Ljubljana related

06 Jun 2022, 14:12 PM

STA, 6 June 2022 - Visiting Slovenia as the first foreign official after the new government was sworn in, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Monday that Austria did not see any alternative to checks on what is its internal Schengen border with Slovenia. He discussed a number of issues with Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon.

 In light of the war in Ukraine and a significant increase in illegal migration in recent months, there is no alternative to Austria's continued border checks, Schallenberg said, adding that Austria would strive to come up with a solution through dialogue to make the situation on the border the way it was prior to 2015.

Meanwhile, Fajon said that Slovenia saw no reason to maintain border controls. She informed Schallenberg of the planned removal of the fence on Slovenia's border with Croatia, assuring him that Slovenia would continue to ensure adequate protection of its external Schengen border.

In 2015, at the peak of the refugee crisis, Austria introduced border checks on its internal Schengen borders with Slovenia and Hungary and has been extending this ever since. The latest six-month extension was in mid-May, with Austria citing the war in Ukraine as one of the reasons.

Fajon and Schallenberg reaffirmed the good cooperation between the two countries in various fields and stressed the importance of ethnic minorities.

Fajon said that before the visit she had met representatives of the Slovenian ethnic community in Austria, who, she said, lauded the positive developments on the Austrian side.

"We have agreed to work together, at federal level and along the border, to provide help to our national community," she said as she expressed her support for continuation of the dialogue with the German-speaking community in Slovenia and efforts to strengthen their linguistic and cultural identity.

"Both communities need our help and protection," said Schallenberg.

Asked whether Slovenia would work towards the notification of the Austrian State Treaty under the new government, Fajon replied that in dialogue with Austria the Slovenian side emphasised above all the implementation of Article 7 of the treaty, which guarantees the rights of the Slovenian community in Austria.

"The question of the status of the contracting party is not a subject of the dialogue with Austria, furthermore the situation in the world does not allow it at the moment," she added.

Schallenberg said that Austria considered the treaty to be a limited international treaty, so Slovenia cannot join it. "Nevertheless, Austria is committed to respecting it and takes the commitments seriously," he added.

Another issue on which the two countries do not share the same position is nuclear energy. Schallenberg reiterated Austria's opposition to the nuclear power plant in Krško, but acknowledged that the exchange of information at expert level was going well.

"I know that giving up nuclear power is not on the Slovenian agenda, but I would like to see us take things forward in a way that would benefit both countries," he said.

The ministers also discussed the situation in Ukraine and called for cooperation on projects to rebuild the country after the war and help people there.

Moreover, the pair called for the EU to do everything possible to implement the enlargement commitments made to Western Balkan countries.

"We're both wholeheartedly committed to supporting the Western Balkans countries to get their membership as soon as possible, and we will devote close attention to putting them on the EU agenda," Fajon said.

Schallenberg noted the geopolitical responsibility of the EU towards the region and the promises made to the region 19 years ago. "If we talk about Ukraine and Moldova, we must also talk about the Western Balkans", he said, warning against creating first- and second-tier candidates for EU accession.

Schallenberg is the first foreign senior official to have visited Slovenia after the new government took office last week. He expressed his gratitude for having been able to visit Ljubljana so quickly, and Fajon stressed the symbolic importance of his visit.

He also met President Borut Pahor and was received by Robert Golob, the new prime minister. During their meeting, Golob called for Austria to lift their checks on the border with Slovenia as soon as possible.

Golob and Schallenberg talked relations between the two countries and central European issues, with an emphasis on the energy situation as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the prime minister's office said.

18 May 2022, 11:55 AM

STA, 17 May 2022 - Five Slovenian MEPs have sent a public letter to Austria and the European Commission criticising the recent decision of Austria to again extend police controls on the border with Slovenia, labelling the move as unjustified and disproportionate. They argue that this is confirmed by the valid EU law and the recent decision of the EU court.

The letter signed by Irena Joveva, Klemen Grošelj (both Renew/LMŠ), Milan Brglez (S&D/SD), Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) is addressed to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Ylva Johansson as the competent European commissioner.

It notes that Slovenia was more than appropriately addressing the challenges in irregular migration, possible terrorist threats and trafficking in human beings.

