COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review 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: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results

Council of the European Union

Brussels, 6 February 2017 (OR. en)

5967/17 ADD 26

ENV 103 ECOFIN 70 SOC 68 COMPET 74 POLGEN 9 CONSOM 37

COVER NOTE

From: Secretary-General of the European Commission, signed by Mr Jordi AYET PUIGARNAU, Director

date of receipt: 6 February 2017

To: Mr Jeppe TRANHOLM-MIKKELSEN, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union

No. Cion doc.: SWD(2017) 57 final

Subject: COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

The EU Environmental Implementation Review

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: Common Challenges and

how to combine efforts to deliver better results

Delegations will find attached document SWD(2017) 57 final.

Encl.: SWD(2017) 57 final

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 3.2.2017 SWD(2017) 57 final

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

The EU Environmental Implementation Review

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: Common Challenges and how to

combine efforts to deliver better results

{COM(2017) 63 final i}

{SWD(2017) 33 - 56 final}

{SWD(2017) 58 - 60 final}

Slovenia 2

This report has been written by the staff of the Directorate-General for Environment, European

Commission. Any comments are welcome to the following e-mail address: ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu).

Photographs: p.9 – ©LIFE10 INF/SI/000139; p.12 – ©gevision/iStock; p.19 – ©Matej Kastelic/iStock; p.23 – ©Helena Lovincic/iStock

For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder.

©European Union, 2017

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

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Table of Content

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 4

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 6

• 1. 

  TURNING THE EU INTO A CIRCULAR, RESOURCE-EFFICIENT, GREEN AND COMPETITIVE LOW-

  CARBON ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................... 6

  Developing a circular economy and improving resource efficiency ..................................................... 6

  Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 7

• 2. 

  PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ..................................................... 10

  Nature and Biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 10

  Estimating Natural Capital................................................................................................................... 12

  Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................... 12

  Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 12

  Marine protection ............................................................................................................................... 13

• 3. 

  ENSURING CITIZENS' HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE .......................................................................... 15

  Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 15

  Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 16

  Enhancing the sustainability of cities .................................................................................................. 18

  International agreements ................................................................................................................... 19

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ..................................................................... 20

• 4. 

  MARKET BASED INSTRUMENTS AND INVESTMENT ............................................................................ 20

  Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 20

  Green Public Procurement .................................................................................................................. 20

  Investments: the contribution of EU funds ......................................................................................... 21

• 5. 

  EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................................... 23

  Public participation and access to justice ........................................................................................... 25

  Access to information, knowledge and evidence ................................................................................ 26

  Slovenia 4

Executive summary

About the Environmental Implementation Review Slovenia's diverse and rich natural environment is its key

In May 2016, the Commission launched the natural resource. It also has the biggest share of land Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), a two-year area covered by Natura 2000 and is one of the most cycle of analysis, dialogue and collaboration to improve forested countries in the EU. Well-preserved nature the implementation of existing EU environmental policy delivers multiple socio-economic benefits. However, it and legislation 1 . As a first step, the Commission drafted requires a good planning system and environmental 28 reports describing the main challenges and infrastructure to provide necessary safeguards.

opportunities on environmental implementation for each As regards compliance with the EU environmental Member State. These reports are meant to stimulate a legislation, Slovenia still has a relatively high number of positive debate both on shared environmental challenges environmental infringement cases. To reverse this for the EU, as well as on the most effective ways to situation, it should address its key non-compliance cases. address the key implementation gaps. The reports rely on the detailed sectoral implementation reports collected or

issued by the Commission under specific environmental Main Challenges

legislation as well as the 2015 State of the Environment

Report and other reports by the European Environment The three main challenges with regard to Agency. These reports will not replace the specific implementation of EU environmental policy and law in instruments to ensure compliance with the EU legal Slovenia are:

obligations.  Streamlining the legal framework related to planning

The reports will broadly follow the outline of the 7th and environmental assessments by ensuring that EU Environmental Action Programme 2 and refer to the 2030 environmental legislation is respected, while Agenda for Sustainable development and related administrative burden and barriers to investments Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 to the extent to are reduced. which they reflect the existing obligations and policy  Preserving Slovenia's extensive Natura 2000 network

objectives of EU environmental law 4 . by integrating economic and nature considerations in the planning and environmental assessment

The main challenges have been selected by taking into system. account factors such as the importance or the gravity of  Prioritising waste-water investments to fulfil the environmental implementation issue in the light of Slovenia’s Accession Treaty obligations. the impact on the quality of life of the citizens, the

distance to target, and financial implications. Main Opportunities

The reports accompany the Communication "The EU Slovenia could perform better on topics where there is

Environmental Implementation Review 2016: Common already a good knowledge base and good practices. This challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better applies in particular to: results", which identifies challenges that are common to

several Member States, provides preliminary conclusions  Excelling further in waste management to become on possible root causes of implementation gaps and one of the EU's top-performing Member States. proposes joint actions to deliver better results. It also  Accelerating a shift towards a circular economy as groups in its Annex the actions proposed in each country part of implementing Slovenian's Framework

report to improve implementation at national level. Programme for the Transition to a Green Economy and the Smart Specialisation Strategy.

General profile  Boosting knowledge on circular economy among

small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) and creating investment opportunities for such businesses.

1 Communication "Delivering the benefits of EU environmental policies through a regular Environmental Implementation Review"

( COM/2016/ 316 final ). 2 Decision No. 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013 on a General Union

Environmental Action Programme to 2020 " Living well, within the limits of our planet ".

3 United Nations, 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals

4 This EIR report does not cover climate change, chemicals and energy.

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Points of Excellence

Where Slovenia leads in environmental implementation, it could share its approaches more widely among other countries. Good examples are:

 The best performing EU-13 Member State in terms of municipal waste recycling with its state-of-the-art regional waste management centre in Ljubljana.

 EU-wide, Slovenia boasts one of the highest contributions of revenues from environmental tax.

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Part I: Thematic Areas

• 1. 

  Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and

  competitive low-carbon economy

  By announcing circular economy and green development

Developing a circular economy and improving as Slovenia’s strategic objectives, the Government has

resource efficiency initiated the first steps in creating the needed political framework.

The 2015 Circular Economy Package emphasizes the need Figure 1: Resource productivity 2003-15 7

to move towards a lifecycle-driven ‘circular’ economy, with a cascading use of resources and residual waste that is close to zero. This can be facilitated by the development of, and access to, innovative financial instruments and funding for eco-innovation.

SDG 8 invites countries to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. SDG 9 highlights the need to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. SDG 12 encourages countries to achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources by 2030.

Measures towards a circular economy As part of its circular economy agenda, Slovenia adopted

Transforming our economies from linear to circular offers the Framework Programme for the Transition to a Green Economy 8 in October 2015. It sets strategic guidelines for

an opportunity to reinvent them and make them more

sustainable and competitive. This will stimulate developing new green technologies, jobs and the

investments and bring both short and long-term benefits promotion of the Slovenian knowledge. Its measures cover nine areas: sustainable resource management,

for the economy, environment and citizens alike 5 . green growth, green jobs, green products and services,

The resource productivity (how efficiently the economy green tax reform, sustainable urban development, green uses material resources to produce wealth) 6 has overall public sector, green economy, and green practices in improved in Slovenia over the last ten years. However, it agriculture.

is still below the EU average, especially contrasted with

the EU-15. In 2015, it reached 1.35 EUR/kg compared to Slovenia also has a well-developed strategic approach to embedding a circular economy within the European

the EU average of 2.0 EUR/kg as shown in Figure 1. Structural and Investment Funds as part of the national

Slovenia faces numerous opportunities and challenges in Smart Specialisation Strategy 9 . the transition towards a circular economy and in eco Despite a strong support to the circular economy in the innovation development. On one hand, it is the third Government's strategic documents, it seems to be still

most forested country in Europe, abundant with natural

capital, and endowed with a high level of biodiversity and challenging to operationalise this concept. The gap between the declaratory and actual support, together

rich natural habitats. On the other hand, economic and with the lack of financial incentives, was noted by the

systemic challenges still remain and do not facilitate and encourage the transition towards a circular economy.

7 Eurostat, Resource productivity , accessed October 2016. 5 European Commission, 2015. Proposed Circular Economy Package 8 Slovenian Government. 2015, Framework Programme for the 6 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic Transition to a Green Economy

product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 9 Slovenian Government, 2015. Slovenia’s Smart Specialisation Strategy.

Slovenia 7

private sector as the main barrier in the transition 2013 indices, as the scoreboard is being reviewed

towards a circular economy (Vovk, 2016) 10 . constantly, and potential new data sources to improve

SMEs and resource efficiency the indicators in the scoreboard are screened in every round of updates).

