09 Apr 2021, 11:43 AM

Constitutional Court Opposes Govt Decree Limiting Travel Outside Slovenia

STA, 8 April 2021 - The Constitutional Court has stayed a provision of a government decree which restricts travel to countries on Slovenia's red list of high-risk countries due to Covid-19, pending its final decision.

In a decision published in the Official Gazette on Thursday, the court invoked its right to stay legislation to prevent the occurrence of irreparable damage.

It said the decree, adopted by the government in late March, "severely restricted" the right of all those with residency in Slovenia, Slovenian nationals as well as foreigners, whereby the rules for leaving the country are stricter than for entering.

The right of individuals to leave the country is enshrined in many international legal instruments and is key to the functioning of a democratic system.

It may be restricted only in the pursuit of a legal and constitutionally admissible objective, whereby individual circumstances must be considered and the limitations may not cause discrimination.

"The continued implementation of the contested provision would encroach on the right of a large number of residents of the Republic of Slovenia to leave the country."

"It is also necessary to consider that limitations on the freedom of movement may cause other consequences to physical and mental health, property, family life and other areas that are hard to rectify or irreparable," it said.

The decision was passed in a 8:1 vote following petitions by three applicants, with judge Klemen Jaklič dissenting.

The government decree, which governs measures on the border designed to minimise Covid-19 transmission, entered into effect on 29 March.

It banned travel to all red-listed countries - all of Slovenia's neighbouring countries included - except for individuals who have been vaccinated, convalescents, and a narrow set of exemptions.

One way to avoid the ban was to pay a EUR 400 fine under the communicable diseases act.

In one instance last week, the Administrative Court issued a temporary injunction allowing an applicant to leave the country without paying a fine.

Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the decision meant Slovenia would not be able to get rid of the virus soon, adding that Constitutional Court judges were not accountable and were incapable of decisions save for temporarily staying legislation.

Asked whether it was possible the decree will be adjusted, he told the STA people would be allowed to leave the country freely, but entering would not be so simple anymore.

09 Apr 2021, 04:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 9 April 2021

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Pupils returning to schools as planned on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Pupils will return to schools and kindergartens on Monday following an 11-day circuit-breaker lockdown under a decision taken by the government, which is in line with the promise made before the country entered its third coronavirus lockdown. The return to kindergartens and primary and secondary schools will follow the same model as before the 1-11 April lockdown, which means all primary pupils will return to schools, while most secondary pupils will alternate between in-class and remote learning every week, Education Minister Simona Kustec said. Universities remain closed except for practical work and exams by up to ten students.

Constitutional Court stays provision restricting travel to red-listed countries

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed a provision of a government decree which restricts travel to countries on Slovenia's red list of high-risk countries due to Covid-19, pending its final decision. It said the right of individuals to leave the country is enshrined in many international legal instruments and is key to the functioning of a democratic system. It may be restricted only in the pursuit of a legal and constitutionally admissible objective, whereby individual circumstances must be considered and the limitations may not cause discrimination.

Over 1,500 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, five deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,527 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a 14% increase from the same day a week ago. As a result, the rolling 7-day average rose to 917, up by 28 from the day before, data released by the government show. The latest cases were confirmed from 5,360 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 28.5%. In addition 20,790 rapid antigen tests were performed. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by 18 to 599 after 56 patients were discharged yesterday. The number of patients in intensive care dropped by two to 129. Another five Covid-19 patients lost their lives.

Slovenia not changing AstraZeneca jab strategy for now

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will not change its Covid-19 vaccination strategy for the time being, the head of the national immunisation advisory body has said after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that unusual blood clots should be listed as a very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Speaking for the commercial broadcaster POP TV on Wednesday evening, Bojana Beović said Slovenia would not change its approach over the EMA announcement for the time being, which means the AstraZeneca vaccine remains reserved for 60- to 65-year-olds.

