Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 173 Chambers in Slovenia – so Similar and yet so Different; A Comparison of Structures and Working Methods Using the Example of the Veterinary Chamber and the Detective Chamber in Republic of Slovenia Key words chambers; Veterinary chamber; Detective chamber Ožbalt Podpečan1, Miha Dvojmoč2* 1Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 2Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Slovenia *Corresponding author: miha.dvojmoc@um.si Abstract: Chambers are associations of legal and natural persons engaged in profitable activity. By definition, they are a community governed by public law that is pursuing a similar activity, founded primarily to protect the interests of its members. In Slovenia, chambers are established to represent persons engaged in various business activities from companies, sole traders, farmers, foresters, craftsmen, private detectives, veteri- narians and similar. The chambers differ slightly from one another, and can essentially be divided into three groups, namely chambers of commerce, professional chambers and mixed-type chambers. The tasks of the chambers, their bodies and their duties, the criteria for membership as well as the termination, financing or acquisition of funds for operation and other important information are specified in their by-laws, the respective law or other legal act. In this article the entire system of chambers of the Republic of Slovenia is presented using the example of three randomly selected chambers that dif- fer in terms of their functioning, the exercise of public powers or financing in general, with the Chamber of Veterinarians and the Detective Chamber being explained in more detail. We have selected these two chambers as we wanted to present one natural sci- ence and one social science chamber. In the comparison between the detective and veterinary chambers, we can therefore research and analyse many aspects that reflect the diversity and specificity of each professional field. One of the reasons, why we have chosen these two chambers is also the fact, that we as authors are or were active mem- bers of our two chosen chambers. The comparison makes it easier to understand how they work, as well as their similarities and differences. We found that not only the cham- bers we selected, but most chambers operate very similarly, perform similar tasks and have many of the same organs required for their functioning. This is probably due to the fact that all chambers in Slovenia have developed or started to develop according to the model of the first chamber – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. Received: 29 January 2024 Accepted: 10 March 2024 Slov Vet Res DOI 10.26873/SVR-1943-2024 UDC 159.955.3:3.075.1:636.09:351.746.2(497.4) Pages: 173—86 Original Research Article Introduction Various definitions of the term "chamber" can be found in in professional literature. According to Virant (1), chambers are registered entities that unite companies or individuals practicing a particular profession on a non-profit basis. The Dictionary of the Slovenian Literary Language (2) states that a chamber is a public-law community of institutions, organ- isations engaged in a similar, related activity, established with the aim of protecting the professional and business 174 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 interests of its members, or a public administration com- munity of people of the same profession, established to protect the interests of its members. The Statute of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia defines a chamber as an independent, voluntary, interest-driven, and non-profit association of legal and natural persons en- gaged in profit-making activities on the market (3). The chamber system in the Republic of Slovenia is extreme- ly important, especially for the members of chambers who perform certain activities, whether they are companies, sole traders, farmers or foresters, craftsmen, doctors, pri- vate detectives, veterinarians, and many others. Chambers are classified as chambers of commerce, professional chambers and mixed-type chambers (1). All chambers have been established on the basis of certain legal acts or agreements that define the functioning of the chamber, its bodies, the financial resources required for its operation and other information that is important for under- standing the establishment of the chamber and its smooth functioning. In addition to the legal acts, chambers prepare annual reports, work programmes, presentations, rules, codes, standards, and others. The main tasks of the chambers are to achieve the goals and realise the interests of their members. Each chamber also has its own vision, mission and certain fundamental tasks that it pursues. The chambers can also perform cer- tain tasks within the scope of public powers. Public powers are carried out in accordance with the laws governing the chambers’ remit, in accordance with the regulations, and on the basis of an appropriate concession or possibly an authorisation granted to the chamber by the respective competent ministry. One task is the issuing and revoking of licences to practise a particular profession, such as veteri- narian and private detective. The article presents the Slovenian chamber system, focus- ing on the definition of the importance of granting public powers and the role of chambers in Slovenia. It includes a comparison and analysis of three chambers of different types as well as a comparison and detailed presentation of the Veterinary Chamber and the Detective Chamber. Overview of the system of chambers in the Republic of Slovenia and a comparison of the operation of selected chambers of commerce and professional chambers The law according to which the entire system of chambers was developed in Slovenia is the Chambers of Commerce and Industry Act (4), which serves as the basis for the es- tablishment of chambers of commerce as well as profes- sional chambers and mixed-type chambers, which operate according to their own laws. Each chamber a chamber of commerce, professional or mixed-type chamber, has its by- laws