SMEs provide 63% of value added and nearly 73% of

employment. Slovenian companies in general are not Slovenia has 10 EMAS registered organisations, which is a highly competitive and do not have a very high value quite low with respect to the total of 4034 organisations added per employee, or material and energy that hold a registration. There have not been any

productivity. changes in the number of registered organisation since October 2015.

This situation could be improved without much

investment. As the Flash 426 Eurobarometer on "SMEs, Concerning the EU Eco-label, Slovenia has 14 licenses, resource efficiency and green markets" 11 shows, a which is quite a low number compared to the 1875 total quarter (25%) of Slovenian SMEs taking resource number of licenses.

efficiency actions did not have to invest any of their Figure 2: Eco-Innovation Index 2015 (EU=100) 13

turnover on resource efficiency in the last two years (EU average 26%); whereas 58% of SMEs invested up to 5%

(EU28 average 50%). In terms of type of resourceefficiency actions, 33% offered green products and services (EU28 average 26%), 44% took measures to save energy (EU28 average 59%), 40% minimised waste (EU28 average 60%), 29% saved water (EU28 average 44%) and

45% saved materials (EU28 average 54%). From a circular economy perspective, 30% of SMEs took measures to recycle by reusing material or waste within the company

(EU28 average 40%), 19% designed products that are easier to maintain, repair or reuse (EU28 average 22%) and 20% were able to sell their scrap material to another company (EU28 average 25%).

The above measures allowed the reduction of production costs in 61% of the Slovenia' SMEs (EU28 average 45%).

The same Eurobarometer shows that Slovenia has an average number of 2.0 full time green employees per

SME (EU28 average 1.7) 12 .

Eco-innovation

The overall Eco-IS composite index 2015 for Slovenia is

96 (Figure 2), placing Slovenia on the 16th place in the EU ranking of eco-innovative countries, with Denmark,

Finland, and Ireland as the leaders. In comparison to the

2014 and 2013 scoreboard, Slovenia’s composite index has increased. Namely, in 2014 and 2013 Slovenia

performed below the EU average but with an index of Suggested action

74.3 in 2013 and 90.7 in 2014. Slovenia ranked 15th and • Decrease the discrepancies between the adopted and

16th in 2013 and 2014 respectively (though caution must implemented measures.

be used when comparing 2015 and 2014 indices with

Waste management

10 Vovk M., Reuse Ormož, 2016, Interview on barriers and drivers to

circular economy and eco-innovation in Slovenia. Turning waste into a resource requires:

11 European Commission, 2015. Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, − Full implementation of Union waste legislation,

resource efficiency and green markets".

12 The Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, resource efficiency and green which includes the waste hierarchy; the need to

markets" defines "green job" as a job that directly deals with ensure separate collection of waste; the landfill

information, technologies, or materials that preserves or restores diversion targets etc. environmental quality. This requires specialised skills, knowledge, − Reducing per capita waste generation and waste

training, or experience (e.g. verifying compliance with environmental legislation, monitoring resource efficiency within the company,

promoting and selling green products and services). 13 Eco-innovation Observatory : Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2015.

Slovenia 8

generation in absolute terms. − Limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials

and phasing out landfilling of recyclable or recoverable waste.

SDG 12 invites countries to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse, by 2030.

The EU's approach to waste management is based on the

"waste hierarchy" which sets out an order of priority when shaping waste policy and managing waste at the operational level: prevention, (preparing for) reuse, recycling, recovery and, as the least preferred option, disposal (which includes landfilling and incineration without energy recovery). The progress towards reaching recycling targets and the adoption of adequate

WMP/WPP 14 should be the key items to measure the

performance of Member States. This section focuses on

management of municipal waste for which EU law sets Figure 3 depicts the municipal waste by treatment in mandatory recycling targets. terms of kg per capita. It shows an increase of recycling

Slovenia made very good progress as concerns waste rates, composting and incineration, and a decrease in management in the past years. According to the 2014 landfilling.

data reported to Eurostat, its municipal waste 15 recycling This is mainly due to the country's overall effort to

rates are among the highest in the EU (61%), and have change their waste management policy and move from a more than doubled since 2007. However, this recycling nearly all-landfilling (landfilling rate was 75% in 2007) rate is calculated based on the amount of waste treated towards predominantly recycling society. According to and for Slovenia the gap between waste generated and the latest Eurostat data (2014), the landfilling rate is 39%.

treated is very large (approx. 40% in 2014) due to

incomplete coverage of outputs from pre-treatment of As shown in Figure 4, Slovenia's material recycling rate is waste 16 . If the recycling rate was calculated based on the 61% if waste treated is taken as denominator (49% if

amount of waste generated, it would be 36%. generation is taken as denominator), Slovenia seems to be on the right path towards meeting the '2020' 50%

Nevertheless, despite the data uncertainty, Slovenia can recycling target 18 .

still be a useful example to other Member States,

showing how to improve waste management in a Figure 4: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2007-14

19

relatively short time-frame.

Figure 3: Municipal waste by treatment in Slovenia

2007-14 17

14 Waste Management Plans/Waste Prevention Programmes.

15 Municipal waste consists of waste collected by or on behalf of municipal authorities, or directly by the private sector (business or private non-profit institutions) not on behalf of municipalities.

16 The issue has been spotted by the Slovenian Court of Auditors which 18 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by suggested that the data is not reliable due to inaccurate records ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates being kept by the ministries. and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50% recycling of

17 Eurostat, Municipal waste and treatment, by type of treatment municipal waste. method, accessed October 2016 19 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste , accessed October 2016

Slovenia 9

However, recent studies 20 show that the amount of collection in EU capitals rated Ljubljana as the best

waste generated by municipalities and waste performing capital in the EU. management performance in individual municipalities

vary considerably. To a certain extent, they depend on Pay as you throw systems were also introduced. Although the lifestyle and awareness of residents, the available the adopted approach is a relatively simple one, and it capacities for waste disposal, and the willingness of applies charges to the residual and bio-waste bins.

municipalities to find new solutions. On average, 432 kg As regards the waste infrastructure, the Regional Waste

of municipal waste is produced per person, per year in Management Centre in Ljubljana (RCERO Ljubljana 23 ) is

Slovenia — more than one kg per day. However, large one of the most modern waste treatment facilities in quantities of waste are not necessarily related to the Europe. It is also the biggest environmental project in urban way of life. More than 450 kg of waste per resident Slovenia in terms of its budget (co-financed by the is generated in seven out of eleven municipalities, but Cohesion Policy) and waste treatment capacity. It also in four municipalities with less than 2,000 comprises 37 municipalities and serves as a good practice

residents 21 . example of cooperation among municipalities. It would

In 2013, Slovenia adopted a WMP for the municipal further contribute to diverting waste from landfilling.

waste. However, this Plan did not cover other waste It is projected that the full implementation of the existing streams. Slovenia also failed to adopt a WPP by 12 legislation could create more than 2100 jobs in Slovenia December 2013, as required by the Waste Framework and increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by Directive. Following an infringement procedure, Slovenia over EUR 220 million. Moving towards the targets of the adopted an integrated WMP and a WPP on 30 June 2016. Roadmap on resource efficiency could create over 2600

additional jobs and increase the annual turnover of the

waste sector by over EUR 270 million 24 .

Suggested action

• Introduce economic instruments to increase the costs of residual waste treatment, e.g. by increasing the current rate of landfill tax, or by introducing a residual waste tax on the other non-recycled outputs from MBT systems (including outputs to thermal treatment).

• Improve data on waste management- including issues of consistency between different sources and a large gap between waste generated and treated.

• Extend and improve the cost-effectiveness, monitoring

Irrespective of delays in adoption of plans, there have and transparency of existing EPR schemes and been several positive developments in waste eliminate free-riding (situations where some producers

management. do not adequately comply with their obligations under EPR).

For example, the national legislation for separate biowaste collection is in place. In this respect, many municipalities and communities introduced a frequency of collection and door to door collection systems. Many local authorities have put in place collection systems that exceed the requirements of the national legislation. NGOs have been very active in the waste sector; as a result, a number of municipalities and communities (including the city of Ljubljana) have developed Zero Waste policies, with more working towards the same

achievement. A recent study 22 assessing separate

20 European Commission, 2016. Support to Implementation – The

Commission helps eight Member States to improve their municipal waste management, Slovenia country factsheet

21 Dvorsak S., Ekart J., Kroslin T., 2011. Balkwaste –National Report 23 RCERO Ljubjana, 2015

Slovenia 24 Bio Intelligence service, 2011. Implementing EU Waste legislation for 22 BIPRO, 2015. Assessment of separate collection schemes in the 28 Green Growth , study for the European Commission.

capitals of the EU

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• 2. 

  Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital

Nature and Biodiversity The latest assessment of the SCI part of the Natura 2000 network shows that there are still some insufficiencies in

The EU Biodiversity Strategy aims to halt the loss of the designation for the marine components of the

biodiversity in the EU by 2020, restore ecosystems and network 26 (see Figure 5 27 ). This problem is being followed

their services in so far as feasible, and step up efforts to up by the Commission's infringement action.

avert global biodiversity loss. The EU Birds and Habitats Figure 5: Sufficiency assessment of SCI networks in

Directives aim at achieving favourable conservation Slovenia based on the situation until December 2013 status of protected species and habitats. (%) 28

SDG 14 requires countries to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, while SDG 15 requires countries to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

The 1992 EU Habitats Directive and the 1979 Birds

Directive are the cornerstone of the European legislation aimed at the conservation of the EU's wildlife. Natura

2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, is the key instrument to achieve and implement the Directives' objectives to ensure the longterm protection, conservation and survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats and the ecosystems they underpin.

The adequate designation of protected sites as Special

Ares of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive and as Special Protection Areas (SPA) under the Birds

Directive is a key milestone towards meeting the

objectives of the Directives. The results of Habitats All sites have been designated as Special Areas of

Directive Article 17 and Birds Directive Article 12 reports Conservation (SACs), but the implementation on the and the progress towards adequate Sites of Community ground and enforcement through sanctions and Importance (SCI)-SPA and SAC designation 25 both in land inspections are still an issue of concern. For example, in and at sea, should be the key items to measure the the recently adopted management plan for the Triglav performance of Member States. National Park, the only national park in Slovenia and one

of the oldest in the EU, and which is to a large extent

Slovenia designated the Natura 2000 network in 2004 covered by the Natura 2000, the inefficiency of the upon the accession to the EU, with subsequent inspections and inefficient implementation of the

amendments. By early 2016, 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, 26 For each Member State, the Commission assesses whether the species

together covering 37.9% of the land area (which is the and habitat types on Annexes I and II of the Habitats Directive, are

largest percentage of MS land area in the EU, EU average sufficiently represented by the sites designated to date. This is

18.1%) and 10.6 km² of marine waters. expressed as a percentage of species and habitats for which further areas need to be designated in order to complete the network in that

country. The current data , which were assessed in 2014-2015, reflect the situation up until December 2013.

27 The percentages in Figure 5 refer to percentages of the total number

of assessments (one assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a

25 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are designated pursuant to the given biographical region with the Member State); if a habitat type or

Habitats Directive whereas Special Areas of Protection (SPAs) are a species occurs in more than 1 Biogeographic region within a given designated pursuant to the Birds Directive; figures of coverage do Member State, there will be as many individual assessments as there not add up due to the fact that some SCIs and SPAs overlap. Special are Biogeographic regions with an occurrence of that species or Areas of Conservation (SACs) means a SCI designated by the Member habitat in this Member State.

States. 28 European Commission internal assessment.

Slovenia 11

legislation were identified among main challenges 29 . In

order to ensure the effective management of Natura

2000 sites, the management plan includes a number of activities such as regular monitoring, drafting of an action plan for biodiversity conservation and implementation of direct control in nature. However the success of the implementation of these measures is yet to be judged.

As regards conservation objectives and measures,

Slovenia has used LIFE programme co-financing to set up the management framework for these sites – i.e. Natura

2000 Management Programme for 2014-2020.

The complaints regarding the implementation of the nature directives mostly concern the degradation of designated sites (for example due to agricultural activities not in line with conservation objectives of the sites) and bad quality of appropriate assessments under

Article 6(3).

The lack of awareness among some stakeholder groups and sectors about the requirements of EU nature legislation and the benefits of Natura 2000 network, as well as the lack of willingness to support effective

integration with other policies, are major obstacles to According to the latest report on the conservation status achieving the objectives of the nature directives and of habitats and species covered by the Habitats Directive biodiversity targets in Slovenia. (covering the period 2007-12)

31 , only 43% of the

assessments for habitat types and 29% for species

Figure 6: Conservation status of habitats and species in indicate a favourable conservation status 32 (EU 27: 16%).

Slovenia in 2007/2013 (%) 30 Furthermore, 28% are considered to be unfavourable–

inadequate (EU27: 47%) and 28% are unfavourable – bad (EU27: 30%). As for the species, 29% of the assessments were favourable in 2013 (EU 27: 23%) 41% at unfavourable-inadequate (EU27: 42%) and 11% unfavourable-bad status (EU27: 18%). This is depicted in

Figure 6 33 . There is an increase in number of habitat

types in the unfavourable-bad status and evidence that agriculture is posing increasing threats to habitats.

According to the latest report on the implementation of

the Birds Directive 34 , 24% of breeding bird species and

15% of wintering birds have a decreasing short-term population trends. This is depicted in Figure 7.

31 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation

status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive.

32 Conservation status is assessed using a standard methodology as

being either ‘favourable’, ‘unfavourable-inadequate’ and ‘unfavourable-bad’, based on four parameters as defined in Article 1 of the Habitats Directive.

33 Please note that a direct comparison between 2007 and 2013 data is 29 Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 34 of 11.5.2016. complicated by the fact that Bulgaria and Romania were not covered

Regulation 1462 by the 2007 reporting cycle, that the ‘unknown’ assessments have

30 These figures show the percentage of biogeographical assessments in strongly diminished particularly for species, and that some reported

each category of conservation status for habitats and species (one changes are not genuine as they result from improved data / assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a given biographical monitoring methods.

region with the Member State), respectively. The information is 34 Article 12 of the Birds Directive requires Member States to report

based on Article 17 of the Habitats Directive reporting - national about the progress made with the implementation of the Birds summary of Slovenia Directive.

Slovenia 12

Figure 7: Short-term population trend of breeding and • Engage and provide government support for the

wintering bird species in Slovenia in 2012 (%) 35 mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their

services, valuation work and develop natural capital accounting systems.

Green Infrastructure

The EU strategy on green infrastructure 38 promotes the

incorporation of green infrastructure into related plans and programmes to help overcome fragmentation of habitats and preserve or restore ecological connectivity, enhance ecosystem resilience and thereby ensure the continued provision of ecosystem services.

Green Infrastructure provides ecological, economic and social benefits through natural solutions. It helps to

Suggested action understand the value of the benefits that nature provides to human society and to mobilise investments to sustain

• Complete the Natura 2000 designation process (in the and enhance them. marine environment) and put in place the necessary The mainstreaming of the Green Infrastructure objectives conservation measures which correspond to the into sectoral planning is still insufficient, although Green conservation objectives of the sites, ensuring adequate Infrastructure topics (green areas, restoration and resources for their implementation in order to preservation of landscapes, etc.) are explicitly highlighted maintain/restore species and habitats of community in both the Spatial Development Strategy and the interest to a favourable conservation status. Slovenian Communication on Climate Change. The • Implement fully conservation measures in all Natura current low uptake of Green Infrastructure in the

2000 sites, with special attention to adapting agricultural land, combined with the low uptake of the

agricultural practices within the sites where existing agri-environment measures, is a barrier to

conservation status of habitats and/or species are effective preservation of the lowland and open area

experiencing a decline due to agricultural activities. biodiversity. There seems to be also a lack of

• Build capacity of the competent authorities (central, understanding of the potential benefits from the Green

regional, site management bodies) for the Infrastructure and the enhanced quality of life it could

management of Natura 2000 sites and implementation guarantee, if adequately managed.

of nature directives. Improve the quality and availability of data on the conservation status of habitats and species. Strengthen communication with stakeholders.

Estimating Natural Capital

The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on the Member

States to map and asses the state of ecosystems and

their services 36 in their national territory by 2014, assess

the economic value of such services, and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and national level by 2020.

Slovenia has only joined the EU initiative on Mapping and

Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) 37 in

2016. The work on capital accounting is at an initial stage Soil protection

of development.

The EU Soil Thematic Strategy highlights the need to

Suggested action ensure a sustainable use of soils. This requires the

prevention of further soil degradation and the 35 Article 12 of the Birds Directive reporting - national summary of preservation of its functions, as well as the restoration of

Slovenia 36 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food,

clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 38 European Union, Green Infrastructure — Enhancing Europe’s Natural 37 BISE, MAES –related developments in Slovenia Capital, COM/2013/0249

Slovenia 13

degraded soils. The 2011 Road Map for Resource

Efficient Europe, part of Europe 2020 Strategy provides that by 2020, EU policies take into account their direct and indirect impact on land use in the EU and globally, and the rate of land take is on track with an aim to achieve no net land take by 2050.

SDG 15 requires countries to combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030.

Soil is an important resource for life and the economy. It provides key ecosystem services including the provision of food, fibre and biomass for renewable energy, carbon sequestration, water purification and flood regulation, the provision of raw and building material. Soil is a finite and extremely fragile resource and increasingly degrading in the EU. Land taken by urban development and infrastructure is highly unlikely to be reverted to its natural state; it consumes mostly agricultural land and increases fragmentation of habitats. Soil protection is indirectly addressed in existing EU policies in areas such as agriculture, water, waste, chemicals, and prevention of industrial pollution.