CoE report puts Slovenia among countries with most crowded prisons

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenia had 109 prisoners per 100 prison beds in 2020, which makes it one of the Council of Europe (CoE) member states with the most crowded prisons; it placed the 9th most prison-crowded country, while Turkey was the leader with with 127 prisoners per 100 beds. The country did much better in terms of the number of persons imprisoned per 100,000 residents, as well as some other indicators, shows the latest CoE report on penal statistics in its 52 member states. Slovenia had only 69 prisoners per 100,000 residents in January 2020, which placed it among 20% of the countries with the lowest prisoner figures.

Slovenia to donate Covid-19 equipment to several W Balkan countries

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to donate Covid-19 protective equipment to several Western Balkan countries following a request for aid filed through the EU civil protection mechanism. It will donate EUR 107,350 worth of equipment (and transport) to Montenegro, EUR 115,000 to North Macedonia and EUR 120,300 to Serbia. The equipment will be delivered to the countries through the country's Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief.

Pahor congratulates new Kosovo president Osmani

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Vjosa Osmani on being elected the president of Kosovo and wished her successful work as they had a telephone conversation. They talked about the epidemiological situation, and called for closer cooperation between the countries and more solidarity in the region during Covid-19. Pahor noted the support Slovenia provided to Kosovo in its efforts to achieve the goals of joining the EU and NATO, and called for the commitments to be met.

All packaging producers now liable for waste treatment fees

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new decree on packaging and waste packaging under which all producers of packaging, not just those that put more than 15 tonnes of packaging on the market in Slovenia annually, must pay waste treatment fees. Companies that put less than a tonne of packaging on the market per year can opt for a lump sum. The new rules are deigned to prevent the events of last year, when the waste packaging treatment had to be covered by the state budget after waste treatment companies refused to take packaging beyond their quotas.

Execs for clear timeline of coal phaseout

LJUBLJANA - Business executives from Savinja-Šalek, a region with a major coal-fired power station and a coal mine, want a clear timeline of Slovenia's planned phasing out of coal by 2033, as well as a stable new source of electricity. At a debate hosted by the management board of the regional chamber of commerce, executives said the strategy should ensure a fair transition with equal treatment of all four pillars - the economic, energy, social and environmental pillar. Premogovnik Velenje coal mine director Janez Rošer said the most ambitious scenario of coal phaseout in Savinja-Šalek region by 2033 is dominated by the environmental aspect.

Budget outlays EUR 800m over current limit planned this year

LJUBLJANA - The government expects that this year's budget expenditure will be EUR 800 million higher than planned in the current budget documents. The ceiling for general government expenditure is set in a budgeting decree passed by the National Assembly in November along with the budgets for 2021 and 2022. Under draft changes to the decree, the government now plans to ask parliament to raise the ceiling in order to mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19. The extra spending would increase the budget deficit from 5.7% to 8.6% of GDP.

Fiscal Council calls for efficient public investment

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council said that public investment that is to increase in the coming years could help drive economic growth and development, but that the institutional framework should be improved if investment is to be efficient. The government advisory body added in its latest analysis that public investment was said to have a key role in recovery after the current epidemiological crisis while also addressing the key development challenges. It noted that investment should be more targeted to meet the goals of the EU recovery fund.

ETFs traded on Ljubljana stock market again

LJUBLJANA - Five exchange traded funds (ETF) by Bulgarian Expat Capital were listed on the Ljubljana stock market, following years of efforts by the Ljubljana Stock Exchange to attract ETFs there once again. Aleš Ipavec, the CEO of the stock exchange operator Ljubljanska Borza, hopes that the move will significantly contribute to the development of Slovenia's capital market. "I'm honoured that the company chose the Ljubljana stock market as its next destination after Frankfurt and London," he said at an online event marking the launch.

