STA, 1 February 2022 - Ljubljana is among the capital cities with the highest ratings in Europe in terms of urban tree cover and total green infrastructure, while it is sub-par in terms of public access to the city's abundant green spaces, shows a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Tuesday.

High-quality public green and blue spaces and infrastructure in cities, like parks, gardens, riverbanks and coastlines, are crucial for health and well-being, said the EEA briefing.

It also shows that access to such spaces differs in cities across Europe. Green infrastructure made up on average 42% of the city area in 38 EEA member countries, according to the latest data available.

In terms of the percentage of urban tree cover and total green infrastructure, Ljubljana ranked third among the EEA members' capital cities in both indicators with 67% and 50%, respectively.

The only cities with more urban tree cover were Oslo (72%) and Bern (53%), while only Oslo and Zagreb have overtaken Ljubljana in terms of total green infrastructure with 77% and 74%, respectively.

Data shows that average urban tree cover for cities in 38 EEA countries stood at 30%, with cities in Finland and Norway having the highest proportion of tree cover, while cities in Cyprus, Iceland and Malta had the lowest.

Meanwhile, publicly accessible green areas still form a relatively low proportion of total green space in cities, estimated at only 3% of the total city area on average. Ljubljana ranked below the EEA average with just 1%, trailed only by Iceland's Reykjavik.

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STA, 31 January 2021 - The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief performed 654 interventions related to unexploded ordnance items in Slovenia last year, which means almost two per day and 30% more than last year. A total of 4,271 unexploded ordnance items were found in 2021, up by 20% on the previous year.

The increase in terms of total mass was even greater, with 13,363 kilograms of bombs removed, a 70% increase compared to 2020, Igor Boh of the administration's bomb disposal unit told the press on Monday.

Various forms of explosives are defined as unexploded ordnance - different types of bombs, land mines, artillery shells, aerial bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, dynamite, ammunition for firearms and detonators, among others.

Boh attributes a part of the increase in the number of finds to the epidemic, as people were home-bound more often and spent more time working in gardens or forests.

Unexploded ordnance items are most often found in the northern part of the western Primorska region, where two fatal accidents occurred last year as two men perished when they tried to take apart old explosive devices they had found.

Boh has urged collectors of military paraphernalia and explosive devices from the times of war to leave them be, and instead collect things that are not in any way explosive or dangerous.

He also said that it was very important to perform preventive inspections before the ground is disturbed and construction work begins in places where the probability of finding unexploded ordnance items is higher.

Boh recalled the most recent case of such kind in Maribor in January, where an unexploded WWII bomb has been found, neutralised and successfully removed from a construction site.

In many cases, the danger due to the increasing age of discovered bombs means that they have to be destroyed on site. There were 167 such cases last year, and a total of 3,021 items weighing more than seven tonnes were destroyed.

STA, 1 February 2022 - Validity of Covid-19 vaccination certificates for adults is limited to 270 days from Tuesday in line with EU recommendations, but can be extended with booster jabs. Also from today, a rapid test will be valid as proof of infection, but only in Slovenia.

For the fully vaccinated their certificates will be valid for 270 days since the last prescribed full vaccination, which in most cases means from the second shot. On getting an mRNA booster (Pfizer or Moderna), the certificate's validity will be unlimited.

For the recovered who had their first jab within 180 days after getting infected (or within 240 days after recovery by 14 September 2021) the certificate will be valid for 270 days since that inoculation. A booster will extend the validity indefinitely.

The certificate is also valid for 270 days for those who got the single-shot J&J Janssen jab followed by the AstraZeneca jab.

Even those who got vaccinated twice before getting sick and recovering from Covid-19 will have their certificates valid for only 270 days after the vaccination or for 180 days after the positive result of their PCR test.

The same will apply for those who got their first shot before getting over the disease and had their second shot after recovery.

Meanwhile, those who have received two shots after recovering from Covid-19 will under certain conditions have their certificate valid indefinitely.

This has caused some criticism, especially as experts say it does not appear to have an effect on a person's immunity in what order they received their jab, prior or after the infection.

"These are the rules of the game set by the EU and they may be slower to change than we'd wish them to," Janez Tomažič, an infectious disease expert has commented recently.

Also from today the period in which a re-infection is recognised is being shortened from at least 90 days since the first positive PCR test result to at least 45 days when a re-infection can be confirmed.

