REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

In the field of regional development the Ministry strives to promote development also in the more remote areas of Slovenia. The development disparities between the different parts of the Republic of Slovenia are too vast and the decision-making process too centralised. With the vision of realising the concept of regionalisation we strive for the realisation of the set strategic objectives and the formation of the regional policy in the Republic of Slovenia. Our mission is the promotion of sustainable development in the widest sense of the word which activates the potentials of the Slovenian regions and does not reduce the resources and development potentials of the future generations.

Regional policy strives to be present everywhere in the Republic of Slovenia, especially in the priority areas of:
- the least developed regions 
- municipalities with individual development problems
- the border areas
- the areas inhabited by the Hungarian and Italian national minorities and the Roma ethnic community.

The objective of regional policy is also to include the Slovenes living at the border areas into the development projects and other development potentials. With the inclusion of the Republic of Slovenia into the single European market the conditions were set for an open regional development concept which exceeds the regional and national boundaries and also includes the natural, human and economic potentials of the neighbouring regions and states.

We perform special regional policy measures in the priority areas and coordinate the activities of ministries and other bodies and offices in the direction of their regional initiatives in the key regional projects from the regional development programmes. We coordinate the work of the Public fund of the Republic of Slovenia for regional development and rural development and coordinate the work of 12 regional development agencies in the Slovenian regions.

We are responsible for the system and legislation in the field of harmonious regional development, preparation of the national development programme and the coordination of the 12 regional development programmes.

We give professional basis for the regional policies through the financing of research in the framework of the research programme of the Ministry of the Republic of Slovenia of Higher Education, Science and Technology. We maintain the information system (ISARR) for reporting on the implementation of the development programmes of the wider number of users in Slovenia and the European Union.

Our programmes are also centred at the support for the companies dealing with development problems. State aid is attributed in accordance with the Regulation on the regional state aid or the regional scheme on state aid which is a frequent way of granting national assistance to the economy.