that define the general characteristics of the cham- ber, its goals, values, main tasks and the public powers it exercises, the way it is structured, its functioning bodies and their tasks, the financing of the chamber, relationship to legal entities, the rights and obligations of its members and others. The first chamber established after the adoption of the Act was the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije – GZS), which is also the largest chamber in the country with the most members. After its foundation, other chambers of commerce were established. Professional chambers and mixed-type cham- bers were established on the basis of an umbrella law, the by-laws, or the laws under which they operate (1). Depending on their status, method of establishment, pur- pose and obligation of membership, chambers are divided into as public-law and private-law chambers The former are characterised by the fact that, as legal entities under public law, by-law or any other national legal act, or by a decree, and have public powers and can perform tasks in the public interest (1). Within the scope of their powers, they can decide on the rights and obligations of their members. Article 121 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia stipulates that by or on the basis of a law, self-governing associations, companies and other organisations as well as natural persons, may be granted with public authority to perform certain tasks of state administration (5). Within the scope of their public powers, the chambers can keep records, issue certificates, conduct administrative pro- ceedings and issue decisions and regulations. Public pow- ers are awarded by law. One principle that is very important in the exercise of public powers is the principle of legality. This means that all decisions made by a chamber must be legally justified and comply with the content of the legisla- tion. It must also be understood that the chambers do not set their own conditions for granting permits, certificates or licences, but carry out a specific activity prescribed by law and thus only implement the law (1). Private-law chambers, on the other hand, operate accord- ing to the Anglo-American principle, which means that the membership fees are not compulsory and they are pre- dominantly market oriented. They are founded by natural and legal persons on the basis of a private-law act, i.e., a contract, by-laws or some other founding instrument (1). They generally promote the interests of their members in relation to their activities (6). Comparing public-law and private-law chambers, it can be summarised that the former are established by the state through a legal act, while the latter are established by natu- ral and legal persons through a contract or other founding instrument. It is also worth mentioning the implementation Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 175 of tasks: the public-law chambers perform tasks for the en- tire country, whereas private-law chambers focus more on their members and their interests. There are notable differ- ences in terms of membership – it is generally compulsory for public-law and voluntary in private-law chambers (7). In Slovenia we just have public-law chambers, but in some other countries, such as Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland the chambers of commerce are a part of private-law cham- bers (5). According to the type of entity, chambers are categorised as chambers of commerce, professional chambers and a special type of chambers, i.e., so-called mixed-type cham- bers. Chambers of commerce are associations of econom- ic entities, mostly companies, professional chambers are associations of individuals engaged in a professional activ- ity as an independent profession, while mixed-type cham- bers combine economic entities and natural persons who perform a professional activity (1). In Slovenia, chambers of commerce include the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS), under whose auspices there are numerous other chambers and associa- tions as well as the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS), a mixed-type chamber is the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia (KGZS), whereas all the other chambers are professional chambers, such as the Chamber of Engineers, the Chamber of Pharmacy, the Occupational Therapists Chamber, the Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia, the Detective Chamber, the Bar Association, the Slovenian Advertising Chamber, the Social Chamber, the Chamber of Notaries, the Veterinary Chamber, the Medical Chamber and others. Public power is an authorisation to perform certain tasks of the state or municipal administration (8), where the en- tity exercising public powers is determined by law (9). In the case of public powers held by the chambers, individual laws and by-laws of the chambers define and specify the tasks to be performed on the basis of the public powers. These tasks relate in particular to the granting and revoking of li- cences, keeping records and registers, the performance of professional supervision, the determination of the training programme, the conduct of professional examinations and similar (10). A public power is non-transferable, i.e. the holder cannot transfer it to another person, nor can it be relinquished, as public powers are considered to be rights and duties involved in the performance of administrative tasks. The state may revoke the power if conditions are not fulfilled or violations occur in the course of exercising the power, whereby the conditions for revocation must also be speci- fied in the law (11). Article 121 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia (5) stipulates that public authority to perform certain tasks of the state administration may be vested by law or on the basis thereof. If public power is granted by law, that law must determine the holder and their tasks. There is usually a single holder of a public power and the public authority is vested for a longer term. If public power is granted pursu- ant to a law, there can be several holders and it is important that the law specify