The functioning Schengen Area poses no threat to Austria, while border control severely restricts freedom of movement, the letter says, adding that there were no new threats to justify the decision.

According to the five Slovenian MEPs, the subsequent six-month extensions of internal border control since 2015 have not been in line with the EU rules.

They have urged the Austrian government to reconsider its intention to renew control on the EU's internal border, and asked the Commission to issue an opinion about the necessity or proportionality of the decision of the Austrian authorities.

The MEPs noted that reintroducing internal border control should be a measure of last resort and that alternative measures for internal border control should be sought.

The Commission told the STA that the relevant ruling of the EU Court of Justice clarified the rules applied for temporary reintroduction of internal border control. A preliminary ruling says the matter must now be decided by a national court.

It added that it was working with the EU member states to end the continued reintroduction of internal border control in close technical and political dialogue.

The Commission is also ready to work with the European Parliament and the Council to address the issue in the ongoing negotiations on updating the Schengen Borders Code, it added.

In April, the EU Court of Justice said that a Schengen Area member state could reintroduce border control in the event of a serious threat to its public order or internal security, but should not exceed the maximum total duration of six months.

It may reintroduce the measure immediately after the end of this six-month period, but only if it faces a new serious threat that is different from the one originally identified.

Austria notified the Commission last week that it would extend control on its borders with Hungary and Slovenia for at least six months. The war in Ukraine was cited among the reasons for the decisions this time.

11 Mar 2022, 16:19 PM

STA, 11 March 2022 - High-ranking Slovenian politicians have condemned a statement by a Hungarian state secretary who labelled Mura as the border between Slovenia and Hungary. The river actually runs between 20 and 30 kilometres from the current official border between the two countries.

The statement by Secretary of State for National Policy Árpád János Potápi was uttered in the Težišče (Súlypont in Hungarian) show at the national broadcaster TV Slovenija for the Hungarian minority, which was run on Thursday.

MP Jožef Horvat of the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) labelled the statement as an international incident that should be responded to resolutely. He has called Foreign Minister Anže Logar this morning to demand a resolute response.

Horvat, who has also demanded a response from the government, said that "on behalf of Slovenians and Hungarians who have lived together in coexistence for many decades in Prekmurje, I would like to tell the state secretary to leave us alone."

He noted that Hungarians and Slovenians had proven that they knew how to live in coexistence in the north-eastern region that borders Hungary, and that people were disappointed and appalled by such incidents.

Dejan Židan, an MP of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), said that senior Slovenian politicians should immediately respond to such an "aggressive statement".

He noted that he had been warning in the past that action should be taken when senior Hungarian politicians posed in front of a maps of Greater Hungary. Slovenian statesmen are silent about this and agree to something that is unimaginable, he added.

Židan expects an response from the Slovenian government that will protect Slovenia's integrity and stop any attempts of encroachment on it.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič responded on Twitter, saying that the "statement is inadmissible" and that it should not go unnoticed by senior Slovenian politicians, and tagging President Borut Pahor, PM Janez Janša and Foreign Minister Logar.

Defence Minister Matej Tonin said on Twitter that he had met the Hungarian ambassador on the sidelines of a Visegrad Group meeting to talk with him "about the inappropriate statement by State Secretary Potápi regarding Prekmurje".

"The Hungarian ambassador apologised for the uttered words, which was allegedly a slip of the tongue. He made assurances that Hungary has no territorial aspirations and is committed to good neighbourly relations," the minister said.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release it had immediately summoned Ambassador Andor F. David and demanded an explanation.

"We noted the sensitivity of the topic. The Mura being mentioned as a border river opens possibilities for different interpretations, which can harm bilateral relations and human relations, especially in Prekmurje," the ministry said.

The Hungarian embassy has already issued a release explaining that the statement was a "slip of the tongue" and that the border between Hungary and Slovenia was indisputably determined by an international treaty.

13 Aug 2021, 19:59 PM

STA, 13 August 2021 - Vehicles are waiting more than six hours to enter Slovenia from Croatia at Gruškovje border crossing as traffic is extremely heavy at border crossings on Friday afternoon ahead of another very busy holiday weekend. An 8km tailback has meanwhile formed on the Slovenian side of the Karawanks tunnel towards Austria.

