Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry

Ljubljana – Advocates and opponents of the changes to the waters act, to be put to a referendum vote on Sunday, stressed the need to protect water as they faced off on public broadcaster TV Slovenija on Wednesday evening. However, the advocate said the new law will better protect water, whereas the opponents said it will endanger it.

Izola – Slovenia assumed the two-year chairmanship of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, a multi-stakeholder advisory body set up under the Barcelona convention, as the commission opened its 19th session in Slovenia’s Izola on Monday, to run in hybrid format until Wednesday.

Ljubljana – A civil initiative opposing the latest changes to the waters act has submitted almost 50,000 signatures in support of its initiative to hold a referendum on the law, which was passed at the end of March. The National Assembly must now meet to formally call a referendum in seven days.

Ljubljana – The Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry rejected at the end of March the BŠP company’s request for a building permit to overhaul a rundown Ljubljana stadium designed by acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik. BŠP boss Joc Pečečnik says he will not give up on the project he launched in 2007 and will press charges.

Ljubljana – Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina has voiced criticism over the procedure in which the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry wants to change the environmental protection act. The ministry’s actions are not in line with modern democratic standards, which has recently become an established modus operandi of the ministry, the ombudsman says.

Ljubljana – The Administrative Court has temporarily stayed the issuing of construction permit for the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava river, the NGO Slovenian Native Fish Association (DPRS) said on Tuesday. The power producer HESS, which is to operate the plant, told the STA the procedure could continue as only the issuing of the permit had been suspended.