tasks as well as the granting authority (8). The administrative tasks of the state as defined in the State Administration Act comprise participation in policy- making, executive tasks, inspection, monitoring, develop- mental tasks and the provision of public services. These tasks are primarily performed by state administration bod- ies and by legal and natural persons under public authority (10). Public powers are exercised in three ways, i.e., by issuing general acts, by issuing individual acts and by performing material actions. The mere exercise of a public power by issuing general acts constitutes the right of legal or natural persons to regulate issues or relationships with their gen- eral act in a compulsory manner. The exercise of a public power by issuing an individual legal act is the most common form of exercising it. The law stipulates that the holder de- cides on the rights, obligations and legal benefits of legal or natural persons with individual acts. Exercising public pow- ers by performing material actions means an entitlement to perform authoritative material actions. Implementation of these actions requires the use public authority, at least in- directly, such as for instance means or powers of restraint, keeping records and others (12). In order to better understand the functioning and inter-con- nectedness of the chambers, we randomly selected three different chambers, described the main characteristics of their operations, the public powers they exercise and the sources of funding, and compared them with each other. The Veterinary Chamber and the Detective Chamber were chosen for comparison, while the other randomly selected chambers are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia, which are chambers of commerce, and the Medical Chamber of Slovenia, which is a professional chamber. Furthermore, in the paper we compare the Veterinary Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia and the Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia. The comparison can be very interesting if one wants to explore the similarities and differences between professional associations in vari- ous industries especially in terms of regulation and control, education and training, legislation, ethical issues and public interest. 176 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 Table 1: The operation, public powers and financing of the selected three Chambers in Slovenia Name of the chamber Operation Public powers Financing Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Represents the common and general interests of its members before government authorities, bodies of the European Community, the Economic and Social Council and in other forms of economic and social dialogue as well as in the conclusion of cross-industry collective agreements for the corporate sector; – participates in designing the economic system and preparing economic policies; – plans vocational education and training, participates in practical training and the conducting of exams in line with the law; – implements tasks involving the exercise of public powers vested in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia pursuant to the law; – fulfils the obligations arising from membership in Eurochambres, the International Chamber of Commerce and other forms of multilateral and bilateral association between chambers and cooperates with other domestic and foreign institutions; and – implements common tasks within the scope specified in the annual programme of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (3). – Competent ministries supervise the exercise of public powers on the basis of annual reports. – In the field of transport, it holds the same powers as the Chamber of Craft and Small Business. – Membership fee; – special appropriated funds provided by members on an interest basis; – payments for services provided; – funds from the national budget for the exercise of delegated public powers; – donations and gifts; – other sources (3). Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia – Represents the interests of its members before state bodies, in shaping the economic system and economic policy by participating in the procedures for amending them and forming economic opinions, positions and proposals for changes to the economic system and economic policy; – acts as a partner in the conclusion of a social agreement between the social partners; – acts as a partner in the concluding of collective agreements; – provides professional assistance to members (economic, legal, tax, business consulting); – informs the members; – cooperates with the National Assembly, the National Council, the Government and individual ministries on all matters relevant to its membership; – analyses legal regulations and proposes new ones, as well as amendments and supplements thereto in order to create conditions that provide for the protection and development of the craft sector of the economy; – participates in coordinating the common and individual interests of the members in the framework of formulating the development policy of the Republic of Slovenia; – coordinates and represents the interests of its members in standardisation, metrology, and the adoption of technical regulations as well as in the field of regular specialist education in line with the requirements of a modern, market-oriented economy; – performs tasks with the aim of connecting the corporate sector and the academic-scientific community and transferring knowledge from the academic-scientific sphere to small and micro enterprises as well as promotes innovation and the development of small and micro enterprises; – cooperates with other chambers in the country on all matters relevant to its membership; – is involved in the educational process of short vocational education, vocational secondary education, upper secondary technical education, vocational-technical and short-cycle higher vocational education and professional higher education; – arranges and conducts various forms of education and training; – organises activities related to economic relations with foreign countries involving the promotion of goods