Artificial land cover is used for settlements, production systems and infrastructure. It may itself be split between built-up areas (buildings) and non-built-up areas (such as linear transport networks and associated areas).

The percentage of built up land in 2009 was 1.85%, below Marine protection

the EU average (3.23%) 39 . The EU Coastal and Marine Policy and legislation require

The annual land take rate (growth of artificial areas) as that by 2020 the impact of pressures on marine waters is provided by CORINE Land Cover was 0.15% in Slovenia reduced to achieve or maintain good environmental over the period 2006-12 compared to the EU average status and coastal zones are managed sustainably.

(0.41%). It represented 90 hectares per year 40 . SDG 14 requires countries to conserve and sustainably

The soil water erosion rate in 2010 was 7.45 tonnes per use the oceans, seas and marine resources for ha per year, well above EU-28 average (2.46 tonnes) 41 . sustainable development.

There are still not EU-wide datasets enabling the The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)

  43 aims

provision of benchmark indicators for soil organic matter to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of the EU's decline, contaminated sites, pressures on soil biology and marine waters by 2020 by providing an ecosystem diffuse pollution. An updated inventory and assessment approach to the management of human activities with of soil protection policy instruments in Slovenia and impact on the marine environment. The Directive other EU Member States is being performed by the EU requires Member States to develop and implement a

Expert Group on Soil Protection. marine strategy for their marine waters, and cooperate with Member States sharing the same marine region or

Figure 8 shows the different land cover types in Slovenia subregion.

in 2012. As part of their marine strategies, Member States had to

Figure 8: Land Cover types in Slovenia in 2012 42 make an initial assessment of their marine waters, determine GES 44 and establish environmental targets by

39 European Environment Agency, 2016. Imperviousness and imperviousness change 42 European Environment Agency, Land cover 2012 and changes country

40 European Environment Agency Draft results of CORINE Land Cover analysis [publication forthcoming]

(CLC) inventory 2012; mean annual land take 2006-12 as a % of 2006 43 European Union, Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC artificial land. 44 The MSFD defines Good Environmental Status (GES) in Article 3 as:

41 Eurostat, Soil water erosion rate , Figure 2, accessed November 2016 "The environmental status of marine waters where these provide

Slovenia 14

July 2012. They also had to establish monitoring In 2012, Slovenian marine protected areas covered 229.9 programmes for the on-going assessment of their marine square kilometers of its marine waters in the Adriatic

waters by July 2014. The next element of their marine Sea 47 .

strategy is the establishment of a Programme of

Measures (2016). The Commission assesses whether In its reports on the implementation of the MSFD

48 , the

these elements constitute an appropriate framework to Commission provided guidance to assist Slovenia in its meet the requirements of the MSFD. implementation of the MSFD.

Suggested action

Slovenian marine waters are part of the Mediterranean

sea marine region and of the Adriatic Sea sub-region. • Continue work to improve the definitions of GES in

Slovenia is party to the Convention for the Protection of particular for biodiversity descriptors, including the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the through regional cooperation by using the work of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention) 45 . The relevant Regional Sea Convention.

Mediterranean Sea region has been identified by the EEA • Address knowledge gaps. in its 2015 State of the Environment report as one of the • Continue to integrate monitoring programmes already main climate change hotspots (i.e. one of the most existing under other EU legislation and to implement responsive areas to climate change) due to water joint monitoring programmes developed at scarcity, concentration of economic activities in coastal (sub)regional level. areas, and reliance on climate-sensitive agriculture. The • Enhance comparability and consistency of monitoring introduction of invasive alien species presents an methods within the country's marine region. important threat in the Mediterranean Sea Region with • Urgently report and implement the national

the number of invasive alien species increasing programme of measures 49 .

significantly since 1970. Finally, the unique biodiversity of • Ensure that the monitoring programme is implemented the Mediterranean Sea Region is also threatened by without delay, addresses all descriptors and is pollution from land-based sources, such as discharges of appropriate to monitor progress towards GES.

excess nutrients and hazardous substances, marine litter, over-fishing, and degradation of critical habitats.

Slovenia's determination of GES in 2013 was generally vague and in most cases not fully consistent with the environmental targets that were set. The list of species selected by Slovenia as covered by their GES definition included only protected/ listed habitats, it did not cover fish or cephalopods. Not all descriptors were sufficiently defined and were high-level, lacked thresholds or reference values, and did not go beyond existing

legislation 46 . Slovenia has since then been working with

other Mediterranean countries within the Barcelona

Convention to correct some of these deficiencies .

However, it is still too early to say whether Slovenian waters are in a good state as there were weaknesses in identifying what GES is in the first place.

Slovenia has established a monitoring programme of its marine waters in 2014. However, the monitoring programme needs further refinement. In particular, it is necessary to develop approaches for assessing impacts from the main pressures, in order to lead to improved

and more conclusive assessment results for 2018, when 47 2012 Data provided by the European Environmental – Not published.

the next assessment of marine waters is due. 48 Report from the Commission "The first phase of implementation of

the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) - The European Commission's assessment and guidance" COM(2014)097

ecologically diverse and dynamic oceans and seas which are clean, and Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying the healthy and productive”. Commission Report assessing Member States' monitoring

45 http://195.97.36.231/dbases/webdocs/BCP/bc95_Eng_p.pdf programmes under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

46 Report from the Commission "The first phase of implementation of (COM(2017)3 i and SWD(2017)1 final) the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) - The 49 As of 7.10.2016, SI had not yet reported its programme of measures European Commission's assessment and guidance" COM(2014)097 to the Commission.

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• 3. 

  Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life

Air quality within the currently applicable national emission

ceilings 52 .

The EU Clean Air Policy and legislation require that air

quality in the Union is significantly improved, moving At the same time, air quality in Slovenia continues to give closer to the WHO recommended levels. Air pollution causes for concern. For the year 2013, the European and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity should be Environment Agency estimated that about 1 960 further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding premature deaths were attributable to fine particulate

critical loads and levels. This requires strengthening matter 53 concentrations, 100 to ozone 54 concentration efforts to reach full compliance with Union air quality and over 150 to nitrogen dioxide 55 concentrations 56 . This

legislation and defining strategic targets and actions is due to exceedances above the EU air quality standards

beyond 2020. such as shown in Figure 9 57 .

The EU has developed a comprehensive suite of air The PM 10 levels in Slovenia have been decreasing quality legislation 50 , which establishes health-based between 2006 and 2014 throughout all zones and

Figure 9: Attainment situation for PM10, NO2 and O3 in 2014

standards and objectives for a number of air pollutants.

As part of this, Member States are also required to 52 The current national emission ceilings apply since 2010 ( Directive

ensure that up-to-date information on ambient 2001/81/EC ); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have been set by concentrations of different air pollutants is routinely Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of

made available to the public. In addition, the National certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC i and

Emission Ceilings Directive provides for emission repealing Directive 2001/81/EC i. 53 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and

reductions at national level that should be achieved for liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. main pollutants. PM10 (PM2.5) refers to particles with a diameter of 10 (2.5)

micrometres or less. PM is emitted from many anthropogenic

The emission of several air pollutants has decreased sources, including combustion.

significantly in Slovenia 51 . Reductions between 1990 and 54 Low level ozone is produced by photochemical action and it is also a

2014 for sulphur oxides (-96%), nitrogen oxides (-42%), greenhouse gas. 55 NOx is emitted during fuel combustion e.g. from industrial facilities

ammonia (-20%) as well as volatile organic compounds and the road transport sector. NOx is a group of gases comprising

(-56%) ensure that air emissions for these pollutants are nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

56 European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe – 2016 Report . (Table 10.2, please see details in this report as regards the

50 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards . underpinning methodology)

51 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 57 Based on European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe viewer (NEC Directive) – 2016 Report . (Figures 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)

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agglomerations in Slovenia. However, for 2014, exceedances of PM 10 daily limit values have still been registered in one air quality zone (Continental zone –

SIC). Furthermore, for several air quality zones, the target

values and long-term objectives regarding ozone Noise

concentration are not being met 58 . The Environmental Noise Directive provides for a

The persistent breaches of air quality requirements (for common approach for the avoidance, prevention and

PM reduction of harmful effects due to exposure to 10 ), which have severe negative effects on health and environment, are being followed up by the European environmental noise.

