This publication was prepared by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), led by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui. It was produced as part of the programme of work of the Regional Development Policy Committee. The project was funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument, and implemented by the OECD, in co-operation with the European Commission.
The report was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development (MCRD) of Slovenia. The OECD expresses particular gratitude to Andreja Jenko for overall leadership and strategic direction throughout the project, and to Srečko Đurov, State Secretary, responsible for regional development, Robert Drobnič, Director General of the Directorate for Regional Development, Metka Šošterič (Head of the Regional Development Planning Division), Janez Topolšek and Jernej Prevc (MCRD), Mojca Šteblaj and Bojan Suvorov from the Directorate of Cohesion (MCRD) as well as Matjaž Ribaš, Director of the Regional Development Fund, for their support. The OECD also thanks the European Commission, in particular Martha Cambas (Secretariat-General for Structural Reform Support - SG REFORM), and Mihaela Beer-Nichelson, Gašper Kavšek and Martina Repnik (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy - DG REGIO) for their co-operation throughout the project.
The report was co-ordinated by Fernando Riaza under the direction of José Enrique Garcilazo, Head of the Regional and Rural Policy Unit in the Regional Development and Multi-level Governance Division, led by Dorothée Allain-Dupré. The report was drafted by Bridget Donovan (Chapter 1), Andrés Sanabria and Paul Baker (Ecorys) (Chapter 2), and Fernando Riaza (Chapter 3 and Chapter 4). The report benefited from input and comments provided by Maria Varinia Michalun, Josh Wood, Geoff Upton and colleagues within CFE and other OECD directorates, as well as peer reviewers. The publication process was led by Jack Waters, the report was edited by Romy de Courtay and communications support was provided by Roxana Glavanov. The OECD also thanks Paul Baker (Ecorys) for participation in field missions and technical support during the project implementation.
The OECD is grateful to the Directors and staff of the Regional Development Agency of Zasavje (RDA Zasavje), led by Anja Šerc, and the Development Agency of SAŠA (DA SAŠA), directed by Biljana Škarja, for collaboration, data provision and engagement throughout the project. The OECD also acknowledges the support of the Just Transition Centre in Zasavje, including Martin Šikovc and Maja Čepič Žnidar, and the Just Transition Centre in SAŠA, including Janja Burkelc and Sara Pirnat, which facilitated stakeholder consultations and informed the assessment of implementation challenges and opportunities.
The OECD thanks representatives from Slovenia’s national and subnational governments, including officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy. The OECD is also grateful for the participation of municipalities and municipal associations, including the mayors of Zasavska (Zoran Poznič of Trbovlje, Matjaž Švagan of Zagorje ob Savi and Franci Rokavec of Litija) and the ten mayors of SAŠA, as well as regional development councils, research institutions and universities, business associations and chambers of commerce, mining companies (including Premogovnik Velenje and the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant, TEŠ) and other firms, trade unions (SPESS and the TEŠ union), and civil society organisations and community representatives from the Savinjsko-Šaleška and Zasavska coal regions.
The report benefited from discussions held during two missions and three workshops conducted between December 2024 and November 2025, which brought together stakeholders to reflect on transition challenges, share practices and develop recommendations. The OECD thanks all participants for their contributions.