ZSRR-2 and the Regulation on the implementation of endogenous regional policy specify the conditions and procedures for financing problem areas with high unemployment. These are areas where, due to internal structural problems or external influences, economic situation has deteriorated and the registered unemployment rate reached a critical threshold of 17%. In the Zasavje region municipalities Trbovlje and Hrastnik had been defined as problem areas.
 
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia had on the 19^th of May 2016, No. 00726-14 / 2016/5, adopted the Decision on additional temporary development support actions for problem areas with high unemployment (Official Gazette of RS, no. 36/16), on the basis of which the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje (HRT) were specified as a problem area with high unemployment, where in the period from 2013 to 2020, additional temporary development support actions are being implemented. With the mentioned Decision the Program for the promotion of competitiveness and development support actions for the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje for the period 2013-2018 prolonged until 2020. Upon entry into force of the Decision on additional temporary development support actions for problem areas with high unemployment (Official Gazette of RS, no. 36/16) the Decision on additional temporary development support actions for problem areas with high unemployment (Official Gazette of RS, no. 63/13) expired.
 
For problem areas with high unemployment the following interim development support measures have been accepted:

• Action 1: Program for the promotion of competitiveness of the problem area with high unemployment implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology for the municipalities of HRT during the period 2013 to 2020 in the total amount of 10.374.000 euros of grants and 18.626.000 euros of reimbursable funds.
• Action 2: Reimbursement of employer's contributions for social security on the basis of Article 27 of the Law on Balanced Regional Development (Official Gazette of RS, no. 20/11) implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities through the Employment service of Slovenia.
• Action 3: Tax deductions for employment on the basis of Article 28 of the Law on Balanced Regional Development, implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology through the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.
• Action 4: Tax deductions for investments on the basis of Article 28 of the Law on Balanced Regional Development, implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology through the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.
• Action 5: Incentives for sustainable rural development in the framework of the implementation of local development, administered by the community and co-financed from European funds and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology from the European regional development Fund (ERDF) in the next framework extent: for the municipalities of HRT during the period 2014 to 2020 in the total amount of 347.000 euros of grants from the EAFRD (of which for the area LAG Posavje 254.151,00 euros  and for the area LAG Zasavje 92.388,75 euros) and 766.000 euros of grant from the ERDF.
• Action 6: Transport and energy infrastructure, implemented by the Ministry of Infrastructure in the next framework extent: for the municipalities of HRT during the period 2013 to 2020 in the total amount of 7.507.866 euros.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia had on the 23^th of June 2016, No. 30301-4 / 2016/6, adopted a resolution amending the Programme to foster competitiveness and development support measures for the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje in 2013-2020.
 
With the amendments to the Programme to foster competitiveness and development support measures for the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje in 2013-2020 the proposed instruments substantively coordinate with the instruments action No. 1 - Programme for the promotion of competitiveness of the problem area with high unemployment Decision on additional temporary development support actions for problem areas with high unemployment (Official Gazette of RS, no. 36/16).
The Programme to foster competitiveness and development support measures for the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje in 2013-2020 includes the following instruments, which are now being implemented in all the problem areas with high unemployment:

• Instrument 1: Grants to encourage investments
• Instrument 2: The favourable development credits for investments
• Instrument 3: Subsidies for start-ups
• Instrument 4: Microcredits
• Instrument 5: Promotion of the area, attracting foreign and domestic investors and the implementation of the program
• Instrument 6: Entrepreneurialy into the world of business Hrastnik, Radeče, Trbovlje (EIWB HRT), which is a regional specific instrument.

The total assets of the Programme for the promotion of competitiveness for the municipalities of Hrastnik, Radeče and Trbovlje during the period 2013 to 2020 amount to 29 million euros, whereby the height of grant forms of financing is 10,374 million euros, while the amount of repayable funding is 18,626 million euros. The financial framework of the program follows the trajectory that the grants are being replaced with return sources of financing.
 
Source: website of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (www.mgrt.gov.si/si/delovna_podrocja/regionalni_razvoj/regionalna_politika/problemsko_obmocje_obcin_hrastnik_radece_in_trbovlje)
 
More information on info@rra-zasavje.si.