Commission through infringement procedures covering Excessive noise is one of the main causes of health

all the Member States concerned, including Slovenia. The issues 60 . To alleviate this, the EU acquis sets out several

aim is that adequate measures are put in place to bring requirements, including assessing the exposure to all zones into compliance. environmental noise through noise mapping, ensuring

In addition it is worth noting that in several zones, the that information on environmental noise and its effects is number and type of air quality monitoring stations is not made available to the public, and adopting action plans complying with the EU rules. The Cohesion Policy funding with a view to preventing and reducing environmental is also aimed at addressing this problem and the project noise where necessary and to preserving the acoustic on acquiring proper monitoring equipment for key cities environment quality where it is good.

in Slovenia is an advanced stage of preparation. Slovenia's implementation of the Environmental Noise

It is estimated that the health-related external costs from Directive

61 is significantly delayed. The noise mapping for

air pollution in Slovenia are above EUR 988 million/year the most recent reporting round, for the reference year

(income adjusted, 2010), which include not only the 2011, is complete. However, action plans for noise intrinsic value of living a full health life but also direct management in the current period have not been costs to the economy. These direct economic costs relate adopted for any of the agglomerations, major roads or to 511 thousand workdays lost each year due to sickness major railways within the scope of the Directive. The related to air pollution, with associated costs for Commission contacted the Slovenian authorities with employers of EUR 50 million/year (income adjusted, regard to the missing action plans, and continues to 2010), for healthcare of above EUR 3.6 million/year follow up on the situation.

(income adjusted, 2010), and for agriculture (crop losses) Suggested action

of EUR 21 million/year (2010) 59 . • Complete action plans for noise management.

Suggested action

• Maintain downward emissions trends of air pollutants Water quality and management

in order to achieve full compliance with air quality limit

values - and reduce adverse air pollution impacts on The EU water policy and legislation require that the

health, environment and economy. impact of pressures on transitional, coastal and fresh

• Reduce PM waters (including surface and ground waters) is 10 emission and concentration, inter alia, by reducing emissions related to energy and heat significantly reduced to achieve, maintain or enhance generation using solid fuels, to transport and to good status of water bodies, as defined by the Water

agriculture. Framework Directive; that citizens throughout the Union benefit from high standards for safe drinking and bathing

water; and that the nutrient cycle (nitrogen and phosphorus) is managed in a more sustainable and resource-efficient way.

SDG 6 encourages countries to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The main overall objective of EU water policy and

60 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe , Copenhagen, Denmark

58 See The EEA/Eionet Air Quality Portal and the related Central Data 61 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish,

Repository every 5 years, noise maps and noise management action plans for 59 These figures are based on the Impact Assessment for the European agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants, and for major

Commission Integrated Clean Air Package (2013). roads, railways and airports.

Slovenia 17

legislation is to ensure access to good quality water in RBMPs under the WFD have some deficiencies that result sufficient quantity for all Europeans. The EU water in uncertainties about the status and effectiveness of the

acquis 62 seeks to ensure good status of all water bodies Programmes of Measures 68 . In particular there were

across Europe by addressing pollution sources (from e.g. weaknesses in methodologies for the assessment of the agriculture, urban areas and industrial activities), physical status of the water bodies. Also, a number of

and hydrological modifications to water bodies) and the exemptions 69 were applied. 70

management of risks of flooding. The second generation of RBMPs (adopted in October

River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) are a 2016) should address, among others, the above requirement of the Water Framework Directive and a deficiencies. The adoption of RBMPs is an element of means of achieving the protection, improvement and water ex ante conditionality which pre-conditions the sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. financing of the wastewater and drinking water This includes surface freshwaters such as lakes and rivers, infrastructure projects. Thus, the outcome of the groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters up to one assessment of the RBMPs will be considered in the nautical mile. context of the financing of such investments.

In the first generation of RBMPs 63 , Slovenia reported the Approximately 97% of the population of Slovenia relies

status of 135 rivers, 14 lakes, 6 coastal and 21 on drinking water sources from groundwater. Therefore, groundwater bodies. 61% of natural surface water bodies appropriate protection against nitrate pollution is an

achieve a good or high ecological status 64 and none of important issue for the drinking water sector.

heavily modified or artificial water bodies achieve a good

or high ecological potential (while the status of 59% is Slovenia has one of the highest percentages of ultraunknown). 96% of surface water bodies, 86% of heavily oligotrophic (i.e. 'unpolluted' with very low nitrate modified and artificial water bodies 65 and 81% of concentrations) river monitoring stations. According to groundwater bodies achieve good chemical status 66 . the last report on the implementation of the Nitrates 100% of groundwater bodies are in good quantitative Directive, referring to the period 2008-2011, of the total

status 67 . of 104 groundwater monitoring points, approximately 79% had an average nitrate level of less than 25 mg

Diffuse and point sources of pollution causing nutrients NO3/l. Nitrate levels are on average <10mg/l in rivers. enrichment impose main pressures on Slovenian surface Slovenia applies its Nitrates Action Programme water bodies and lead to the failure to meet good status. throughout its territory. According to Decree on the It affects 46% of water bodies. Hydro-morphological protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates

alteration affects 30% of water bodies. from agricultural sources 71 , paragraph 3, the whole

The planned measures are expected to result in territory of Slovenia has been designated as Nitrate improvement of ecological status of surface water bodies Vulnerable Zones (NVZ).

by 30% and chemical status by 4% respectively. The As regards drinking water, Slovenia reaches very high measures should also bring improvement of ecological compliance rates of 99.25% for microbiological and 100% potential of artificial and heavily modified water bodies for chemical parameters and a 98.7 % compliance rate by 35% and chemical status by 9%. The chemical status of for indicator parameters laid down in the Drinking Water

groundwater is expected to improve by 5%. However, it Directive 72 .

is difficult to conclude whether this is realistic, as the first

62 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC); the Urban

Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) concerning discharges of municipal and some industrial waste waters; the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) concerning potable water quality; the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) concerning

water resources management; the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) 68 Each RBMP includes a “programme of measures” to meet the

and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) environmental and other objectives of the Water Framework

63 Commission Staff Working Document (SWD (2012)379 final). Directive cost-effectively.

64 Good ecological status is defined in the Water Framework Directive 69 Exemptions are set in Article 4 of the Water Framework Directive.

referring to the quality of the biological community, the hydrological They give Member States the possibility to deviate from the “good characteristics and the chemical characteristics. status” objective in specific circumstances and/or under strict

65 Many European river basins and waters have been altered by human conditions. activities, such as land drainage, flood protection and building of 70 More information on the implementation status and more specific dams to create reservoirs. recommendations can be found at European Commission, Water

66 Good chemical status is defined in the Water Framework Directive Framework Directive Implementation Reports referring to compliance with all the quality standards established for 71 Uradni list RS, št. 113/09, 5/13 in 22/15.

chemical substances at European level. 72 Commission's Synthesis Report on the Quality of Drinking Water in 67 For groundwater, a precautionary approach has been taken that the Union examining Member States' reports for the 2011-2013

comprises a prohibition on direct discharges to groundwater, and a period, foreseen under Article 13(5) of Directive 98/83/EC i; requirement to monitor groundwater bodies. COM(2016)666 i

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As shown in Figure 10 in 2015, in Slovenia out of 47 bathing waters, 70.2 % were of excellent quality, 25.5%

of good quality and 4.3 % of sufficient quality 73 .

73 European Environment Agency, 2016. European bathing water quality in 2015, p. 26.

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Suggested action 77

Figure 10: Bathing water quality 2012 – 2015 74 • Ensure good implementation of upgraded methods for status assessment and pressure analysis.

• Ensure effective implementation of measures to address nutrients pollution from agriculture, following 2015 legislative amendments.

• Ensure the efficient implementation of the Cohesion Policy funding for the urban wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Enhancing the sustainability of cities

The EU Policy on the urban environment encourages cities to implement policies for sustainable urban planning and design, including innovative approaches for urban public transport and mobility, sustainable buildings, energy efficiency and urban biodiversity conservation.

SDG11 aims at making cities and human settlements With regard to the implementation of the Urban Waste inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Water Treatment Directive, Slovenia's deadline to reach

compliance was 31 December 2015. Slovenia is lagging Europe is a Union of cities and towns; around 75% of the behind when it comes to the implementation of the EU population are living in urban areas.

78

  The urban

Directive: the latest data reported (2012) gave environment poses particular challenges for the information on Slovenia's compliance with its first and environment and human health, whilst also providing second transitional deadlines (2008 and 2010) and opportunities and efficiency gains in the use of resources.

showed that only nine agglomerations met the The Member States, European institutions, cities and requirements of the Directive in terms of collection stakeholders have prepared a new Urban Agenda for the requirements and 4 in terms of secondary treatment. EU (incorporating the Smart Cities initiative) to tackle Only 33.9 % of the waste water load collected is subject these issues in a comprehensive way, including their to more stringent treatment in accordance with Article 5 connections with social and economic challenges. At the of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 75 . The heart of this Urban Agenda will be the development of Commission is following-up on the above-mentioned twelve partnerships on the identified urban challenges,

non-compliance. including air quality and housing 79 .