Hospitality and tourism to get EUR 36m to keep afloat

LJUBLJANA - The SPIRIT investment promotion agency issued a second call for micro, small and medium-sized tourism and hospitality companies for the co-funding of operating costs in the first wave of the epidemic in spring 2020. EUR 36.2 million is available and over 6,000 companies are expected to apply, with the aid to be paid out at the end of June. Firms will receive a lump sum ranging from EUR 900 to EUR 9,999 for the period between 12 March and 31 May 2020.

Survey shows nearly 60% of Slovenians deem Covid measures too harsh

LJUBLJANA - The latest lockdown has been met with a negative sentiment among the public, according to a poll conducted by Valicon, in which nearly six out of ten described the restrictions as too harsh. The proportion of those who see the situation as critical, at times chaotic, rose from 8% to 13% over the past two weeks and the share of those who see it as hopeless rose from 3% to 5%, which are proportions similar to those measured during Christmas holidays but much lower than during the first lockdown a year ago.

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08 Apr 2021, 18:16 PM

Hospitality, Tourism Businesses Can Apply for Funds to Cover Some Losses From Spring 2020

STA, 8 April 2021 - The SPIRIT agency issued on Thursday a second call for micro, small and medium-sized tourism and hospitality companies for the co-funding of operating costs in the first wave of the epidemic in spring 2020. EUR 36.2 million is available and over 6,000 companies are expected to apply, with the aid to be paid out at the end of June. [Details on the website – Slovene only]

Firms will receive a lump sum ranging from EUR 900 to EUR 9,999 for the period between 12 March and 31 May 2020, said the SPIRIT agency for entrepreneurship, internationalization, foreign investments and technology.

The money is meant to help them remain in business and preserve jobs, or to relaunch after the coronavirus restrictions are lifted, SPIRIT said in a statement.

The agency's director Tomaž Kostanjevec said SPIRIT was aware that the country's tourism and hospitality companies had been hit hardest.

He said that at least 6,400 companies are expected to apply for funds as part of the second scheme.

SPIRIT published the first such call last November, making EUR 10 million available for up to 1,000 companies.

The lump sum was capped at EUR 9,999, with as many as 821 companies having received the aid. SPIRIT did not specify how much money had been paid out.

Two groups are now eligible: companies which have their financials publicly available in the AJPES database for 2019 and those which do not have them in the AJPES database but have had their taxes assessed by the Financial Administration on the basis of their reported income.

Those from the first group will get a lump sum at 16.5% of their 2019 costs, labour costs excluded, and those from the second group at 12% of their entire costs. . [Details on the website – Slovene only]

08 Apr 2021, 13:49 PM

Schools, Kindergartens Reopening Monday, 12 April

STA, 8 April 2021 - Pupils will return to schools and the youngest children to kindergartens following an 11-day circuit-breaker lockdown on Monday under a decision taken by the government on Thursday, which is in line with the promise made before the country entered its third coronavirus lockdown.

The return to kindergartens and primary and secondary schools will follow the same model as before the lockdown, which means all primary pupils will return to schools, while most secondary pupils will alternate between in-class and remote learning every week, Education Minister Simona Kustec told reporters.

The alternate weeks model applies only to year one to three secondary students, while final year pupils have in-person teaching all the time just like primary pupils.

Student dorms for secondary pupils will reopen on Sunday when the relevant decree adopted by the government today will take effect.

Face masks will remain mandatory in classrooms and schools for primary pupils from the sixth to ninth form, for all staff and for all secondary students, while kindergarten children and primary pupils up to the fifth form are required to wear masks in common school areas outside their classrooms.

Face masks will not be obligatory for pupils during physical education classes.

Higher education institutions remain closed for now except for practical training or exams by groups of up to ten students. For most students, dorms remain closed as well.

In music schools only one-on-one instruction is permitted, it follows from the government decree.

While staff are already being tested for coronavirus weekly, voluntary self-testing is being introduced for older pupils with Kustec saying the measure should be accepted "in good faith" as a measure to fight the virus.