As a temporary measure Slovenia is adding a positive rapid antigen test as proof of infection that on recovery will be entered into Slovenia's Covid rapid test certificate. The latter will only be valid in Slovenia.

The validity of Covid certificates is being limited for travel within EU, but member states regulate certificates for access to public places, businesses or services themselves.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Rapid test enough to confirm infection as of 1 February

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is further restricting the use of PCR tests as of Tuesday with a new testing protocol under which rapid antigen tests will be enough to confirm a coronavirus infection. The certificate of recovery obtained in this way will only be valid in Slovenia for now, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said, indicating likely changes in this area in the future.

Businesses welcome govt energy relief package, but not all

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has welcomed the government scheme to help businesses cope with rising energy prices, while regretting the step has not been taken sooner. The GZS also said it was not optimistic about energy price trends in global markets. The Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) is less happy about the scheme, finding the measures discriminate against its members.

Controversial changes to penal code removed from parliament's agenda

LJUBLJANA - The much criticised amendments to the penal code that could result in white-collar crimes becoming statute-barred relatively quickly have been removed from the agenda of the January plenary session of the National Assembly at the request of four centre-left opposition parties and the group of unaffiliated MPs. The proposal was backed with 46 votes while 31 MPs voted against.

Janša finds not everyone happy about good economic trends

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed disappointment in parliament that some should be unhappy about the good economic results posted by Slovenia, urging the opposition to compete in who does better rather than doubt about incontrovertible facts. Asked to comment on Slovenia's performance, including in view of the Economist ranking the country second among 23 select OECD countries in terms how well it has coped with the economic aspects of the pandemic, he said that the "OECD comprises the most advanced countries in the world. Our impressions may vary but numbers are objective".

Epidemiological curve still on the rise

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus cases was still up in weekly comparison on Sunday, as 8,575 new infections were detected. Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced that from today more detailed data on hospitalisations would be released to distinguish between patients who have been hospitalised because of Covid and those who are in hospital due to other illnesses but have also caught Covid.

PM and chief prosecutor clash over letter sent to Brussels

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told the National Assembly on Monday that State Prosecutor General Drago Šketa had allegedly sent a letter to Brussels demanding that Slovenia should be asked to meet certain conditions in order to be paid out EU funds, which he labelled as bordering on a coup. Šketa rejected the allegation, saying that he did not propose any action against Slovenia to European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi or to anyone else either in writing or orally.

Pahor due in Vatican on Sunday for official visit

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will visit the Vatican on 6 and 7 February at the invitation of Pope Francis to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Slovenia and the Holy See. Announcing the visit, the president's office said it would provide an opportunity for an exchange of views on relevant issues of current and future times. This will be Pahor's third meeting with Pope Francis. He is also due to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, among others.

Companies positive about access to financial sources in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Companies report that access to most sources of finance improved last year, shows the latest survey by Banka Slovenije, conducted among 1,182 companies, which also notes that access to financial resources remains one of the least problematic constraints on business operations. Around 45% of companies cited limited access to qualified staff or experienced managers as the most problematic factor.

Opposition welcomes energy aid package, but says comes too late

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition was unanimous in saying the government's measures to mitigate energy-price hikes were welcome, but also that they came several months too late and left out several groups of population, as it has commented on a set of measures worth around EUR 200 million adopted for households and companies. Soniboj Knežak of the Social Democrats (SD) noted that pensioner with pensions below EUR 1,000 were included, while over 10,000 workers who receive a lower monthly pay were not.

Universities find Research Agency appointment procedure unsuitable

LJUBLJANA - The universities of Ljubljana, Maribor and Nova Gorica criticised the government over the replacement of the management board of the Slovenian Research Agency. They hope the appointment of a new acting director at the weekend will not negatively affect the agency's independent work. The responsible minister has denied the charge.

Group of academics calls for restoring democracy in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - A group uniting civil initiatives and liberal academics has issued a call for unity and restoring of democracy in Slovenia ahead of the general election. The Alliance for Democratic and Just Slovenia has urged left-leaning parties in particular to forge alliances before the election and called on citizens to go to the polls.

Banks warn about harmful consequences of Swiss franc loan bill

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks came out strongly against a bill the upper chamber of parliament has tabled to help several thousand borrowers who took out loans in Swiss francs at low interest rates while their monthly instalments skyrocketed when the Swiss central bank stopped protecting the value of the currency. "A petition is being prepared for constitutional challenge of the bill, including a proposal to stay it, because the bill is unimplementable," Anita Stojčevska of SKB Banka told the press.