The estimated investment needs (reported by Slovenia The European Commission will launch a new EU

under Article 17 of the Urban Waste Water Treatment benchmark system in 2017 80 .

Directive) to reach full compliance with the Directive are

of EUR 681 million 76 . The EU stimulates green cities through awards and funding, such as the EU Green Capital Award aimed at

A signification contribution for the wastewater cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants and the EU infrastructure (EUR 125 million) will come from the 2014- Green Leaf initiative aimed at cities and towns, with 2020 Cohesion Policy. It will also include a major between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. investment project for the Ljubljana wastewater treatment plant to ensure its full compliance.

74 European Environment Agency, 2016. State of bathing water country reports - Slovenia 77 The full set of recommendations relevant to the Water Framework

75 Eighth Report on the Implementation Status and the Programmes for Directive is included in Commission Staff Working Document

Implementation (as required by Article 17) of Council Directive (SWD(2015) 50 final) accompanying the Communication ( COM(2015) 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste water treatment (COM 120 final ).

(2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working Document 78 European Environment Agency, Urban environment accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final ). 79 http://urbanagendaforthe.eu/

76 Eighth Report on the Implementation Status and the Programmes for 80 The Commission is developing an Urban Benchmarking and

Implementation (as required by Article 17) of Council Directive Monitoring ('UBaM') tool to be launched in 2017. Best practices 91/271/EEC concerning urban waste water treatment (COM emerge and these will be better disseminated via the app featuring (2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working Document the UBaM tool, and increasingly via e.g. EUROCITIES, ICLEI, CEMR, accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final ). Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and others.

Slovenia 20

voting takes place it has a direct impact on the number of votes to be cast by the EU.

Slovenia has signed and ratified almost all MEAs. It has signed but not yet ratified the Offshore Protocol of the

Barcelona Convention 82 and the Nagoya Protocol 83 .

Ljubljana is one of the cities who received the 2016 EU

Green Capital Award 81 . It put in place a comprehensive

set of policies to deliver a more sustainable city. The capital boasts a vast area of green space (542 m2 per inhabitant). Public transport, pedestrian access and cycling networks (220 km of managed cycling routes) are the backbone of its urban mobility system. With its Zero

Waste Strategy, Ljubljana makes a significant contribution to Europe's transition to a more circular economy. It can act as a role model, as the European capital with the largest share of separately collected waste and actively promoting recycling and re-use.

International agreements

The EU Treaties require that the Union policy on the environment promotes measures at the international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems.

Most environmental problems have a transboundary nature and often a global scope and they can only be addressed effectively through international co-operation.

International environmental agreements concluded by the Union are binding upon the institutions of the Union and on its Member States. This requires the EU and the

Member States to sign, ratify and effectively implement all relevant multilateral environmental agreements

(MEAs) in a timely manner. This will also be an important contribution towards the achievement of the SDGs, which Member States committed to in 2015 and include many commitments contained already in legally binding agreements.

The fact that some Member States did not sign and/or ratify a number of MEAs compromises environmental implementation, including within the Union, as well as the Union’s credibility in related negotiations and international meetings where supporting the

participation of third countries to such agreements is an 82 Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against

established EU policy objective. In agreements where Pollution Resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the

Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil

83 Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable 81 European Commission, 2016. Ljubljana becomes European Green Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on

Capital 2016 Biological Diversity

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Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools

• 4. 

  Market based instruments and investment

Green taxation and environmentally harmful In the same year environmental tax revenues accounted

subsidies for 10.61% of total revenues from taxes and socialsecurity contributions (EU-28 average: 6.35%) as shown

The Circular Economy Action Plan encourages the use of in Figure 11. It puts Slovenia in the first place among financial incentives and economic instruments, such as other EU Member States. The majority of Slovenia’s taxation to ensure that product prices better reflect environmental tax revenue for 2014 came from taxation environmental costs. The phasing out of environmentally of energy, which amounted to 3.0% of GDP. Transport harmful subsidies is monitored in the context of the (excluding fuel) taxes amounted to 0.46% of GDP, and European Semester and in national reform programmes pollution and resource taxes amounted to 0.45% of the submitted by Member States. country’s GDP.

Taxing pollution and resource use can generate increased Slovenia performs well in terms of the use of market revenue and bring important social and environmental based instruments to achieve environmental policy benefits. objectives.

In 2014, environmental tax revenue amounted to 3.89% of Slovenia’s GDP. This percentage share was the second

highest in the EU-28 for the year. Green Public Procurement

Figure 11: Environmental tax revenues as a share of The EU green public procurement policies encourage total revenues from taxes and social contributions Member States to take further steps to reach the target (excluding imputed social contributions) in 2014 84 of applying green procurement criteria to at least 50% of

public tenders. Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life-cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured.

The purchasing power of public procurement equals to

approximately 14% of GDP 85 . A substantial part of this

money is spent on sectors with high environmental impact such as construction or transport, so GPP can help to significantly lower the impact of public spending and foster sustainable innovative businesses.

A National Action Plan (NAP) was adopted in 2009. The main legislative instrument is the 2011 Decree on GPP for procurers to use minimum and ambitious GPP criteria; however, the Decree does not provide for any sanctions

for non-compliance. The EU GPP criteria 86 are

recommended for the following product groups: paper, electricity, office equipment, furniture, transport, food and catering, construction, cleaning products and

services 87 . The key target was to achieve 50% GPP by

85 European Commission, 2015. Public procurement 86 In the Communication “Public procurement for a better 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 life-cycle approach and scientific evidence base.

87

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2012 by Central Governmental Authorities for eight 83 million for the climate change adaptation, specifically

products categories 88 . The GPP legislative framework in for flood protection measures and a slightly lower

Slovenia is currently under revision. It is planned that the amount of EUR 78 million for the efficient land use within guidelines for GPP criteria in more additional product urban areas. Further EUR 40 million is earmarked for groups will be prepared. Natura 2000 and biodiversity and EUR 26 million for air

quality measures. The list closes EUR 8 million to support environmentally-friendly production processes and

Investments: the contribution of EU funds resource efficiency in SMEs.

European Structural and Investment Funds Regulations Figure 12: European Structural and Investment Funds

call on Member States to integrate environment and 2014-2020: Budget Slovenia by theme, EUR billion 92

climate objectives in their funding strategies and programmes for economic, social and territorial cohesion, rural development and maritime policy, and reinforce the capacity of implementing bodies to deliver cost-effective and sustainable investments in order to secure the necessary adequate financial support for investments in these areas.

Making good use of the European Structural and

Investment Funds (ESIF) 89 is essential to achieve the

environmental goals and integrate these into other policy areas. Other instruments such as the Horizon 2020, the

LIFE programme and European Fund for Strategic

Investment 90 (EFSI) may also support implementation

and spread off best practice. The 2014-2020 Partnership

Agreement for Slovenia sets the framework for the use of the ESIF.

Slovenia is eligible in this period for the overall funds support totalling approximately EUR 3.9 billion (including, approximately EUR 3 billion from the cohesion policy covering ERDF, ESF and CF; EUR 837 million from EAFRD; and EUR 24.8 million from the EMFF), see Figure 12.

The planned EUR 3 billion from the cohesion policy has a clear focus on the competitiveness and innovation of the

economy. Nonetheless, almost EUR 500 million of It is too early to draw conclusions as regards the use and investment will go for environmental protection and the results of ESIF funds for the period 2014-2020, as the efficient and sustainable use of resources 91 . It represents cohesion policy operational programme is still at an early 16.6% of the overall Slovenia's cohesion policy budget stage of the implementation.

which is above the EU average. For the period 2007-2013, 567 million, or 40 % of the CF

As regards specific allocations, the key priority is the budget was allocated to water, wastewater or waste water sector with a total allocation of about EUR 264 projects. By the end of 2015 Slovenia fully used the million (EUR 125 million for drinking water; EUR 125 allocated funds which were used to construct six new million for urban wastewater treatment; and EUR 14 regional centres for waste management throughout the million for other water measures). It is followed by EUR country, extension of drinking water supply networks,

the construction and upgrade of water retention basins; the construction and refurbishment of sewage networks

88 European Commission, 2015. Documentation on National GPP Action and waste water treatment plants. Thanks to these

Plans investments, Slovenia increased by 16% the share of

89 ESIF comprises five funds – the European Regional Development

Funds (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Social Fund adequate wastewater infrastructure in agglomerations

(ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development above 2000 p.e. Nonetheless, complying with the Urban

(EAFRD), and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The Wastewater Directive remains the main investment gap

ERDF, the CF and the ESF together form the Cohesion Policy funds. for Slovenia that even the Structural Funds allocation for

