In Slovenia, hundreds of projects, programs or public tenders have been supported by the European cohesion funds of the period 2014-2020 and together they have written numerous good stories. This is just a part of the projects we have realized and because of them in Slovenia, we live better in many areas.

Interreg is the catalyst for regional development. Exchange of experience contributs to the improvement of the policy for regional development, in particular the Structural Funds programs of the European cohesion policy. 30 countries : 28 EU members, Switzerland and Norway are involved.

The program is thematically focused:

1. Research, technological development and innovation

2. Competitiveness of SMEs

3. Low-carbon economy

4. Environment and efficient use of resources

Basic tools of the program are: the collection, analysis, dissemination and transfer of experience and good practices in the design and implementation of public policies.

Characteristic of projects:

Definition - Partners from different countries work together to address regional development issues that are common to all (within the program's priorities) ...

Objective -  ... to increase the effectiveness of regional policy instruments in the regions involved in the project (in particular under the Investment and growth programs) …

Implementation in two phases

1. PHASE: Exchange of experience at policy level (2 to 3 years), which ends with the creation of 1 action plan per region.

2. PHASE: Monitoring the implementation of the Action Plan (1 year) + possible pilot activities.

EXAMPLES

FIRST CHALLENGE: Almost 3,000 young people have been employed so far through the First Challenge program. The program provided employers with a subsidy of EUR 7,250 for a minimum of 15 months employment of unemployed young people from eastern Slovenia who have not yet reached the age of 30. This enabled young people to improve access to quality and high-quality employment as well as the opportunities for their further employment.

LJUBLJANA WITH ENERGY RENEWAL OF BUILDINGS SAVE EUR 1 MILLION ANNUAL

Recently, the first part of the project for energy renewal of buildings, which is being implemented by the municipality in a public-private partnership, was completed in Ljubljana. The reconstruction of 48 buildings was worth EUR 15 million, which, according to the private partners, reduced the energy and management costs of these facilities by EUR 1 million a year.

This is the first part of the extensive energy rehabilitation of municipal buildings in the context of energy contracting, which began in the municipality last year and ended in September this year. As part of the project, supported by European cohesion funds, as many as 34 Ljubljana schools and kindergartens were renovated, some buildings in which the units of the Health Center Ljubljana or the city administration are located, while the renovation included, among others, a central swimming pool in Tivoli, Tivoli Hall, the Kodeljev sports park, the shooting range at Rudnik and the Bežigrajska Unit of the Ljubljana City Library.