and services as well as economic propaganda, organises trade shows, takes part in the development of the foreign trade network, facilitates foreign trade deals and fosters economic cooperation with the chambers of crafts and small business and relevant institutions in other countries; – Issues and revokes craft licences; – performs tasks in the field of vocational education; – controls the professional qualification of craft operators, the persons providing vocational education and the suitability of the facilities at which students undergo vocational training; – manages the register of trade licences, the register of facilities, the register of persons authorised to educate students, the register of facilities where vocational training is carried out, and the register of master craftsman certificates; – issues certificates to natural persons or legal persons as proof of legal establishment in the Republic of Slovenia for the purpose of performing craft activity and proving that they are not temporarily or permanently prohibited from performing such activity at the time of issuing the certificate; – carries out the procedure of recognising professional qualifications for citizens and member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation and the country with which a relevant international agreement has been concluded, third-country citizens who have obtained professional qualifications in a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation and third-country citizens, in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 2 of the Act Regulating the Procedure for Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Practising Regulated Professions or Professional Activities in the Republic of Slovenia for Nationals of the EU Member States, European Economic Area and Swiss Confederation, Official Gazette of the RS, nos. 21/02, 92/07, 85/09 and 55/12); – notifies the temporary cross-border performance of craft activities by natural and legal persons from a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation; – issues Community Licences and copies thereof for international cargo and passenger transport services; – issues certificates to drivers who are not citizens of Community member states; – withdraws Community licences; – issues, refuses the issue and withdraws licences and copies of licences for the provision of transport; – distributes permits for international transport of goods to domestic carriers, including CEMT permits; – issues certificates for international passenger transport operations for own needs; and – Membership fee; – special appropriated funds allocated by members on an interest basis; – payments for services provided; – local government budget; and – other sources (13). Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 177 – develops an information system and disseminates up-to-date marketing and technical-technological information in Slovenia and abroad, integrating with other information systems for this purpose; – is involved in the promotion of business relations in domestic and foreign markets; – is a member of and joins international associations of craft and of SMEs; – promotes the introduction of modern technologies and quality standards, modern methods of managing and organising companies and craft cooperatives; – provides for the preservation and development of traditional and artistic crafts; – performs other tasks in the interest of its members, as defined in its by-laws and the annual action programme (13). – issues signs for taxi transport services indicating data concerning the transport operator and licence number (13). Medical Chamber of Slovenia – Adopts the Code of Medical Deontology, specifies actions that constitute a violation of it; – monitors compliance with the Code, verifies the conduct of doctors and takes action in the case of breaches of the Code; – plans, monitors and supervises specialisations and other forms of postgraduate professional training of its members through qualification testing, determining the conditions for the nomination of mentors and appointing them; – conducts expert supervision with counselling; – concludes agreements in its own name and on its own behalf and in its own name and on behalf of doctors regarding matters specified by the by-laws, other general acts of the Chamber or a special doctor's authorisation; – concludes agreements in the name and on behalf of doctors or based on individual or collective doctors' authorisation; – enters into collective agreements on behalf of private doctors in their capacity as employers; – gives opinions and consents in procedures, participates in procedures and issues general and individual acts in accordance with the law as well as the by-laws and internal acts of the Chamber; – participates in procedures prescribed by the law and the by-laws; – keeps records of companies and other legal entities under private law that perform medical services; – participates in the design of the undergraduate training programme for doctors; – organises and conducts professional seminars, professional meetings and other forms of professional training; – carries out scientific and research activities related to its tasks; – represents the professional and social interests of doctors; – provides advice and assistance and furthers the interests of its members in legal, economic, analytical, financial and other areas related to the performance of a medical service; – co-determines the starting points for concluding contracts with the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia and other insurance companies and represents the interests of private doctors in the conclusion of contracts between them and other legal entities; – creates and manages the trust fund of its members and provides assistance to its members and their families; – prevents a medical service from being performed in an unauthorised manner; – monitors the need for doctors, offers help to unemployed doctors in search of employment, and assistance in providing replacements for periods of absence; – performs publishing and issuing activities: issuing and supplying forms and documents, – publishing and supplying its newsletters, books and other publications; – promotes cooperation between members, addresses and settles mutual disputes; – Keeps a register of its members and issues membership cards; – grants, extends and revokes independent practice permits of doctors; – plans, monitors and supervises the secondment, specialisations and other forms of postgraduate professional training of its members through qualification testing; and – conducts expert supervision with counselling (14). – Membership fee and other contributions by members; – the organisation and implementation of activities in accordance with the by-laws; – investing the Chamber's funds with the goal of preserving and increasing the value of the assets and property of the Chamber; – payments for services that are not financed from membership fees and funds for exercising public powers; and – donations and other sources (14). 