In a press release, GRECO said that the decision was taken "against the background of a procedural initiative by the National Council to start investigating the 'political responsibility of state prosecutors and judges'."

In mid-June the Nation Council, the upper chamber of parliament, demanded that an investigating commission be established to look into potential political motives of criminal cases brought against councillor Franc Kangler.

The proponent of the motion said that something must be off if a person had been charged twenty times and never found guilty, as if "somebody had been ordered to do this". Kangler, a former mayor of Maribor, has been a suspect in several corruption cases.

An investigating commission must be approved by the National Assembly if it is demanded by a third of MPs or the National Council. The demand was approved in the 40-member National Council with 20 votes in favour and none against.

GRECO, which urged Slovenia to share any additional information by the end of the month, was informed about the initiative for the commission by the head of Slovenia's delegation at GRECO Vita Habjan Barborič upon the initiative of the state prosecution.

She told the STA in a statement that GRECO had already evaluated separation of powers in Slovenia in the past, with Slovenia meeting the recommendations to a satisfactory degree.

Habjan Barborič also said that once Slovenia produces addition explanations, a pair of rapporteurs will be appointed to examine the documents and come to Slovenia to conduct interviews if needed.

The evaluation is expected for this autumn, before the adoption of reports for the December plenary, GRECO said.