Moreover, the pollution and noise of traffic are the cause of numerous illnesses, the Public Health Institute (IVZ) added. According to Nataša Kovač of ARSO, greenhouse emissions caused by traffic have been in decline since 2008 both in Slovenia and the rest of the EU, in the wake of the economic crisis.

This should allow Slovenia to meet the Kyoto Protocol objectives, she noted.

Furthermore, the growing intensity of road traffic, a major factor in pollution, also settled after the crisis started in 2008.

However, the biggest state investments are focused on state roads, which contributed to the loss of competitiveness of the public transportation system, which could have helped reduce pollution, Kovač argued.

A number of goals set forth in the EU's white paper on transport will be hard to reach, she said, highlighting the goal of using 10% of renewable fuels in the energy industry by 2020.

According to Kovač, biofuels only account for 2% in Slovenia, while Slovakia is currently closest to the goal among EU members.

Although the pollution through traffic is declining, air quality remains problematic, she noted. The biggest problems are nitrogen oxides and dust particles, especially near the busiest roads and in cities.

Peter Otorepec of the IVZ explained that among other illnesses long-term exposure to air pollution near busy roads increased the risk of asthma in children and the risk of cardio-vascular diseases in adults.

Almost half of Ljubljana's population lives near the busiest roads, he added.