Slovenia accelerates absorption of European Union funds

The Slovenian government, led by Janez Janša, has significantly accelerated the absorption of European Union funds since June 2026. While cohesion funds are no longer considered critically endangered, the Recovery and Resilience Plan faces a deadline at the end of 2026, with milestones due by August 31 and the final request deadline on September 30.

Slovenia has access to approximately 3.2 to 3.26 billion euros from the European Cohesion Policy program, which totals between 4.3 and 4.5 billion euros when including national co-financing. These funds must be utilized by the end of 2029.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development, headed by Dr. Monika Kirbiš Rojs, is responsible for these funds. Kirbiš Rojs, an expert in EU funds, has emphasized the necessity of ensuring these resources are not lost, noting that Slovenia previously ranked among the lowest in the EU for fund absorption, placing between 20th and 24th among the 27 member states.