1. Economy situation
Slovenia, with its small transition economy and population of approximately two million, is a model of economic success and stability for its neighbors in the former Yugoslavia. After adopting the Euro in 2006, Slovenia has experienced one of the most stable political and economic transitions in Central and Southeastern Europe and it has one of the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe (around 80% of the EU-level). On the other side, there are only few foreign direct investments and the Slovenian economy has been severely hurt by the European economy crisis, started in late 2000s. Seeking to accelerate the economic recovery process in the beginning of February 2010, the government adopted the Slovenian Exit Strategy for 2010–2013. The outlook now is very bleak. After Slovenia went into recession in 2011, the economy will shrink further in 2012/2013.
The industrial sector accounts for approximately 26% of total GDP. The traditional primary industries of agriculture, forestry and fishing comprise a comparatively low 2.5 percent of GDP and engage only 6 percent of the population. Forests cover 59.8 % of Slovenia’s surface area and the growing trend of surface areas being covered by forests is continuing. Thus, in terms of forest cover, Slovenia is in the third place in Europe, after Sweden and Finland.
2. Current situation and structure of the energy market
The rapid increase in electricity supply in Slovenia has been determined by increasing industry, public and household electricity demands. In 2011 the Slovenian energy market relied on oil (34.5%), coal (22.8%) and gas (11.3%), whereas nuclear energy (20.8%) and renewable energy
References: - Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (2011): “SI-STAT Data Portal” http://pxweb.stat.si/pxweb/Database/Environment/Environment.asp - National Renewable Energy Action Plan 2010 – 2020