"Schools will be sent an informative film in the coming days so that parents and pupils will be able to learn about the voluntary testing procedure in detail," the minister said, adding the project would be presented to secondary school head teachers in detail tomorrow and then next week to the head teachers of primaries.

The minister could not say yet when self-testing would begin, noting that pupils and parents need to get all the necessary information first, but she hopes it could be introduced as soon as possible.

She said preliminary data collected by schools show about 20% of the year six to nine primary pupils and between 18% and 19% of secondary school students are willing to self-test, which Health Minister Janez Poklukar recently said pupils would perform at home.

Asked about the low interest expressed in self-tests, the minister said it was "essential all of us and everyone among us does as much as possible to make sure school premises remain safe and that schooling can continue in-person until the end of the school year".

Kustec believes once "it has become clear this is about a genuine intention to help individuals and the broader school space the measure will be used more actively".

The minister said her ministry was in discussion with officials from the National Institute of Public Health to determine potential scenarios for the matura secondary school-leaving exam for events such as quarantine orders issued to classes. The exam will start with an essay just after May Day holidays.

The minister also hopes for a return of sports, but it would depend on the opinion of health experts, she said.

With the exception of outdoor exercise involving an individual or members of the same household, sports have been banned since 1 April, except for top registered athletes. Even for those national competitions have been put on hold.

The government is meeting later today to make potential changes to its traffic lights system of measures to apply from 12 April after the lockdown imposed on 1 April ends.

08 Apr 2021, 12:33 PM

Slovenia’s Covid Task Force Recommends Easing Restrictions

STA, 8 April 2021 - The government is expected to potentially change the strategy for a gradual easing of restrictive measures based on the epidemiological situation at a session on Thursday, and decide on the education process after 12 April when the circuit breaker lockdown is scheduled to end.

The STA learnt unofficially that the Covid-19 task force has proposed to the government to keep kindergartens and primary schools open even when the epidemiological situation calls for tier red and have secondary school students study under model C, meaning half the class is in school for a week while the other half continues learning from home.

Under the current plan, kindergartens and the first three grades of primary school switch to model C in tier red, while the rest study from home.

The task force proposes that in tier orange, secondary schools also reopen for all students not just the final grades under model C.

The experts would also abolish the 10pm-5am curfew in the tier red for individuals or several members of the same household.

They also propose that bars and restaurants be allowed to serve their customers outdoors in tier orange and that masks no longer be obligatory outdoors if a safety distance is kept.

They also propose a compensation for those in isolation due to infection and those in quarantine because of a risky contact.

The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases was at 889 on Tuesday, which means the country would be in tier orange if it was not for the 11-day circuit breaker lockdown. However, last week the seven-day average exceeded 1,000, which would mean tier red.

The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) estimates there were almost 13,300 active cases in the country on Tuesday.

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08 Apr 2021, 12:14 PM

No Changes Planned to Slovenia’s Use of AstraZeneca Vaccine

STA, 8 April 2021 - Slovenia will not change its Covid-19 vaccination strategy for the time being, the head of the national immunisation advisory body has said after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that unusual blood clots should be listed as a very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Speaking for the commercial broadcaster POP TV last night, Bojana Beović, the head of the national advisory committee on immunisation, said Slovenia would not change its approach over the EMA announcement for the time being, which means the AstraZeneca vaccine remains reserved for 60-65-year-olds.

"The approach can obviously not be changed every few days, because it involves logistics on the ground [...] It doesn't appear to make sense to change any approach at the moment," said Beović, adding that the approach would likely be changed in mid-April as planned when the Johnson&Johnson vaccine is included as the fourth jab.

"I believe other European countries will have opted for certain approaches by then too. We're mainly looking at large European countries, which have experiences with those undesired events themselves," said Beović, the head of the Slovenian Medical Chamber who used to serve as the chief Covid-19 advisor to the government.

Slovenia has not recorded any case of such blood clotting linked to the jab thus far.

