SLOVENIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Vesna Cukrov and Veronika Cukrov, Law Firm Cukrov (Odvetniška družba Cukrov o.p., d.o.o.)
2. Governing Legislation 2.1 Governing Law
on hydraulic stimulation for hydrocarbon exploration and production. On this basis, the tribunal rejected in its entirety the claim of EUR598.7 million. The Ascent Resources Plc and Ascent Slovenia Ltd v Republic of Slovenia case is significant not only from the standpoint of international arbitration but also car - ries considerable importance for environmental law. As of 30 July 2026, the content of the award rendered on 7 July 2026 had not been made publicly available; the statements herein are based on the claimant’s stock exchange disclosure and the public remarks of the State Attorney’s Office of 8 July 2026. 1.3 Arbitration Institutions In Slovenia, the Ljubljana Arbitration Centre at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (LAC) is the leading institutional arbitration body for the reso - lution of commercial disputes. In addition to domestic disputes, it also administers international commercial disputes where the parties have agreed to submit their dispute to its jurisdiction. Its arbitral awards may be recognised and enforced abroad under the New York Convention, provided that the applicable legal require - ments are met. No new arbitral institution has been established in Slo - venia during the past year. 1.4 National Courts Slovenia does not have specialised courts designated exclusively to hear disputes relating to international or domestic arbitration, such as international commer - cial courts or specialised arbitration courts. Matters concerning arbitration, including court assistance and judicial supervision of arbitral proceedings, are dealt with by the competent ordinary courts in accordance with the Slovenian Arbitration Act and the general rules on court jurisdiction. Depending on the nature of the matter, jurisdiction may lie with the district courts, while appeals are heard by the higher courts. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia also plays an important role in ensuring the consist - ent interpretation and application of arbitration law through its case law.
Both domestic and international arbitration in the Republic of Slovenia are comprehensively governed by the Slovenian Arbitration Act. The Act was adopted in 2008 and is largely based on the modern UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration. The Slovenian Arbitration Act does not depart from the UNCITRAL Model Law in any significant respect. It was drafted with the intention of closely following the Model Law, and any deviations are limited to provi - sions necessary to accommodate the Slovenian legal system, such as those concerning the jurisdiction of national courts and procedural matters. These adap - tations do not affect the fundamental principles of the UNCITRAL Model Law. The Slovenian Arbitration Act does not, however, generally apply to investment treaty arbitrations in which Slovenia acts as the respondent. Such pro - ceedings are generally conducted under a distinct, self-contained international legal regime. This is illus - trated by Ascent Resources Plc and Ascent Slovenia Ltd v Republic of Slovenia , in which the claim was brought under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) and the 1996 bilateral investment treaty between the United Kingdom and Slovenia, and the proceedings them - selves were conducted under the ICSID Convention and the 2022 ICSID Arbitration Rules, which apply to proceedings instituted after 1 July 2022. Investment treaty arbitration of this kind therefore operates inde - pendently of both the Slovenian Arbitration Act and the national court system. 2.2 Changes to National Law No significant amendments to the Slovenian Arbi - tration Act have been adopted during the past year. Likewise, there is currently no pending legislation that would substantially alter the arbitration framework in Slovenia. At this point, in light of the recent arbitral award in Ascent Resources Plc and Ascent Slovenia Ltd v Republic of Slovenia , it is significant to add that Slo - venia has withdrawn from the ECT. The withdrawal took effect on 14 October 2024, while the withdrawal of the EU and Euratom took effect on 28 June 2025.
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