The municipalities participating in joint municipal administrations have received a total of €13,434,839.72 in funding under decisions issued by the Ministry of Public Administration that was responsible for local self-government before the formation of the new government. In response to the requests submitted by municipalities, the ministry issued a total of 233 funding decisions, providing financial incentives for municipalities participating in 37 joint municipal administrations. Overall, 203 municipalities are involved in the initiative.

The government provides financial incentives to support joint municipal administrations and the delivery of 12 joint services. The level of co-financing depends on the number of services provided by a joint municipal administration for the founding municipalities.

Individual municipality is eligible for co-financing if it participates in a joint municipal administration together with at least three other municipalities that deliver at least one service. Each municipality is eligible for the co-financing of30% of a joint management body’s staff costs.The rate of co-financing increases by 5 percentage points for each additional service delivered, with the maximum rate of co-financing not surpassing 55%.

Joint municipal administration is a form of inter-municipal cooperation with a long-standing tradition and is an important arrangement of local self-government. It can help municipalities consolidate resources, streamline operations and spread fixed costs over a larger population base, reducing overall expenditure while improving service quality and reliability.

Minister for Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development said: “Joint municipal administrations are among the most successful forms of inter-municipal cooperation in Slovenia. They enhance the efficiency of service delivery, improve access to services for residents and promote the effective and responsible use of public funds. We are committed to further promoting the various forms of inter-municipal cooperation that improve the quality and effectiveness oflocal self-government.”

The principle of inter-municipal co-operation was defined in Slovenia’s legislation as early as 1994. Financial incentives offered since 2005 have driven a significant uptake in joint municipal administration in Slovenia. The number of municipalities participating in joint municipal administrations has grown considerably over the years, accompanied by a steady increase in the amount of financial incentives provided for this purpose. In 2006, municipalities received €0.5 million in financial incentives for joint municipal administrations. By 2020, the amount had risen to €6.1 million, and now stands at €13,434,839.72.

The figures below illustrate the growth in the number of joint municipal administrations, the funding allocated to support them, the number of employees, and the distribution of employees per type of service delivered for municipalities participating in joint municipal administrations.

Number of joint municipal administrations and number of municipalities involved by years |Author Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development