Beović made the comments after Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced he would call on the national advisory committee on immunisation to examine EMA's findings and to put forward its position on the issue.

Yesterday afternoon EMA said it had concluded there was a possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within two weeks of vaccination with the AstraZeneca jab, which should be listed as a very rare side effect of the vaccine.

EMA also said the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks of side effects, urging those responsible to continue to administer the vaccine.

After the announcement, EU health ministers met for an informal virtual meeting, but failed to reach an agreement on joint guidance on the vaccine's use.

In his address, Minister Poklukar said Slovenia was closely monitoring the situation and taking appropriate precautionary measures.

According to a press release from his ministry, Poklukar also said it would be welcome if EU member states managed to reach unity in response to EMA's conclusions, possibly including on criteria for the age limit on vaccination with the AstraZeneca jab if that should be necessary.

Poklukar also underscored that enhancing trust in vaccination was the best tool available in the fight against the pandemic.

08 Apr 2021, 04:28 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 8 April 2021

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

1,189 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Tuesday, three deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,189 new cases of coronavirus and three deaths on Tuesday. The case count was down a fifth over last Tuesday, but the number of PCR tests, at 4,812, was almost a third lower as well, the latest government data show. Nearly a quarter of all tests were positive. There were 581 people in hospital, up by eight from the day before, with the number of intensive care patients dropping by one to 131. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population was 629.

PM Janša urges global solidarity in Covid pandemic

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša urged countries to join the EU's efforts to provide anti-coronavirus vaccines to less prosperous countries, as he took part in a virtual conference hosted by the World Forum for Ethics in Business to mark World Health Day, which discussed the changing paradigms during the pandemic. Pointing to the role of solidarity, he said that "humanity will not defeat the virus until the entire world has been vaccinated", Janša's office said in a press release. He said that even if EU member states do not have enough vaccines for their own citizens, they had exported almost 77 million doses to more than 30 countries.

Migrants, public assembly highlighted in Amnesty report

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia denied asylum-seekers access to asylum in 2020, while forcibly returning migrants to Croatia, Amnesty International says in its latest human rights report. The country is criticised for limiting freedom of assembly during the pandemic, handling Covid infections at care homes inadequately, and failing to resolve Roma issues. "We witnessed the consequences of poor past decisions, as well as new attacks on human rights, including under the disguise of a fight against Covid-19," Amnesty International Slovenia director Nataša Posel said.

ECHR admits application against Slovenia over judicial recusal

LJUBLJANA - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has admitted an application against Slovenia over an alleged violation of the right to a fair hearing. The case concerns Constitutional Court judge Rok Čeferin's failure to exclude himself from a case, the STA has learnt from the State Attorney's Office. It said it received the Kodrič vs. Slovenia application from the EHCR two weeks ago, but could not reveal any other details. However, the STA has learnt from a source speaking unofficially that the ECHR has proposed that Slovenia reach a damages settlement with the plaintiff.

Minister vows to boost primary healthcare

LJUBLJANA - Marking World Health Day, Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced efforts to strengthen primary healthcare that would address the needs of all, including most vulnerable groups. Slovenia has been monitoring the situation regarding health inequalities since 2011. Public health had significantly improved in the past decade until the Covid-19 epidemic, he said, lauding the country's achievements in this area. However, when it comes to groups of higher socio-economic standing improvements in this respect have been faster, meaning individuals of different backgrounds have been meeting their health potential to varying degrees, Poklukar noted.

One in five students expresses interest in self-testing

LJUBLJANA - Preliminary inquiries by the Education Ministry into the sentiment towards the announced self-testing of students show that around 22% of pupils of the final three years of primary school and 18.5% of secondary school students would self-test. Meanwhile, several civil initiatives are opposed the planned measure. The ministry noted in presenting the results of the inquiry that this was not the final expression of interest in self-testing that would be performed voluntarily at home.