90 EIB: European Fund for Strategic Investments

91 This amount includes allocations for water management, flood 2014-2020 will not be able to bridge.

protection, regeneration and decontamination of brownfields, Natura 2000 and biodiversity, air, as well as environmentally-friendly 92 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds production processed and resource efficiency in SMEs. Data By Country

Slovenia 23

As during 1995 – 2013 period, mixed municipal waste has environmental situation in areas not covered by rural decreased significantly, it enabled the country to drop an development, including areas of intensive agriculture. incineration project and a waste treatment centre. Only

six regional waste treatment centres have been built For the year 2015 Slovenia made it possible to use only covering the whole country. No more waste three elements laid down by the regulation as Ecological infrastructure is foreseen for the 2014-2020 period. Focus Areas

95

 out of possible 19 elements. This is rather a minimalistic approach compared to other Member The 2007-2013 cohesion policy spending was affected by States. The chosen Ecological Focus Areas are only land

the transposition gaps of the Directive 2011/92 i/EU 93 (the laying fallow, areas of catch crops (need to be present on

'EIA Directive'). It was solved and reflected in the positive the field as of 15/9-16/10) and nitrogen fixing crops (also assessment of the fulfilment of the horizontal soybean without any biodiversity benefits). 26% of conditionality on environmental legislation for the 2014- Natura 2000 grasslands were designated as 2020 funding period. Slovenia has developed a environmentally sensitive, of which 0 ha outside Natura comprehensive EIA Training Action Plan to ensure 2000, which is very modest. appropriate training for the authorities involved in the permitting procedures and learn lessons from the previous financial perspective.

The Rural Development Program of Slovenia (the 'RDP'), its EAFRD part, amounts to about EUR 838 million. The budget for agri-environmental-climate measure represents 18.2% of the total EAFRD.

Contribution of the RDP towards environmental objectives is limited. Natura 2000 compensation measure is not programmed, although Slovenia has one of the highest Natura 2000 coverages in the EU. Four schemes in agri-environment-climate measure directly contribute to the implementation of the Natura 2000 Management

Programme for 2014-2020.

In the context of the RDP, Slovenia improved conditions for projects of land consolidation in order not to harm the natural heritage. It does not support drainage investments (as there is a ''moratorium'' on construction of drainage in Slovenia), whereas, irrigation investments need to generate potential water savings of 15%.

With regard to the integration of environmental concerns into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the two key areas for Slovenia (as for all Member States) are, first, using Rural Development funds to pay for environmental land management and other environmental measures, while avoiding financing measures which could damage the environment; and second, ensuring an effective implementation of the first pillar of the CAP with regard to cross compliance and the 1st pillar 'greening'. 30 % of the direct payments' envelope (out of total of about EUR

680 million for 2015-2020 94 ) is allocated to greening

practices beneficial to the environment. An environmentally ambitious implementation of the 1st pillar greening would clearly help to improve the

93 European Union, Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 95 Since 2015, every farmer in the EU who claims a direct payment and

2011/92/EU has more than 15 hectares of arable land is obliged to have 5% of his

94 European Commission, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) arable land covered by ecological focus areas. These are areas which

2015/851 of 27 March 2015 amending Annexes II, III and VI to bring benefits for the environment, improve biodiversity and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the maintain attractive landscapes Some exceptions to this general rule Council establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under apply, for example to farmers who have more than 75% of their area support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural under grassland. http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/glossary_en policy, OJ L 135, 2.6.2015

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• 5. 

  Effective governance and knowledge

SDG 16 aims at providing access to justice and building and the governance of the enforcement process. effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. SDG 17 aims at better implementation, improving

policy coordination and policy coherence, stimulating Capacity to implement rules

science, technology and innovation, establishing

partnerships and developing measurements of progress. It is crucial that central, regional and local administrations have the necessary capacities and skills

Effective governance of EU environmental legislation and and training to carry out their own tasks and co-operate policies requires having an appropriate institutional and co-ordinate effectively with each other, within a framework, policy coherence and coordination, applying system of multi-level governance.

legal and non-legal instruments, engaging with nongovernmental

stakeholders, and having adequate levels In accordance with the 2015 Council recommendations

97 ,

of knowledge and skills 96 . Successful implementation "An unsupportive business environment in Slovenia is a depends, to a large extent, on central, regional and local key factor for low investment levels in Slovenian business government fulfilling key legislative and administrative and the high number of laws and numerous changes in tasks, notably adoption of sound implementing the legislation make it difficult to run a business and legislation, co-ordinated action to meet environmental comply with local regulation." It is reinstated in the objectives and correct decision-making on matters such Commission Staff Working Document on Member States as industrial permits. Beyond fulfilment of these tasks, Investment Challenges

98 .

government must intervene to ensure day-to-day To address these investment challenges, the authorities compliance by economic operators, utilities and are planning to reform the spatial planning and building individuals ("compliance assurance"). Civil society also legislation. Any changes should ensure compliance with has a role to play, including through legal action. To the EU environmental legislation, in particular, Directives underpin the roles of all actors, it is crucial to collect and 2011/92/EU, 2001/42/EC 99 and 92/43/EEC 100 and correct share knowledge and evidence on the state of the the deficiencies identified by on-going infringement environment and on environmental pressures, drivers action.

and impacts.

Equally, effective governance of EU environmental legislation and policies benefits from a dialogue within

Member States and between Member States and the

Commission on whether the current EU environmental legislation is fit for purpose. Legislation can only be properly implemented when it takes into account experiences at Member State level with putting EU commitments into effect. The Make it Work initiative, a

Member State driven project, established in 2014, organizes a discussion on how the clarity, coherence and structure of EU environmental legislation can be improved without lowering existing protection standards.

Effective governance within central, regional Coordination and integration and local government

Those involved in implementing environment legislation at Union, national, regional and local levels need to be

equipped with the knowledge, tools and capacity to 97 Council Recommendation on the 2015 National Reform Programme

improve the delivery of benefits from that legislation, of Slovenia and delivering a Council opinion on the 2015 Stability Programme of Slovenia , p. 5.

98

 Commission Staff Working Document, Member States Investment Challenges, SWD(2015)400 final/2

96 The Commission has work ongoing to improve the country-specific 99 European Union, Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive

knowledge about quality and functioning of the administrative 2001/42/EC

systems of Member States. 100 European Union, Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC

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The transposition of the revised EIA Directive 101 will be an online information tools. Follow-up to breaches and

opportunity to streamline the regulatory framework on liabilities can include administrative action (e.g.

environmental assessments. The Commission encourages withdrawal of a permit), use of criminal law 103 and action

the streamlining of the environmental assessments under liability law (e.g. required remediation after because this approach reduces duplication and avoids damage from an accident using liability rules) and unnecessary overlaps in environmental assessments contractual law (e.g. measures to require compliance applicable for a particular project. Moreover, with nature conservation contracts). Taken together, all streamlining helps reducing unnecessary administrative of these interventions represent "compliance assurance" burden and accelerates decision-making, without as shown in Figure 13. compromising the quality of the environmental

assessment procedure. The Commission issued a Figure 13: Environmental compliance assurance

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 Directive, Water Framework Directive,

and the Industrial Emissions Directive 102 .

Slovenia usually ensures timely and correct transposition of the EU environmental directives.

Slovenia is among the countries with the highest number of environmental infringement cases and EU Pilot investigations. Most of them are related to waste management, air and industrial emissions legislation, and nature protection .

Suggested action Best practice has moved towards a risk-based approach

• Ensure that the EU environmental legislation is at strategic and operational levels in which the best mix respected as part of the reform of the national of compliance monitoring, promotion and enforcement is permitting system aiming to remove unnecessary directed at the most serious problems. Best practice also administrative burden and streamline procedures. recognises the need for coordination and cooperation between different authorities to ensure consistency,

Compliance assurance avoid duplication of work and reduce administrative burden. Active participation in established pan-European

EU law generally and specific provisions on inspections, networks of inspectors, police, prosecutors and judges,

other checks, penalties and environmental liability help such as IMPEL 104 , EUFJE 105 , ENPE 106 and EnviCrimeNet 107 ,

lay the basis for the systems Member States need to is a valuable tool for sharing experience and good have in place to secure compliance with EU practices.

environmental rules. Currently, there exist a number of sectoral obligations on

Public authorities help ensure accountability of dutyinspections and the EU directive on environmental

holders by monitoring and promoting compliance and by liability (ELD) 108 provides a means of ensuring that the

taking credible follow-up action (i.e. enforcement) when "polluter-pays principle" is applied when there are breaches occur or liabilities arise. Compliance monitoring accidents and incidents that harm the environment. can be done both on the initiative of authorities There is also publically available information giving themselves and in response to citizen complaints. It can insights into existing strengths and weaknesses in each involve using various kinds of checks, including Member State.

