The project will get EUR 5m from the European Cohesion Fund.

The project, dubbed Sinica, the Slovenian name for titmouse, aims to ensure a comprehensive monitoring system of air pollution and the setting up of a basis for planning policies and measures to improve air quality in line with the Slovenian and European laws.

A uniform system will be set up to monitor the spreading and converting of emissions and to measure the level of pollutants in the air, the office said.

Slovenia is faced with high levels of air pollution because of mass use of outdated heating devices in households and intensive transit and local road traffic.

According to estimates, the halving of particle levels would increase life expectancy in the most affected areas by up to one year.