Background information

Heavy rains between 4 and 6 August 2023 caused devastating floods that claimed several lives, destroyed homes, and swept away roads and infrastructure. Floods and landslides made many sites unreachable, and settlements cut off from access to water, gas and electricity. Half of Slovenian municipalities (or 17,203 square kilometres) were severely hit, particularly the Gorenjska, Štajerska, and Koroška regions. The government’s quick response was aimed at helping people with temporary accommodations, repairing the damage, and keeping people employed. The Amended Natural Disaster Recovery Act (ZOPNN-F, issued on 10 August 2023) and the Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 (ZIUOPZP from 1 September 2023) provided aid for self-employed who could not work because of natural disaster.

Content of measure

From 4 August to 31 December 2023, the state provides monthly support to self-employed registered before 1 July 2023 if they cannot work since the flooding or whose business is significantly affected by the same reason. Included are registered self-employed, associates or partners, founders of cooperative or institution, and farmers. Beneficiaries must have a 25% lower income in 2023 compared to 2022 owing to flooding or a 25% lower monthly income compared to pre-flooding months until 31 July 2023, if recipients of state aid did not operate in the entire 2022 or 2023. Furthermore, they must have no outstanding debt with the Financial Administration.

The Amended Natural Disaster Recovery Act (ZOPNN-F) stipulates different monthly payments for various categories:

1. €1,200 for registered self-employed;
2. €760 for self-employed cultural workers whose social security contributions are paid by the state;
3. €1,020 for farmes whose health insurance is paid by the state.

Self-employment aid is exempt from all taxes and contributions.

Use of measure

On 10 October 2023, the Financial Administration (Furs) paid aid for August to 331 beneficiaries. The total support was worth €380,000.

Until 14 January 2024, the Government paid €1,891,713 to self-employed affected by floods and landslides

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Solo-self-employed	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Employers’ organisations, members of the Economic and Social Council (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – GZS, Slovenian Chamber of Commerce – TZS, Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – OZS, Association of Employers Slovenia – ZDS, Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – ZDOPS) have blocked negotiations since 20 July 2023. The emergency law was thus prepared without prior negotiation with the social partners.

Views and reactions

No information available.

Sources

• 20 July 2023: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – GZS, Slovenian Chamber of Commerce – TZS, Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – OZS, Association of Employers Slovenia – ZDS, Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – ZDOPS, Letter to the Prime Minister Robert Golob and the president of the ESS Jakob Počivalše (www.ess.si)
• 10 August 2023: Natural Disaster Recovery Act (Zakon o odpravi posledic naravnih nesreč, ZOPNN-F (www.pisrs.si)
• 01 September 2023: Act Determining Intervention Measures for Recovery from the Floods and Landslides of August 2023 (Zakon o interventnih ukrepih za odpravo posledic poplav in zemeljskih plazov iz avgusta 2023, ZIUOPZP (www.pisrs.si)
• 11 October 2023: Finance: The Employment Service paid first compensations for temporary layoffs after the floods (Zavod izplačal delodajalcem prva povračila za čakanje na delo po poplavah (live.finance.si)