inspections for permitted activities, surveillance for

possible illegal activities, investigations for crimes and For each Member State, the following were therefore reviewed: use of risk-based compliance assurance;

audits for systemic weaknesses. Similarly, there is a range

of means to promote compliance, including awarenesscoordination and co-operation between authorities and

raising campaigns and use of guidance documents and

103 European Union, Environmental Crime Directive 2008/99/EC Environmental Crime Directive 2008/99/EC

101 The transposition of Directive 2014/52 i/EU is due in May 2017. 104 European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement

102 European Commission, 2016. Commission notice — Commission of Environmental Law guidance document on streamlining environmental assessments 105 European Union Forum of judges for the environment conducted under Article 2(3) of the Environmental Impact 106 The European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU of the European 107 EnviCrimeNet

Parliament and of the Council, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU) 108 European Union, Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/CE

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participation in pan-European networks; and key aspects questions and ensure overall consistency 116 . However, a

of implementation of the ELD based on the Commission's more coordinated approach with municipal inspectors recently published implementation report and REFIT and other inspection authorities has been considered

evaluation 109 . necessary, in particular in order to reduce illegal dumping

The Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia for of household waste and to undertake combined

Environment and Spatial Planning (IRSOP) has developed inspections on chemicals

117 . Slovenia is active within

some risk assessment tools for inspections of industrial IMPEL and hosted an IMPEL peer review in 2010.

installations 110 . Overall challenges have included budget

constraints, wide responsibilities and a lack of specialised Slovenia did not report any instance of environmental

staff 111 . damage handled under the Environmental Liability Directive for the period 2007-2013. It appears to be short

Up-to-date information is lacking in relation to the in administrative resources and technical expertise to following: comply with the technical requirements under the − data-collection arrangements to track the use and Directive and there is not much practical experience

effectiveness of different compliance assurance available in remedying environmental damage. Slovenia

interventions 112 ; decided against mandatory financial security (to pay for

− the extent to which risk-based methods are used to remediation if an operator cannot) , instead opting to

direct compliance assurance at the strategic level promote supply and demand of financial security

and in relation to critical activities outside of instruments and to look into the possibility to use an

industrial installations 113 , in particular in specific existing environmental fund to cover remediation costs

problem-areas highlighted elsewhere in this Country where operators are not identifiable or insolvent.

Report, i.e. issues related to illegal dumping, the Evidence is lacking of the results.

threats to protected habitat types and species, air Suggested action

quality breaches and the pressures on water quality

from point and diffuse water pollution, including • Improve transparency on the organisation and

inadequate urban waste-water infrastructure 114 ; and functioning of compliance assurance and on how

− how the Slovenian authorities ensure a targeted and significant risks are addressed, as outlined above. proportionate response to different types of non• Encourage greater participation of competent compliant behaviour, given that the focus is on authorities in the activities of ENPE, EUFJE and administrative procedures and sanctions and that EnviCrimeNet. the probability of being prosecuted and criminally • Step up efforts in the implementation of the sentenced for environmental offences seems to be Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) with proactive

low 115 . initiatives, in particular by setting up a national register of ELD incidents and drafting national guidance.

The added value of cooperation between different Slovenia should take further steps to ensure an inspection authorities is recognized and a national effective system of financial security for environmental Inspection Council has been established to ensure joint liabilities (so that operators not only have insurance implementation of inspection tasks, resolve competence cover available to them but actually take it up).

109 COM(2016)204 final and COM(2016)121 final of 14.4.2016. This Public participation and access to justice

highlighted the need for better evidence on how the directive is used

in practice; for tools to support its implementation, such as guidance, The Aarhus Convention, related EU legislation on public

training and ELD registers; and for financial security to be available in participation and environmental impact assessment, and

case events or incidents generate remediation costs. the case-law of the Court of Justice require that citizens

110 IMPEL, 2010. IRI Report Slovenia , p. 4, 33, 44, 48 and 52.

111 and their associations should be able to participate in IMPEL, 2010. IRI Report Slovenia , p. 18, 27, 33, 46-47.

112 The IMPEL IRI Report indicates that IRSOP publishes an annual decision-making on projects and plans and should enjoy

activity report which is however based mostly only on basic output effective environmental access to justice.

indicators, which is insufficient to evaluate the quality of inspection

work, see p. 22, 53. Citizens can more effectively protect the environment if

113 The IMPEL IRI Report notes that wwritten procedures and protocols they can rely on the three "pillars" of the Convention on to steer inspection work were not widely used, and that there was a Access to Information, Public Participation in Decisionneed

for a more strategic approach.

114 making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters The IMPEL IRI Report indicates that a risk-based approach and

related data collection did not seem to be applied for inspections in ("the Aarhus Convention"). Public participation in the

environmental policy areas such as water and nature protection, see administrative decision making process is an important

• p. 

  29, 39 and 41.

115 Milieu, 2012, Evaluation Study on the Implementation of Directive

2008/99/EC on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal 116 IMPEL, 2010. IRI Report Slovenia , p. 29-30. Law by member States, National Report for Slovenia , p. 21-22. 117 IMPEL, 2010. IRI Report Slovenia , p. 52-53.

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element to ensure that the authority takes its decision on and with the public. They also represent the green part of

the best possible basis. The Commission intends to the ongoing EU e-Government Action Plan 122 . The first

examine compliance with mandatory public participation two instruments create obligations to provide requirements more systematically at a later stage. information to the public, both on request and actively.

Access to justice in environmental matters is a set of The INSPIRE Directive is a pioneering instrument for guarantees that allows citizens and their associations to electronic data-sharing between public authorities who challenge acts or omissions of the public administration can vary in their data-sharing policies, e.g. on whether before a court. It is a tool for decentralised access to data is for free. The INSPIRE Directive sets up a

implementation of EU environmental law. geoportal which indicates the level of shared spatial data in each Member State – i.e. data related to specific

For each Member State, two crucial elements for locations, such as air quality monitoring data. Amongst effective access to justice have been systematically other benefits it facilitates the public authorities' reviewed: the legal standing for the public, including reporting obligations.

NGOs and the extent to which prohibitive costs represent

a barrier. For each Member State, the accessibility of environmental data (based on what the INSPIRE Directive

In general, the existing rules and provisions in Slovenia envisages) as well as data-sharing policies ('open data') concerning access to administrative appeal and to judicial have been systematically reviewed. review are predictable and transparent. However,

environmental NGOs still do not have legal standing in Slovenia's performance on the implementation of the many of the environmental sectors. The costs of INSPIRE Directive as enabling framework to actively administrative court procedure, however, are not disseminate environmental information to the public

considered as being prohibitively high 118 . leaves room for improvement. It has indicated in the 3- yearly INSPIRE implementation report 123 that the

Suggested action necessary data-sharing policies allowing access and use

• Ensure standing of environmental NGOs to challenge of spatial data by national administrations, other acts or omissions of a public authority in all sectoral EU Member States' administrations and EU institutions environmental laws, in full compliance with EU law as without procedural obstacles are available but not fully

well as the Aarhus Convention. implemented. Recently amendments were made to the Slovenian Public Information Access Act to implement

the Directive on the re-use of public sector information.

Access to information, knowledge and Data gathered in the public administration during the

evidence execution of public tasks will have to be available for reuse without charging fees.

The Aarhus Convention and related EU legislation on

access to information and the sharing of spatial data Assessments of monitoring reports

124

  and the spatial

require that the public has access to clear information on information that Slovenia has published on the INSPIRE the environment, including on how Union environmental geoportal

125 indicate that not all spatial information

law is being implemented. needed for the evaluation and implementation of EU environmental law has been made available or is

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public accessible. The larger part of this missing spatial and business that environmental information is shared in information consists of the environmental data required an efficient and effective way. This covers reporting by to be made available under the existing reporting and businesses and public authorities and active monitoring regulations of EU environmental law. dissemination to the public, increasingly through

electronic means. Suggested action

The Aarhus Convention 119 , the Access to Environmental • Critically review the effectiveness of its data policies

Information Directive 120 and the INSPIRE Directive 121 and amend them, taking 'best practices' into together create a legal foundation for the sharing of consideration. environmental information between public authorities • Identify and document all spatial data sets required for

the implementation of environmental law, and make the data and documentation at least accessible 'as is'

118 European Commission, 2012/2013 access to justice in environmental matters in Slovenia

119 UNECE, 1998. Convention on Access to Information, Public 122 European Union, EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020

Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Accelerating the digital transformation of government COM(2016) Environmental Matters 179 final.

120 European Union, Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to 123 European Commission, INSPIRE reports environmental information 124 INSPIRE Indicator trends

121 European Union, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC 125 Inspire Resources Summary Report

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to other public authorities and the public through the digital services foreseen in the INSPIRE Directive.