The 1st extraordinary session of the Koroške Regional Council for the 2025/2026 term was held in Podvelka

We were present at the introduction to the presentation of the draft Regional Spatial Plan for the Koroško development region with the associated expert basis, and the presentation of the Environmental Report for the Regional Spatial Plan for the Koroško development region. This time, it was a presentation of the document, which was carried out by a representative of the company LOCUS spatial and information solutions doo.

The RPP represents an important basis for the coordinated development of the region, as it connects local and national interests and defines priority areas for the development of individual activities. Special emphasis is placed on improving accessibility, developing the economy and exploiting natural and cultural potentials, which represent an important opportunity for the further development of tourism and the quality of life in the region. An important part of the preparation of the RPP is also the definition of a polycentric network of centers, which represents the basis for planning activities, services and transport connections at the regional level. Another public presentation will be held in the future, scheduled for the end of the year. The purpose is to involve the general public through the public publication of documents. The operational implementation of the coordination is planned for the summer. Comments have already been submitted by the Slovenj Gradec City Council, the Dravograd Municipalities and the Mislinja Municipalities.

This was followed by an introduction to the critical situation at the Department of Internal Medicine of the Slovenj Gradec General Hospital . The hospital director, Topler , presented the key challenges facing the institution. He warned that more and more internists are leaving the hospital, there are fewer and fewer human resources, while the number of patients is increasing. He also highlighted the organization of continuous healthcare and the lack of readiness of health centers to cooperate as one of the problems.

Dr. Mojškerc explained that the hospital had carried out all possible internal reorganizations, but this was no longer enough to ensure smooth operation. He warned of the seriousness of the situation last year, and since then five more internists had left the hospital. By June 2026, the situation had become so critical that they were forced to call a press conference.

He stressed that the Slovenian healthcare system is organizationally divided into two parts: hospitals operate under the Ministry of Health, while health centres are under the jurisdiction of municipalities. Such an arrangement often causes problems in cooperation and coordination of operations. He also drew attention to the position of the emergency centre, which represents a secondary level of healthcare, but has been placed in a primary level environment, and in his opinion its mission and role have never been clearly defined.

An additional problem is the lack of medical staff, both doctors and nurses. If the staffing shortage is not addressed, he estimates that there is a risk that the internal medicine department could be forced to limit or even cease operations within six months.

He also called on mayors to encourage health centers in their municipalities to cooperate more actively with the hospital and enable the inclusion of specialists in its work. He also emphasized the need for a unified approach of the region to national decision-makers, as Koroška already bears additional burdens in providing accessible health care due to its geographical and transport remoteness.

The Regional Shelter for Abandoned Animals was discussed at Koroškem. At the initiative of the Municipality of Vuzenica, a new proposal was submitted from Radelje ob Dravi. This covers 1,743 m2 of area and is located on Dobrava. This land is currently leased to the association. This proposal on Dobrava is owned by five municipalities: Podvelke, Radelje ob Dravi, Mute, Vuzenice and Ribnice na Pohorju.

A status review of the 3rd development axis project was then conducted.

Statement from Uroš Rozman, director of RRA Koroška:   "In RRA Koroška, we prepared an overview of the status of activities on the 3rd development axis project. We analyzed progress on the entire northern part of the route, from the motorway junction to the Holmec border crossing, which is divided into four sections. We conclude that activities on some sections need to be accelerated. The Slovenj Gradec–Dravograd section requires special attention. The Dravograd–Holmec section has been waiting for a long time for a draft national spatial plan, which will be the basis for a public debate. This will be followed by the adoption of the national spatial plan, which, in our opinion, could be completed as soon as next year. This would mean the adoption of all national spatial plans for the northern part of the 3rd development axis, which represents a key basis for further activities."

On the Velenje–Slovenj Gradec section, construction is proceeding according to plan, as all construction sites are open. However, the section between Velenje and the motorway is of greater concern, where procedures are being delayed due to unacquired land and building permits. As a result, it is expected that the completion of this part of the project will be significantly delayed. This means that we will be forced to drive on the state road to Ljubljana for at least some time.

This was followed by a review of the implementation of the Agreement for the Development of the Koroške Development Region 2021–2027 and a report on the implementation of the Regional Development Program for the Koroško Development Region 2021–2027 in 2025.

Director of RRA Koroška , Rozman , explained that Koroška was the first region to distribute funds under the Regional Development Agreement among individual projects within the region, and it was among the most successful. Most of the projects have already been submitted to the relevant ministries, only three have not yet been submitted.

He warned that the procedures are lengthy, and the comments that municipalities receive from line ministries are often very extensive. He also announced that together with the mayors, they will submit an initiative to the competent minister to simplify and speed up the procedures so that municipalities receive project approvals and approved funds as soon as possible.

He also emphasized that the state is responsible for the timely absorption of European funds, as otherwise part of the available funds could be lost, which, in his opinion, is unacceptable.

The director of RRA Koroška, Rozman , then presented an initiative for a regional approach to the development of on-call transport . As examples of good practices, he highlighted the services of Fura Ravne, Zdravobus Dravograd and transport for the elderly, which are already implemented in some municipalities in the region. He emphasized that the state supports a regional approach in this area and that in the future there will be European funds available for the development of such services, which it would be sensible to use. RRA Koroška has prepared a proposal for an on-call transport system for all three Carinthian valleys.

The mayors agreed to examine the proposal in more detail from the perspective of the needs of individual municipalities and then discuss it at a future meeting. They expressed support for further linking municipalities and developing a common regional approach to on-demand transportation.

Director of RRA Koroška, Rozman also presented a proposal for a regional calendar of events on the destination website koroska.si. He urged those present to consider within their local communities who would be the person to manage this directly on the website within individual municipalities.

At the end, the current presiding mayor of the Pušnik region gave a short report on the work in the 2025/2026 term and handed over the presidency to the Municipality of Prevalje and its mayor, Dr. Tasič.

Statement by the presiding mayor of the region, Miran Pušnik : " The year of the presidency has passed very quickly. During this time, we have discussed numerous topics that are of key importance for the development of the Koroške region. Among the most important was the Agreement for the Development of the Region, within the framework of which projects are ready for implementation, but we are currently waiting for the state's approval and the final green light to begin implementation. The mandate was also marked by the important topic of establishing a Regional Shelter for Abandoned Animals. I believe that we are on the right track, as a solution is emerging regarding suitable land, which will enable the continuation of the necessary procedures. The preparation of the Regional Spatial Plan is also progressing well. Among the open issues, some demanding and current topics remain, among which the issue of the Slovenj Gradec General Hospital stands out. This is a challenge that the region cannot solve on its own, so we expect an active role and appropriate measures from the state. We are handing over the presidency of the regional council to the Municipality of Prevalje. The mayor there is also actively participating in the working group for the 3rd development axis, so I am confident that the leadership of the region will be in good hands in the coming period.