Country Support Team in Europe & CIS

Country Programmes - Slovenia

Background

Twelve years after gaining independence, Slovenia has built a stable parliamentary democracy and a free-market economy. In the 1990s, it achieved steady economic growth, combining fiscal stability with high levels of social welfare. With the highest per capita income and standard of living in Central Europe, Slovenia joined NATO and the EU in 2004.

Developmental Issues 

Government priorities currently focus on skill building as the driving force behind economic and social development. They also focus on education as the best way to fight unemployment. The Slovenian government is pursuing new approaches to education by cooperating with NGOs and civil society. In addition, Slovenia is becoming more involved in international development cooperation, with the Balkans being a key priority.

UNDP Activities

Slovenia became a net contributor of funds to UNDP in 1997, and no longer receives financial assistance from the organization. However, UNDP does provide technical aid in the area of renewable energy, of which Slovenia is a signatory. UNDP would also like to help Slovenia create official development assistance (ODA) programmes.

This project facilitated the increased use of biomass as an energy source in Slovenia, in order to achieve national greenhouse gas mitigation targets, by: (a) removing technical, institutional, information, and financial barriers to increased use of biomass as an energy source, and reducing the costs of biomass-based heating projects in local communities implementing at least three demonstration district heating projects, and enabling equity financing through the biomass energy revolving fund; (b) training of local professionals in planning, designing, installing, operating, and servicing relevant installations; (c) establishing long-term financing mechanisms to enable investments in biomass technology; and (d) preparing a cross sectorial national biomass program. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Ministry for the Environment and Spatial Planning, and the Department for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (www.aure.si).