At the Karawanks tunnel on the Gorenjska motorway, the Jesenice east entry to the motorway towards Austria is closed due to the congestion, Slovenia's traffic information centre said.

More than two hours are needed to enter Slovenia from Croatia at Obrežje, and up to one hour at Petišovci and Rogatec, all in the east of Slovenia. To leave Slovenia for the southern neighbour, vehicles are waiting up to one hour.

Traffic is also rather slow on the Primorska section of the A1 motorway towards Ljubljana.

The Ljubelj tunnel with Austria is being closed at intervals on the Austrian side due to passenger controls and congestion.

You can always find the latest traffic news at the official site, promet.si, while the current waiting times at Slovenia’s borders can be found here

01 Aug 2021, 12:27 PM

STA, 31 July 2021 - Long tailbacks of traffic have built up at crossings on the Slovenian-Croatian border as holidaymakers from northern Europe hit Croatian coastal resorts.

Data by the national traffic information centre for Saturday midday shows waiting times of more than two hours at all major crossings for vehicles entering Croatia.

The situation is currently worst at small border crossings such as Vinica, where those entering Croatia can expect to wait for up to six hours.

At major crossings such as Obrežje/Bregana, Gruškovje/Macelj and Jelšane/Rupa, the waiting times are between two and four hours.

Traffic in the opposite direction has gotten just as bad. Most crossings report waiting times of more than two hours to enter Slovenia, but on coastal crossings waiting times of up to four hours are currently expected.

The situation on the border with Austria has deteriorated as well. At the biggest crossing, Karavanke, there is currently a four-kilometre tailback.

You can always find the latest traffic news at the official site, promet.si, while the current waiting times at Slovenia’s borders can be found here

18 Jul 2021, 14:24 PM

STA, 17 July 2021 - Slovenian roads and border crossings are congested with holiday traffic on what is one of the busiest weekends of the summer. A 10-kilometre tailback is reported on the motorway leading to the Gruškovje crossing with Croatia.

A queue of about one kilometre has also formed on the Slovenian side of the Karawanks border tunnel with Austria, while the tailback on the Austrian side of the tunnel runs to 14 kilometres, the traffic information centre has reported.

The tunnel is being closed at intervals to ensure safety.

Congestions are also reported from most other border crossings with Croatia in both directions. At some crossings drivers are waiting more than two hours to cross.

The Vinica crossing is closed due to technical problems on the Croatian side.

The congestions, typical of high summer, are being made worse this year as border officers are also checking passengers' certificates on their Covid-19 status.

With storms and downpours forecast during the day, the authorities are asking drivers to exert patience and adjust their driving to the weather conditions and keep a sufficient safety distance.

You can always find the latest traffic news at the official site, promet.si, while the current waiting times at Slovenia’s borders can be found here

10 Apr 2021, 17:54 PM

STA, 10 April 2021 - The government has expanded the list of exceptions for entry in Slovenia without quarantine or the need to produce a negative PCR test, to include accredited journalists and persons who enter the country for emergency reasons. Coronavirus tests performed in the US and UK have meanwhile been added to the list of valid tests at border crossings.

Under the new decree adopted late on Friday, added to the lists of exceptions are accredited journalists on an official trip abroad and persons coming to Slovenia to take measures relating to elimination of health, life or property risks or material damage, and who are returning home within 12 hours.

Moreover, work migrants and persons posted to perform cross-border services will no longer be ordered to quarantine if they produce a negative PCR or rapid antigen test not older than seven days under the condition that they return to Slovenia within five days. So far, this applied only to daily work migrants.

In addition to PCR tests or certificates confirming that a person has recovered from Covid-19 performed or issued in the EU member states or the Schengen Area, those performed or issued in the US and UK will also be valid for entry to Slovenia.

There are also some changes related to red-listed countries, as the entire Austria is now in the red, as well as Denmark. All administrative units of Spain are also in the red except for Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Valencia.

30 Mar 2021, 19:01 PM

STA, 30 March 2021 - Slovenia's latest restrictions on the crossing of borders ban all travel to high-risk countries save for a few exemptions. The interior minister says people not among the exemptions may leave the country - provided they pay a fine.

