LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), January 15 (SeeNews) – Slovenia's government, under pressure from the European Union (EU), said it will pay outstanding liabilities to state-owned news agency STA.
In December, STA, which has been accused by prime minister Janez Jansa of biased reporting, said the government had without justified reasons suspended payments for the provision of public service.
STA did not receive payments for its public service for October and November, the news agency said in a statement on Thursday.
"On January 13, the government received a message from European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, indicating the possibility of a positive decision by the European Commission regarding the transfer of state aid to STA," the government said in a statement on Thursday. A payment under the provisions of the seventh COVID-19 package was provisionally granted pending a final decision by the EU Commission, it noted.
According to the government's communications office, UKOM, a contract for the provision of public service with STA for 2021 cannot be signed as the news agency's director Bojan Veselinovic has not provided the necessary documentation on the basis of which the annual financial plan of the news agency is prepared.
"We managed to solve the current complication regarding the financing of STA, which will receive funds for the provision of public service. However, it remains the task and responsibility of all involved to properly regulate the contractual relationship between STA and UKOM in order to avoid the recurrence of such problems," economy minister Zdravko Pocivalsek said in his Twitter account on Thursday.
Earlier, the Slovenian government turned to the EU Commission to inquire whether public service payments to the news agency may constitute illegal state aid after the government adopted an amendment to settle overdue liabilities to STA with financing from the seventh COVID-19 economic stimulus package.
"STA met the development with relief, while making a renewed appeal to the government to provide financing in 2021 without making it dependent on any further conditions," the news agency said on Thursday.
During a daily press briefing on Monday, EC spokesperson Christian Wigand said the situation with STA is being closely monitored and called on member states to refrain from putting any pressure on the media.