The Implementation of the Directive on Restructuring and Insolvency in the Republic of Slovenia

Predlog novele ZFPPIPP-H je pripravilo Ministrstvo za pravosodje z namenom uskladitve slovenske insolvenčne zakonodaje s pravom Evropske unije. S ciljem prispevati k pravilnemu delovanju notranjega trga je bila namreč leta 2019 na ravni Evropske unije sprejeta Direktiva o prestrukturiranju in insolventnosti. Kot izhaja iz njenih uvodnih določb, je Direktiva o prestrukturiranju in insolventnosti harmonizacijsko sredstvo, katerega namen je zagotoviti: (i) dolžnikom v finančnih težavah, ki so sposobni preživeti, dostop do učinkovitih nacionalnih okvirov preventivnega prestrukturiranja, ki jim omogočajo nadaljnje poslovanje(ii) da pošteni dolžniki po razumnem obdobju lahko izkoristijo popoln odpust dolgov, s čimer se jim omogoči druga priložnostter (iii) da se izboljša učinkovitost postopkov prestrukturiranja, postopkov zaradi insolventnosti in postopkov za odpust dolgov. Temeljna novost, ki jo sledeč usmeritvi Direktive o prestrukturiranju in insolventnosti, da je treba dolžnikom omogočiti učinkovito prestrukturiranje v zgodnji fazi, predvideva predlog novele ZFPPIPP-H, je postopek sodnega prestrukturiranja zaradi odprave grozeče insolventnosti. Ta bo tako, poleg že obstoječega postopka preventivnega prestrukturiranja, na voljo dolžnikom v primeru, ko še niso insolventni, a je verjetno, da bodo postali insolventni. Pomembnejša predvidena rešitev, ki je usmerjena k izboljšanju učinkovitosti postopkov prestrukturiranja, je tudi ukinitev postopka poenostavljene prisilne poravnave in uvedba postopka prisilne poravnave za malo gospodarstvo. Slednja je sad spoznanja, da so v preteklosti nepošteni dolžniki z lahkoto zlorabljali institut poenostavljene prisilne poravnave, in poskus, da bi take zlorabe v bodoče preprečili.A draft bill introducing amendments to the Financial Operations, Insolvency Proceedings and Compulsory Dissolution Act (ZFPPIPP-H) has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice in order to bring the Slovenian insolvency legislation in conformity with the Directive on restructuring and insolvency. The said directive was adopted by the EU in 2019 with the aim of contributing to the proper functioning of the internal market. It stems from its recitals that the Directive on restructuring and insolvency is a harmonization tool aimed at ensuring that: (i) viable debtors who are in financial difficulties have access to effective national preventive restructuring frameworks which enable them to continue operating(ii) honest debtors can benefit from a full discharge of debt after a reasonable period of time, thereby allowing them a second chanceand that (iii) the effectiveness of procedures concerning restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt is improved. For the purpose of fulfilling the objective of the Directive on restructuring and insolvency to offer access to effective national preventive restructuring frameworks to debtors at an early stage, the draft bill proposes the introduction of the judicial restructuring procedure. Thus, the new judicial restructuring procedure will be available to debtors in case of a likelihood of insolvency alongside the already existing preventive restructuring procedure. It is also important to note that the draft bill proposes the deletion of the simplified compulsory settlement procedure and the introduction of the compulsory settlement procedure for small economies. The latter proposal is the consequence of the realisation that in the past the simplified compulsory settlement procedure was often misused by dishonest debtors and constitutes an attempt to discourage debtors from repeating such actions in the future