It is up to the attending police officer to determine whether a person who wishes to leave the country qualifies as one of the exemptions.

When they do not qualify but still wish to leave the country, officers simply give them a fine, which starts at 400 euros, and let them leave, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press on Tuesday.

"You cannot physically lock people into the country," he said.

"I personally believe the restriction of movement, in so far as not being allowed to leave the country is concerned, is perfectly appropriate," he said.

The decree has already been challenged at the Constitutional Court by a group of owners of property in Croatia, who believe their property rights are being curtailed.

Hojs said that if the Constitutional Court decided the decree is not constitutional, the government would comply with the decision.

Under the decree, which entered into effect yesterday, travel to red-listed countries is banned for Slovenian residents.

There are two general exemptions - those who have had Covid and those who have been vaccinated - and a number of narrower exemptions, for example for hauliers, cross-border commuters and students, and for emergency services.

25 Mar 2021, 08:29 AM

STA, 24 March 2021 - Negative rapid antigen test result will no longer be accepted to avoid quarantine on entering Slovenia, while dual owners and lessees of land in bordering areas will no longer need a negative test every seven days to cross the border, under a decision taken by the government on Wednesday.

The decision means that only a negative result of a PCR test taken within the past 48 hours will qualify as proof to allow quarantine-free entry into the country or to end quarantine early.

The same as before, arrivals can also avoid quarantine if they produce proof that they had been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recovered from the disease within the past six months.

Such proofs include a positive PCR test result older than 21 days but not older than six months or a doctor's note proving the person has recovered from Covid-19 but not more than six months since the onset of symptoms.

However, a negative rapid test result no older than seven days remains valid as proof to enter Slovenia quarantine-free for those crossing daily for work or school when they are older than 13, the persons brining students or pupils across the border to school, those having a medical appointment in Slovenia or are returning from an EU and Schengen country where they provided care or assistance.

Dual owners and lessees of land in bordering areas will no longer need a negative test result to tend to land or do farm work across the border if they return within ten hours.

The government also made some changes to the red list of countries or regions as a result of which all Austrian regions are red except for Vorarlberg, all Italian regions except for Sardinia, while in Spain Cantabria, Extremadura, Galicia, Balearic Islands, Murcia and Navarra are removed from the red list.

04 Mar 2021, 16:45 PM

STA, 4 March 2020 - Slovenia will step up health checks on its borders starting on Monday. It plans to reintroduce checkpoints on internal EU borders, which were scrapped in mid-February, and tighten quarantine rules for arrivals, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press on Thursday.

 "The government is particularly concerned about [coronavirus] variants from South Africa and from countries in which some variants have not been explored and we have no way of knowing how they will react to vaccines," he said.

There will be three kinds of border checks on Slovenia's borders with Austria, Hungary and Italy, designated as A, B and C.

Checkpoints A will be open around-the clock. They will be on major crossings Karavanke, Ljubelj, Šentilj, Gornja Radgona and Gederovci on the border with Austria, Dolga Vas and Pince on the border with Hungary, and Vrtojba, Fernetiči and Škofije on the border with Italy.

B-rated checkpoints will be open on designated hours; an updated list thereof will be available on government web pages. C-rated checkpoints are intended for owners of land on both sides of the border. They will be open around the clock and checks will be performed randomly.

The second major change concerns quarantine for arrivals into Slovenia.

All those who do not produce proof of vaccination, proof they have already had Covid-19, or a negative test will be required to quarantine and may end the quarantine after five days with a negative test; presently, they are allowed to test the next day to end their quarantine.

All those who may now cross the border on a daily basis, in particular cross-border commuters and students, will have to get tested every seven days. The requirement will be waived for children under 13. Additional testing sites will be put up, in particular on the border with Italy, Hojs said.

Some changes were also made to the list of red countries that are considered risky. Certain regions of Italy (the Aosta Valley, Sardinia and Sicily), Austria (Vorarlberg), Spain (Extremadura, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands) and France (Guyana and Martinique) are no longer red, while Finland's only red regions are Helsinki-Uusimaa and Aland, and so are Greece's Attica and West Greece, and Norway's Oslo.

Cuba was added to the list of risky third countries.

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