178 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 – fosters the cultural and social activities of its members, organises and conducts cultural, sports and other social events and activities; – performs all other activities that support the performance of the core activities; – designates the representatives of the Health Insurance Institute for negotiations and other agreements with healthcare institutions; – carries out other tasks in line with legal regulations, the by-laws and its other general acts (14). Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia – Issues and revokes veterinary licences of members who have passed the state examination; – keeps a register of issued and revoked licences of its members; – plans, monitors and organises the professional training of doctors of veterinary medicine and the professional competency examination of members in veterinary organisations; – conducts expert supervision in veterinary organizations; – verifies veterinary organisations and keeps a register of them; – lays down the basis and criteria for the pricing of the public veterinary service in cooperation with the council of users; – keeps a register of members of the Chamber; – formulates the standard operating procedures for veterinary services, evaluates them and sets veterinary tariffs; – participates in the drafting of regulations in the field of veterinary medicine and marketing of medicinal products and their use in veterinary medicine; – is involved in the planning and implementation of professional training; – takes part in conducting veterinary specialisation, supervising it and awarding the title of veterinary specialist; – provides legal, business and professional assistance to its members; – seeks to ensure the employment of its members; – promotes cooperation among members, addresses and settles mutual disputes and conflicts; – publishes and issues professional and other publications and documents; – selects candidates to the electoral body that elects the representative of professional occupations in the National Council; – adopts and amends the Veterinary Code of Conduct; – prevents and sanctions irregularities in the performance of veterinary activities; – organises and performs other activities for the needs of its members; and – carries out other tasks in accordance with the law and the by-laws (15). – Issues and revokes veterinary licences of members who have passed the state examination; – keeps a register of issued and revoked licences of its members; – plans, monitors and organises the professional training of doctors of veterinary medicine and the professional competency examination of members in veterinary organisations; – conducts expert supervision in veterinary organizations; – verifies veterinary organisations and keeps a register of them; – lays down the basis and criteria for the pricing of public veterinary services in cooperation with the council of users (15). – The joining fee, membership fee and other contributions of its members; – organising and performing professional tasks; – preparing and conducting mandatory professional training for its members; – specialisation fees; – investing its funds in commercial transactions; – publishing and issuing activities; – budget funds for the exercise of public powers; – donations; and – in other permissible ways or from other sources (15). – The financing of the tasks performed by the Chamber based on public powers and funded from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia, as well as the amount of budget funds allocated for this purpose, are regularly agreed between the Ministry in charge of veterinary medicine and the Chamber in accordance with the law governing veterinary medicine (15). Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia – Performs the tasks defined by the law and the regulations issued on its basis as well as the tasks stipulated in the by-laws or defined in the Chamber’s programme, development acts or other general acts; – monitors and addresses private detective work and related issues, represents the professional and social interests of its members, defends the honour and good name of the private detective profession and the Chamber’s members against unjustified and unfounded accusations, reprimands and interventions by state authorities, providing them with legal, material and moral assistance and, if necessary, professional and legal aid in proceedings before the state and other authorities; – Issues and revokes private detectives’ licences; – in agreement with the ministry in charge of internal affairs, determines the private detective exam programme and the method of taking the private detective exam referred to in Article 8 of the Act (16). – keeps the records prescribed by the Act; and – conducts professional supervision of the work of private detectives and private investigation companies (17). – Membership fee and other contributions by private detectives; – registration fees to be entered on the register of private detectives; – registration fees to be entered on the candidate register for taking the private detective exam; – fees paid by private detective applicants for taking the private detective exam; – funds from the sale of services covered by the Chamber’s business activity; – fines imposed on private detectives in disciplinary proceedings; – gifts and legacies; – interest and other income from the performance of the Chamber’s tasks (16). Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 179 The Veterinary Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia and its operations The purpose of veterinary medicine in general is to maintain and improve animal health, protect animals from infectious and other diseases, diagnose diseases and treat sick ani- mals, ensure animal welfare, provide measures to protect the public from various diseases and infections, and pursue other objectives for the benefit of animals (18). The Veterinary Chamber is an autonomous and indepen- dent professional organisation. Its members are doctors of veterinary medicine from the entire territory of the Republic of Slovenia. It represents and promotes their professional, economic and social interests. Another purpose of the Chamber is to ensure the quality of its members' work and uphold its reputation (19). It supports all its members in their work, encouraging cooperation between them and with the Chamber. It is also committed to preventing and resolving any disagreements and disputes amicably and in a dignified manner (20). The law that contains several articles that regulate the Veterinary Chamber is the Veterinary Practice Act (18). Based on Articles 58 and 60 of the Veterinary Practice Act, the Assembly of the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia ad- opted the by-laws of the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia in 2014. These by-laws regulate the status, organisation, pow- ers and operation of the Chamber (15). As defined, Chamber membership is on an individual basis and represents a professional honour common to all doc- tors of veterinary medicine. It can be mandatory, voluntary or honorary (15). Membership is mandatory for every doc- tor of veterinary medicine practising veterinary activity in Slovenia as referred to in Article 51 of the Veterinary Practice Act (18), who must hold a veterinary licence. Voluntary members are doctors of veterinary medicine with per- manent residence in Slovenia who are not in practise. Honorary membership is awarded by the Assembly of the Chamber on the proposal of the Board of Directors, which must be in accordance with the Rules (21). All rights, duties, and other information on membership are specified in the by-laws of the Veterinary Chamber. The membership fee is payable quarterly and is determined by the Annual General Assembly based on the financial statement for the previous year and other factors. An individual can become a member of the Chamber after submitting a complete written appli- cation showing that he or she meets all legal membership criteria. If a doctor of veterinary medicine has been subject to a precautionary measure prohibiting them from practic- ing their profession as part of criminal proceedings, the application will be rejected or the member will be removed from the membership list if they are an existing member. After the measure has ended, they may reapply for mem- bership in the Chamber. Membership is also terminated if a member resigns from the Chamber in accordance with the by-laws, if certain membership criteria are not met, and in cases referred to in Articles 13, 17 and 54 of the by-laws (15). According to the Act (18), the licence, which is the main document for the practise of veterinary medicine (activ- ity), is granted to a doctor of veterinary medicine who has completed a university degree in veterinary medicine in the Republic of Slovenia or another EU member state or a recognised diploma who has passed the state exam or a recognised professional examination and is a member of the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia. The licence is valid for the period in which the prescribed conditions are met. The – keeps and manages records of private detectives who are citizens of the Republic of Slovenia; foreign private detectives entitled to perform private detective activity under the title of “private detective” in the Republic of Slovenia; foreign private detectives entitled to perform private detective activity in the Republic of Slovenia under the professional title bestowed by their home country; records of issued and revoked private detective licences; private detective companies that perform private detective services in Slovenia; imposed disciplinary measures; consents issued for the registration of a private investigation company in the court register; other records; – regulates the disciplinary liability of private detectives, constituting a breach of professional duty as well as actions which amount to a breach of a private detective’s due care and diligence, and regulates the procedure before the Tribunal of Honour (16); – adopts the code of professional ethics; – proposes to the ministry in charge of internal affairs (hereinafter: the Ministry) a professional training programme, professional standards and catalogues of professional knowledge and skills, and the method of taking the private detective exam; – proposes to the Ministry a private detective identification card; and – organises and conducts periodic trainings for private detectives (17). 