggest drop in air passengers in EU last year
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia saw the biggest drop in air passenger transport in the EU in the 2020 pandemic year, fresh Eurostat data show. While the number of total passengers in the EU dropped by 73% to 277 million, in Slovenia it plummeted by 83% year-on-year. Slovenia is followed by Slovakia and Croatia, where 82% fewer air passengers were recorded.
Civil initiative files suit against Third Development Axis section
NOVO MESTO - A civil initiative is challenging a building permit for the first section of the southern part of the Third Development Axis, a north-south expressway currently under construction. The lawsuit will push back the start of construction in the Novo Mesto area, the national motorway company DARS said.