Slovenia hit by record low temps for April

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia woke up to an unseasonably cold morning with temperatures dipping into the 20s below zero in the south of the country in what is the coldest April morning on record. The lowest morning temperature, -20.6 degrees, was recorded in Nova Vas in southern Slovenia, the lowest April temperature on record, and trailed closely by -19.8 degrees in nearby Babno Polje, the site of the previous all-time April record low from 1970, said the Environment Agency (ARSO).

Resolution ready on Slovenia's climate strategy until 2050

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning published a resolution on Slovenia's long-term climate strategy until 2050. One of the goals is for the country to become climate neutral and resilient to climate change by 2050. In line with the resolution, which is to be discussed by the government, Slovenia will manage its energy and natural resources efficiently while preserving a high level of competitiveness of its low-carbon circular economy. The society will be based on renewable and low-carbon energy sources, sustainable mobility and locally produced food, among a number of other goals.

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07 Apr 2021, 12:27 PM

New Book Examines Rise of Hitlerism in Štajerska

STA, 7 April 2021 - Historian Mateja Ratej has published a book about the rise of Hitlerism in the broader Maribor area in the 1930s. She sees some parallels between that era and the present health crisis, in particular with regard to the erosion of people's trust in established authorities.

Entitled Swastika on a Cemetery Wall, the book was presented in an online talk from the Maribor Library on Wednesday after being recently published by Beletrina.

Ratej said that Hitlerism in the Slovenian population in the region of Štajerska had manifested primarily in sympathising with how the Nazis were delivering order, creating an illusion of a better life in a German state under Hitler.

"When Maribor Germans in the 1930s started leaning towards Nazism, they were followed by many of their Slovenian workers and servants out of loyalty, economic dependence and in hope of greater welfare," the historian said.

The spread of pro-Hitler propaganda in that period is discernible in the files of the Maribor District Court, as Hitlerism was a prohibited political activity in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Some of these files are featured in the book, showing how simple slogans about a better life under Hitler managed to create a specific social climate in which tensions had been gradually raised in the decade preceding the Second World War.

Wikipedia, public domain

Nemška_vojska_koraka_po_mariborskih_ulicah.jpg

German soldiers on Maribor ulica

German soliders crossing from Austria into Slovenia, entering Maribor

The Maribor-based historian noted that there had not been much of a response to the book so far.

"It is possible that even 80 years later we are still not ready to accept the fact that many Slovenians, despite all the horrors that we suffered under the Nazi order, had been swearing by that same order."

The author draws many parallels with the current health crisis, including the many conspiracy theories being circulated among people that are attempting to explain reality, as there is no underlying trust in the established authorities.

Ratej added that very similar trends could be seen in newspapers from the pre-WWII period, meaning that the fight for truth and the media war is nothing new, it is merely another instance of raised tensions in society.

"People are, however, not aware of this to a sufficient extent, much like they were oblivious to it in the 1930s," the author warned.

07 Apr 2021, 12:07 PM

Jožef Stefan Institute Researchers Publish Major Papers in Nature and Science

STA, 6 April 2021 - The Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) has announced that it had articles by its researchers published in Nature and Science, two of the most prestigious international scientific journals, in a span of only two days, in what is considered a remarkable achievement for Slovenia.

In the last ten years, the country's prime scientific institute has seen its researchers publish in Nature and Science eleven times, or one a year on average.

This means that the publication of two articles in two days is an exceptional achievement, the IJS said in a press release on Tuesday after holding an online press conference.

In the Nature journal, Uroš Cvelbar and his colleagues from South Korea report about a surprising discovery that it is possible to stabilise instabilities in fluids by means of ionised gas jet or the use of plasma in a paper titled “Stabilization of liquid instabilities with ionized gas jets”.

According to the IJS, these findings could help improve many industrial processes that include gas jets, such as production of steel, reactive propulsion system, reactive pumps etc.

