"At the occasion of the World Environment Day the organisations members of the network of Slovenian non-governmental environmental organisations Plan B for Slovenia have switched off their phones, and blacked out their websites and social networks," is written at the "switched off" website of the Umanotera environmental organisation. It is a symbolic action by which the Slovenian environmentalists wish to draw attention to the unsupportable state of financing of non-governmental environmental organisations.
The entire sum the state distributed to the non-governmental sector in 2013 amounts to 98 million euros, but the non-governmental organisations under the Ministry of Environment received only 0.07% of this amount. In 2014 they received, based on a call for applications, only a little more than 48,000 euros, namely the largest Slovenian non-governmental environmental organisations got 5,000 euros of state funds each. Therefore they have decided to appeal to the government at the occasion of the World Environment Day, June 5.
Less European funds
The Slovenian environmentalists were in the past mostly financed from the European funds, but the situation has changed, explained Gaja Brecelj from Umanotera. Slovenia became the donor of the funds, and ceased being a recipient.
While the other non-governmental organisations are financed by sponsors as well, protectors of the environment are hardly appealing for this kind of financing. They also need to preserve their independence, and cannot accept sponsorship from potential polluters of the environment. Furthermore, Slovenia is less developed in the field of donations compared to other countries.
250 non-governmental environmentalists
The director of the centre of non-governmental organisations CNVOS Goran Fabrici said that there are 250 environmental organisations in Slovenia, i.e. less than 1% of all the Slovenian non-governmental organisation, the number of which is 26,000. While the environmental non-government organisations receive only 15% of public funds, the others receive approximately 38%. 92% of the non-governmental organisations have no employees.
Gregor Cerar
Translated by G. K.
