One of the basic responsibilities of the Government Office for Legislation is to consider draft laws and other acts that the government submits to the National Assembly or those that the National Assembly submits to the government in order to obtain its opinion, and drafts of legal acts issued by the government and ministers in order to ascertain compliance with the constitution and the legal system, as well as with the acquis and with technical legal rules. The Government Office for Legislation also deals with issues relating to the development of the legal system and, in cooperation with the government and line ministries, ensures adherence to constitutional principles and to legality.

In line with Article 8a of the Rules of Procedure of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (OJ RS, No. 43/01, 23/02 – amend., 54/03, 103/03, 114/04, 26/06 and 21/07) government materials must, prior to being submitted for debate by the government, be coordinated with the relevant ministries and government offices. Drafts of general acts and acts relating to the work of the government must always be coordinated in advance with the Ministry of Finance and the Government Office for Legislation. Only when it is not possible, after obtaining the opinions of the ministers and government offices that have been involved, to reach an agreement or when coordination in advance is impossible due to the urgent nature of the procedure, can materials that have not been harmonised be submitted for government debate.

Every ministry and government office approached must offer its opinion on the material drawn up within 14 days at the latest of having received it, otherwise it shall be considered that the ministry or office agrees with the content of the material.

In the case of general acts and acts on the government’s work, the opinion of the Government Office for Legislation must be obtained again if during the prior inter-ministerial coordination the material has changed. The new opinion must be delivered within five working days at the latest after the receipt of the amended material, otherwise it shall be deemed that the amended material is harmonised.

Material submitted for inter-ministerial and inter-office coordination must be drawn up in line with the provisions of Article 8 of the Rules of Procedure of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (OJ of RS, No. 43/01, 23/02 – amend., 54/03, 103/03, 114/04, 26/06 and 21/07) and Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the Instructions on the implementation of the provisions of the Rules of Procedure of the Government of Slovenia No. 8.

This signifies in particular the following:

- the material must bear an EVA number (the number in the Record of Government Material);
- the form Statement on the compliance of the drafted law or implementing regulation with the acquis, which is completed in the Register of Legal Acts in Force, must be attached to the material;
- in the case of a draft law or implementing regulation with which provisions of a Directive are transposed into Slovenia’s legal order, a correlation table must be attached to the material.

Only complete material shall be considered by the Government Office for Legislation as material sent for prior coordination in line with Article 8a of the Rules of Procedure, and the Office shall deliver its comments within the deadline specified in this Article.