Meanwhile, Dušan Turk of the institute's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Structural Biology Department and his international colleagues present in the Science journal a study that inspires hope in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The article entitled "X-ray screening identifies active site and allosteric inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease" focuses on development of drugs or active substances that could ease the symptoms or cure Covid-19 patients.

The IJS said that both articles had attracted a lot of international attention, with the one in Nature having been read by more than 1,300 researchers and being mentioned in blogs and on social media platforms.

The article in Science, available at here, is gaining even more traction as its subject is very topical and because it inspires the hope that a large step has been taken towards finding a cure for Covid-19, the research centre added.

In search of a drug against Covid-19, the consortium of 30 institutions led by Germany's DESY and the University of Hamburg performed a high-throughput X-ray crystallographic screen of two repurposing drug libraries against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is essential for viral replication.

The screen tested already approved drugs and drugs in clinical trials and identified 37 compounds that bind to Mpro. In subsequent cell-based viral reduction assays, some compounds showed antiviral activity at non-toxic concentrations.

The scientists identified two allosteric binding sites representing attractive targets for drug development against SARS-CoV-2, with Turk saying today he expected the eleven substances the researchers highlighted to be embraced by medical or pharmaceutical experts to try to validate them in practice.

"If certain substances have already been validated and are in general use, they have been validated under certain conditions for a certain disease, while now it should be checked under what conditions they are also suitable for another disease and how effective they are."

07 Apr 2021, 11:58 AM

Upper Chamber Fails to Veto Changes to Water Act, Referendum Still Possible

STA, 6 April 2021 - The upper chamber of parliament has failed to veto the controversial amendments to the water law that were recently passed in the National Assembly and that are being challenged with a referendum motion by civil initiatives.

The proposal to veto the changes came from an interest group representing non-economic services which agrees with experts and civil society that they are not based on appropriate arguments or efforts to pursue comprehensive water management goals.

The group is bothered the most with the provision that pertains to construction of simple facilities and facilities in public use on water, coastal and riparian [wetland] areas.

National councillor Matjaž Gams said during Tuesday's debate that the changes were opposed by experts, as that they were too vague and "open the door too wide to foreign capital to build around the most beautiful gems in Slovenia."

He also noted that NGOs had made the first step towards calling a legislative referendum on the changes. "If you ask me, I think that the referendum will succeed ... as all people are telling me that water is of key importance."

Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak meanwhile said that the main purpose of the changes was to increase funds for regular watercourse maintenance and management and flood control measures, including from the water fund.

"We would have EUR 22 million annually for watercourse maintenance, which is two to three times than now," the minister said, adding that the proposal for the veto was based on arguments that were not true.

Vizjak argued that it is not true that the changes expand the possibility of development of water, coastal and riparian areas.

"This proposal narrows the possibility of construction in coastal areas," as it will be possible to build only facilities in public use under certain conditions, while now even private construction is possible, he added.

The group representing local interests also opposed the veto, saying that the changes would enable municipalities to have a greater say about what was happening around protected watercourses, while also receiving more funds for their management.

Welcoming the non-veto, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said it agreed with the regulation for construction in coastal areas where numerous conditions, including protection of groundwater, would need to be met.

The GZS said in a press release it advocated "preservation of coastal and riparian areas in a regulated general public use" and supported "decisions on possible development of that land being argued with expert decisions."

The vote on the veto motion that was supported by 14 and rejected by 19 national councillors coincides with the filing of almost 43,000 signatures in support of a referendum on the changes by two civil initiatives.

This is more than enough for the proposals to move to the next stage of proceedings, while a representative of one of the initiatives also announced today that they were prepared to challenge the legislation at the Constitutional Court.

For this reason, some councillors argued that it is better to examine the entire act once more, coordinate it and confirm it once again, instead of it being subjected to a referendum in which the initiators would probably be successful.

Vizjak said that in the case of a referendum he was "looking forward to explaining" and that he was ready to join any debate with expert arguments. "I trust in the common sense of Slovenians that they will make the right decision," he added.

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