NGOs critical of planned subsidies for industrial energy consumers

LJUBLJANA - Responding the government's recent decision to subsidise large companies due to rising energy prices, environmental NGOs Umanotera and Focus said that the planned subsidies for selected large industrial consumers of energy are socially inequitable and "make a mockery of climate efforts". These same companies already enjoy a number of discounts and refunds on energy purchases amounting to tens of millions of euros a year, the NGOs noted.

Number of unexploded ordnance items found in 2021 up by 20%

LJUBLJANA - The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief performed 654 interventions related to unexploded ordnance items in Slovenia last year, which means almost two per day and 30% more than last year. A total of 4,271 unexploded ordnance items were found in 2021, up by 20% on the previous year. The increase in terms of total mass was even greater, with 13,363 kilograms of bombs removed, a 70% increase compared to 2020, Igor Boh of the administration's bomb disposal unit said.

Farmers warn of damage caused by wildlife

LJUBLJANA - Farmers have been pointing out the serious damage caused by wild animals, as the Slovenian Forest Service estimates that it amounts to between EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 per year. The most affected region is Pomurje in the north-east, and the damage is most often caused by wild boars and deer.

Tina Vrščaj wins Blue Bird prize for novel for adults

LJUBLJANA - The Blue Bird Prize for the best novel for adults that has not yet been published goes to Tina Vrščaj for Na Klancu, which will be published by Cankarjeva Založba this year. Vrščaj's novel, a story about family and love written in "numerous, more or less clear scenes" and "foremost in dynamic dialogues", was picked as the best among 60 texts. The author will receive EUR 10,000.

STA, 31 January 2022 - Farmers have been pointing out the serious damage caused by wild animals, as the Slovenian Forest Service (ZGS) estimates that it amounts to between EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 per year. The most affected region is Pomurje in the north-east, and the damage is most often caused by wild boars and deer.

The Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry has recently issued warnings of damage in agriculture caused by wild animals, particularly boars, saying that this is already threatening the survival of farms in certain cases.

The chamber expects hunters to continue the intensive culling and the state to take appropriate action, which was also the message it sent to Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who responded by urging the chamber to report the damage.

The ZGS's data for the last decade show that the amount of damage is fluctuating. The statistics are strongly dominated by agricultural damage, with additional smaller proportions of damage to forests and other property, the forest service said.

In the period between 2011 and 2020, annual damage reports were between EUR 424,000 in 2016 to almost EUR 788,000 in 2013. The ZGS added that data for last year was unavailable as of yet, but the damage was expected to be among the highest in recent years.

The Agriculture Ministry's data on compensation paid out for damage since 2001 show that the amounts paid out were below EUR 462,000 per year until 2007, while they have been well above this amount on several occasions since 2008.

Wild boar and deer usually cause the most damage - in the period between 2011 and 2020, boars accounted for an estimated 64% of all damage, deer for 32% and all other wildlife species for a total of 4%.

The situation is the worst in the north-eastern region of Pomurje, which accounted for 55% of all assessed wildlife damage caused in Slovenia in 2020.

However, these amounts do not include damage caused by protected species such as brown bears, wolves or birds, which fall under the responsibility of the Environment Ministry.

The ZGS assessed that brown bears had caused around EUR 204,000 in damages last year, followed by songbirds with around EUR 191,000 and wolves with approximately EUR 83,000.

A total of 148 brown bears were culled in Slovenia last year, of which 128 were hunted. The total amount of wolves removed last year was six, out of which three were culled in accordance with valid permits.

No culling of wolves is planned for this year, unless the Environment Ministry finds it necessary under certain circumstances, like in the event of repeated attacks by wolves on domestic animals, which could lead to serious damage to people's property.

STA, 30 January 2022 - An average Slovenian drank 35 litres of wine, or just over 46 standard bottles, in the marketing year 2020-2021, that is nearly three litres a month. The country's wine consumption in this period totalled 764,000 hectolitres, and the self-sufficiency rate stood at 95%, according to data released by the Statistics Office.

Slovenia produced 725,000 hectolitres of wine during this period, with white wine accounting for 70%.

Wines with a protected designation of origin contributed 58% to the country's total wine production, or 423,000 hectolitres.

