Slovenian Press Agency

Ljubljana – The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and Government Communication Office (UKOM) agreed to resume talks aimed at signing the annual agreement to fund the STA public service as the two directors were hosted by President Borut Pahor for a meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor will organise a meeting between the directors of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) on Tuesday in a bid to find a solution to “issues that resulted in suspension of financing of the STA public service”.

Brussels – The European Commission reiterated its call to the Slovenian authorities on Monday to ensure independence and appropriate funding of the public service provided by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) as it responded to a question about a letter STA staff sent to EU officials.

Ljubljana – Representatives of STA staff have send a letter to top EU officials noting that despite calls to restore the financing of the STA, the issue has still not been resolved. Moral support by senior representatives of the EU unfortunately no longer suffices, the letter reads.

Ljubljana – The Association of Slovenian Journalists (DNS) has raised EUR 274,743 in what turned out to be a two-month fundraising campaign for the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) after the state funding of its public service had been suspended. The money has been transferred to the STA’s account, the association said.

Brussels/Ljubljana – The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups, stressed on Monday that media freedom was at risk in Slovenia. Attacks on Slovenian media take place at multiple levels, both legislative and administrative, and on social networks, the group said.

Brdo pri Kranju – Media freedom was one of the topics that the College of Commissioners discussed Thursday as they met the government at the outset of Slovenia’s presidency of the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expects that Slovenia will swiftly sort out the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and ensure its independence.

Ljubljana – The Slovenian government is overseeing an increasingly systematic effort to undermine critical media, a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups warned in a report released on Wednesday after conducting a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June.

Ljubljana – The government has asked its communication office to transfer a EUR 845,000 advance to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) for the expected expenses related to the performance of public service once the STA provides UKOM with access into business documentation for the last ten years and if a contract on public service is signed.

Brussels – Commenting on the new government regulation on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), the European Commission has said that it expects swift solutions to unblock the agency’s funding, noting such solutions should completely preserve the STA’s autonomy. It should be checked whether the regulation is in line with existing acts governing the STA, it added.