The Master’s thesis examines the application of the General Administrative Procedure Act in public utility service providers of the Municipality of Ljubljana. The purpose is to identify when the Act, as a fundamental procedural framework (Articles 1–4), applies directly, where sectoral regulations introduce specific rules, and where gaps emerge between legal norms and practice. The methodology combines legal-dogmatic analysis (General Administrative Procedure Act, Public Utilities Act, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Protocol No. 26, Article 106 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, case law, especially the Altmark judgment), document review, and an empirical study with a survey and interviews in Energetika Ljubljana, VOKA SNAGA, Ljubljana Public Transport, and ŽALE.
The results reveal inconsistencies in the application of procedural rules. The number of decisions decreased from 3,746 in 2021 to 2,687 in 2023, while more than half of respondents reported that their organizations did not issue any decisions at all. Adjustments mainly concern applications, deadlines, and forms, while systemic solutions remain rare. The research is limited to the Municipality of Ljubljana, the period 2021–2023 and relies on self-reported data.
The thesis proposes the standardization of forms, deadlines, and the service of documents, the adoption of internal guidelines, the establishment of a catalogue of deviations, targeted training, and digitalization. Such measures would strengthen legal certainty, foster greater consistency in practice, and ensure a balance between the public interest and the rights of individuals.
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