White wine seems to have been a bit more popular in 2020-2021, as it represented 66% of the total wine consumption in the country.

The average Slovenian drank 23 litres of white wine in the last marketing year, or almost 2 litres a month. Slovenia was completely self-sufficient in this period when it came to white wine.

STA, 31 January 2022 - Slovenia is further restricting the use of PCR tests as of Tuesday with a new testing protocol under which rapid antigen tests will be enough to confirm a coronavirus infection. The certificate of recovery obtained in this way will only be valid in Slovenia for now, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said, indicating changes in this area as well.

By acknowledging rapid antigen test results as enough to confirm an infection, Slovenia is following the example of a dozen other European countries, the minister told a Covid press briefing on Monday, noting that Germany and Austria were also considering taking this step to help lift some of the burden off the laboratories analysing PCR samples.

PCR tests for travelling purposes will continue to be conducted as a payable service.

According to the minister, people who test negative in a rapid test despite signs of infection will need to self-isolate for 72 hours. If the symptoms persist, the person will take another rapid test and if the test is negative, they will visit a doctor in case of any problems.

If the test is positive, the infection is confirmed and the person receives the Slovenian digital Covid certificate.

The decision on who will still need to do a PCR test will be made by a GP. Vulnerable groups, such as patients with chronic disease, pregnant women, people with a weak immune system and children who are at risk of developing severe symptoms, will still be referred to PCR testing, Poklukar said.

The new Slovenian digital certificate will for the time being be used only in Slovenia but given some announcements and the fact that half of EU countries are switching to this new testing protocol, rapid antigen tests will probably soon be accepted as a valid mode to confirm a Covid infection Europe-wide, the minister said.

"We are counting on most of these (Slovenian) certificates to be in the future issued as European certificates of recovery," he said.

The minister also noted that the new testing protocol was temporary and in place while the number of daily infections is high.

General practitioners have welcomed the new testing protocol, noting that they currently dealt with significantly more Covid patients, which meant that patients with other diseases had restricted access to doctors.

In line with the new protocol, people with mild Covid symptoms will have access to diagnostics without the help of their doctors as most of the infected actually do not need a doctor, said Irena Vatovec, director of the Postojna Community Health Centre.

Paediatrician Denis Baš added that paediatricians too supported the changes under which children with mild or no symptoms can get their infections confirmed with a rapid test and stay at home, while children who are more at risk such as children with cancer, transplants, weak immune system, heart defects and babies under six months will continue to be referred to a PCR test by their doctor after consultation.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Pahor congratulates Mattarella on new term

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on being re-elected for another term in office, saying he was looking forward to their continued constructive cooperation for the benefit of the two countries. President Pahor "welcomed with great joy the news of re-election of [his] friend Sergio Mattarella for Italian president," the president's office said. Mattarella's re-election was also hailed by Tatjana Rojc, the Italian senator who is a member of the Slovenian minority.

Another 13,852 test positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - A total of 13,852 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Saturday, slightly fewer than the same day a week ago, but the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 passed 8,000. Eleven more Covid-19 patients died. Total Covid hospitalisations increased by 23 to 749, including 130 ICU cases. The latter is a rise of six, show government data. The 7-day average of new daily infections dropped by 45 to 14,025.

General government deficit shrinks

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's consolidated general government deficit, including those of the state budget, the health and pension funds and local government budgets, amounted to EUR 2.92 billion or 5.8% of GDP last year, 1.8 percentage points less than a year before, according to the Finance Ministry. The decline was due to the growth in revenue outpacing the rise in expenditure; revenue rose to EUR 21.4 billion, up 15.4% from 2020 and up 11.2% from 2019, and expenditure was up 10.1% from 2020 and up 28.1% from 2019 to EUR 24.3 billion.

Woman injured in second bear attack in a week

ŠKOFLJICA - A 53-year woman sustained light injures after being attacked by a brown bear in the woods in the Pijava Gorica area, south of Ljubljana, on Saturday in what is the second such incident in a week. The police said inquiries into what happened were ongoing but advised public to be cautions when walking in the area. Last Sunday a 63-year-old hunter was attacked by a she bear in the Postojna area, sustaining a broken arm, rib injuries and wounds on his back. This follows two such attacks in 2021.

Philosopher wins quote of the year award

MARIBOR - Philosopher Lev Kreft's remark about people being the target of politicians rather than vice versa has won the Spade of the Year title, given out by the newspaper Večer for the most apt statement capturing the spirit of 2021. "Today, we are not in a position where representatives of the people should be protected from the people, but it's the people who should be protected from its representatives," reads the winning quote declared at the 23rd Spade of the Year ceremony in Maribor on Saturday.

Two podium finishes for Slovenia in last World Cup event before Beijing

WILLINGEN, Germany - Nika Križnar won the last women's Ski Jumping World Cup event before the Beijing Olympics after setting Slovenia's national record at 151 metres in the sole series in Willingen, Germany, as Cene Prevc placed third in the men's event for hist first ever individual podium finish. The feats come after the victory for Slovenia's mixed team on Friday and Ema Klinec finishing third at the same venue on Saturday, bonding well for the Olympics starting this Friday.

Average Slovenian drinks 35 litres of wine a year

LJUBLJANA - An average Slovenian drank 35 litres of wine in the marketing year 2020-2021, that is nearly three litres a month. The country's wine consumption in this period totalled 764,000 hectolitres, and the self-sufficiency rate stood at 95%, according to data released by the Statistics Office. Slovenia produced 725,000 hectolitres of wine during this period, with white wine accounting for 70%. Wines with a protected designation of origin contributed 58% to the country's total wine production.

STA, 29 January 2022 - The share of primary school children who are distance learners because they refuse to comply with Covid restrictions in schools is declining. However, there are at least dozen cases where parents decided to sue schools over the enforced pandemic rules.

The share is now 0.84%, meaning 1,625 students, down from 3.61% last November, when self-testing was introduced in schools. The figure has been steadily falling since then, the Education Ministry has said.

In line with the guidelines issued by the education authority last November, students' knowledge can only be assessed at school during distance learning.

"If a pupil is not graded, they will sit examinations in accordance with relevant regulations. Pupils may take part in school assessments only if they meet the conditions laid down in the decree," the ministry has told STA, referring to the government decree putting in place Covid restrictions in schools.

A number of parents who do not want their children to self-test in classrooms three days a week are suing primary schools since they believe their constitutional rights are being infringed.

The ministry has been so far notified of twelve such cases. "The lawsuits are filed at the Administrative Court and so far all the proposed interim injunctions that have already been decided by the court have been rejected. In three cases, the suits have also already been dismissed," it said.

In all the cases, the State Attorney's Office has taken over the legal representation, which made it much easier for the schools involved to deal with the legal proceedings.

Some schools in Ljubljana have refused this option as their lawyer has been provided or paid for by the school's founder, the Ljubljana municipality, the ministry added.

STA, 29 January 2022 - The government has confirmed a EUR 200 million package of aid for households and companies to mitigate energy-price hikes. An EUR 106 million energy voucher scheme for households will be coupled with aid for companies and farmers worth EUR 70 million, lower network fees for electricity, and lower excise duties on heating oil and petrol.

The electricity network fee will be waived for three months starting on 1 February, with excise duties on electricity, heating oil and petrol being cut to the lowest permissible level, Prime Minister Janez Janša told the press after Saturday's government session.

Electricity excise will be halved, whereas fuel excise duties will be reduced by about two cents per litre for regular petrol, five cents for diesel, eight cents for heating oil and one cent per cubic metre of natural gas.

As a result of these waivers and cuts, Janša estimates electricity bills will go down by 30-35%.

Energy vouchers, worth EUR 150, will be available to about 710,000 beneficiaries, including recipients of income support and welfare, recipients of child support with income of up to EUR 680 per person, pensioners with under EUR 1,000 in pensions, the disabled, and large families. Families with four or more children will get an extra EUR 50 on top.

One-off aid will be available to an estimated 17,500 companies and 41,000 farms. The payments will depend on company or farm size and energy intensity, according to Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.

Among companies, those with at least five employees and whose energy expenditure accounted for at least 5% of revenue in 2019 or at least EUR 10,000 will be eligible.

Companies must apply for aid with the Financial Administration and will receive the money by 20 April.

"We are confident this will help until prices ease off," Počivalšek said.

The energy vouchers and aid to companies and farms comes in a new bill that must be passed by parliament. The other measures are in the form of direct government decrees.

The aid comes after energy prices have soared in recent months in lockstep with surging global prices.

Companies in particular have for weeks beseeched the government to step in, warning that the current level of prices risked putting many energy-intensive industries out of business.