180 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 decision on the licence is issued to the doctor of veterinary medicine based on a written application upon the meeting of the prescribed conditions. The licence is renewed every 10 years. If during a period of 10 consecutive years, the veterinarian does not meet the conditions regarding profes- sional training or fails the professional competency exami- nation, the Veterinary Chamber sends them a written notifi- cation warning them in advance of licence suspension and setting a 1-year period to fulfil the conditions. A veterinarian can also fulfil the professional training requirement by pass- ing the prescribed knowledge examination in accordance with the law governing veterinary medicine and the Rules on further expert training and proficiency tests in private veterinary practice. If the veterinarian does not complete the prescribed training within the additional period referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Director of the Veterinary Chamber will issue a decision revoking the licence until the prescribed conditions are fulfilled (22). At the request of the Veterinary Chamber's tribunal, the li- cence can also be revoked for a period of three months to three years on the basis of a decision by the Director if it is proven that the veterinarian has committed serious vio- lations or has not completed his professional training. At the end of this period, the veterinarian can reapply for the licence provided that he has completed his training. If a vet- erinarian is banned from practicing their profession as part of criminal proceedings, their licence will also be revoked for the duration of the measure imposed (18). The Chamber performs numerous tasks that are also specified in the by-laws. The most important task of the Chamber is the granting and revoking of veterinary licenc- es. In addition, the Chamber keeps a register of issued and revoked licences, organises the professional training of vet- erinary doctors and conducts the professional qualification examination of its members. It carries out regular and ex- traordinary inspections of veterinary organisations, verifies them and keeps a register of them. Moreover, it establish- es standard operating procedures for services. One of its tasks is to participate in the preparation of regulations in the field of veterinary medicine and the marketing of medicinal products and their daily use. The Chamber is an essential element in the planning and implementation of professional training, specialisation, and employment of its members, to whom it provides legal, business and professional sup- port. It promotes and strengthens cooperation and settles disputes and disagreements between the members. The Chamber adopts and possibly amends the Veterinary Code of Conduct, prevents irregularities and sanctions them, and performs other tasks in the field of veterinary medicine in line with the laws and the by-laws (15). Some of the mentioned tasks are performed by the Chamber on the basis of public powers according to the law governing veterinary medicine, namely issuing and re- voking veterinary licences, keeping a register of licences, planning, monitoring and organising professional training and professional competency examinations, carrying out professional supervision in organisations, verifying organ- isations and keeping a corresponding register and setting prices for veterinary services. The Ministry responsible for veterinary medicine regularly agrees with the Chamber on the financing of these tasks in accordance with the law (15). In order to carry out these tasks, the Chamber must fulfil certain personnel, spatial and other requirements (18). The exercising of public powers requires the Assembly of the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia to adopt regulations gov- erning the issuance, renewal and revocation of licences and the keeping of the register of issued licences (22), the verification and control of the conditions prescribed for veterinary activity and the keeping of the register of veteri- nary organisations (23); expert supervision with consulta- tion (24), provision of professional training and professional competency examination. The Chamber is headed by the Director who manages the Chamber’s Board of Directors and performs operational and executive tasks on its behalf. The Director is appoint- ed on the basis of a public call for applications. It should be noted that the Director must be a veterinarian (18). The bodies of the Chamber include the Assembly, the President, the Vice President, the Board of Directors, the sections, the Prosecutor, the Deputy Prosecutor and the tribunal, as well as the Expert Committee, the Supervisory Board and the Election Committee. The Chamber Assembly is the high- est body of the Chamber and comprises all members of the Chamber. It has certain powers, while its organisation and working methods are defined and regulated by the Rules of Procedure of the Chamber's Assembly. A regular meeting is convened at least once a year at the request of the President of the Chamber, whereas an extraordinary meeting can also be held in certain cases to address vari- ous matters. The Chamber is represented by its President, who also directs the work and chairs the Board of Directors. The term of office of the President is four years, with the possibility of re-election. Any member of the Chamber can run for President, provided such member has collected 50 handwritten signatures of the other members in support of his candidacy. The President performs certain tasks speci- fied in the by-laws and other acts. The President is assisted by the Vice President, who contributes to their work. The Vice President is also responsible for the Chamber’s in- ternational operations and represents the President in his absence. The conditions for the post of Vice President are the same as for nominating and electing the President i.e. any member of the Chamber who has collected at least 50 handwritten signatures of the other members can apply for the position. A candidate may apply for the position of President and Vice President at the same time (15). Another important body of the Chamber is the Board of Directors, which is a decision-making and consultation body. It consists of the President, the Vice President, the Chair of the Expert Committee, the presidents of sections, the Director and one representative for every 150 members. Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 181 The Board of Directors has certain powers and tasks as specified in Article 39 of the by-laws and is accountable for its decisions to the Assembly of the Chamber. The mem- bers of the Chamber form the sections for the purpose of ensuring specialised operations of the Chamber and its members. The Chamber has two permanent sections, both of which have their own bodies and perform specific tasks. Another body of the Chamber is the Prosecutor, who is an autonomous and independent body of the Chamber. The candidate who receives the most votes is elected as the Prosecutor. Each Prosecutor has a deputy. The tribu- nal is also an autonomous and independent body of the Chamber, consisting of first- and second-instance tribu- nals. It is tasked with initiating proceedings against an in- dividual on the proposal of the Prosecutor. Other bodies include the Expert Commission, which consists of seven members and carries out specific tasks, the Supervisory Board, a three-member autonomous and independent body, whose task is to supervise the material and financial operations of the Chamber, and the Election Committee, which also consists of three members and certain powers and duties in accordance with the by-laws (15). The Assembly of the Chamber adopts the annual work programme and the annual financial plan, based on which its operations are financed. Two types of financing are de- fined, namely regular financing for the period between two consecutive Annual General Assembly meetings, and tem- porary financing, which is initiated if the proposed financ- ing plan for the following year is not adopted at the Annual General Assembly. However, temporary funding can only be provided for a maximum of 3 months (15). The funds for the operation of the Veterinary Chamber are acquired through joining fees, membership fees and other contributions from members, by organising and performing various professional tasks, by preparing and implementing mandatory professional training, from specialisation fees, by investing funds in commercial transactions, publishing and issuing activities, budget funds for the exercise of pub- lic powers, through donations and in other ways or from other sources (15). The Veterinary Chamber also collaborates with authori- ties on the international level and is thus a member of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, in which three sec- tions are represented: the Practising Veterinarians, the Veterinarians working in Education, Veterinary Research and Industry, and the Hygienists and Public Health Veterinarians. In addition, the Veterinary Chamber of Slovenia is a member of the Višegrad Vet Plus Group, which includes the chambers and associations of Central and Eastern Europe. It comprises 13 members, who meet twice a year. The Chamber has signed a protocol on cooperation, and the exchange of practices and experiences with other chambers in both Europe and around the world (25). The Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia and its operations The Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia (DeZRS) is an organisation that protects the reputation, credibility and development of the activity of private detectives. In ad- dition, it represents the interests of private detectives and performs other tasks stipulated by the law, the by-laws and other acts (16). It was founded in 1994 at the first Founding General Assembly of the Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia, at which the first by-laws and the symbol of the Chamber were adopted, and its initial management team (26) was elected. In the course of their work, private detectives are bound by the Code of Professional Ethics, whereby they undertake to carry out all private detective duties in accordance with the highest moral and ethical principles. “I recognise the badge of my profession as a symbol of social trust awarded time to guard by the Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia. I shall protect it throughout, with loyalty to the eth- ics of private detective profession. I shall always strive to achieve this goal and the ideals of my chosen profession and be an honourable private detective” (27). On the basis of the Private Detective Services Act (17), the Assembly of the Detective Chamber of the Republic of Slovenia adopted its by-laws at an Extraordinary General Assembly on December 23rd, 2011 and at the Annual General Assembly on April 18th, 2012 (16). Membership in the chamber is mandatory for all domestic and foreign private detectives who perform private detective work as a freelance profession in the Republic of Slovenia or are employed by a legal or natural person registered as a business entity performing private detective activity in the Slovenian Business Register (16). The tasks of the Chamber include monitoring and address- ing private detective work and issues, representing the pro- fessional and social interests of its members, defending the honour and good reputation of the private detective profes- sion and its members against unjustified and unfounded accusations, reprimands and interventions by state authori- ties, providing them with legal, material and moral assis- tance and, if necessary, providing professional and legal assistance in proceedings before the state and other au- thorities. In addition, the Chamber keeps and manages re- cords of private detectives who are citizens of the Republic of Slovenia; foreign private detectives who are authorised to work in the Republic of Slovenia under the professional title "private detective"; foreign private detectives entitled to per- form private detective activity in the Republic of Slovenia under the professional title granted by their home country; records of issued and revoked private detective licences; private detective companies providing private detective ser- vices in Slovenia; disciplinary measures imposed; permits issued for the registration of a private detective company 182 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 in the court register and other records. In addition,, the Chamber regulates the disciplinary liability of private detec- tives, constituting a breach of professional duties, as well as actions which amount to a breach of a private detec- tive’s duty of care, and regulates the procedure before the Tribunal of Honour (16). In addition to the tasks described above, the Chamber per- forms tasks such as adopting the Code of Professional Ethics; proposing to the Ministry responsible for internal affairs a programme for professional training, professional standards and catalogues of professional knowledge and skills, and the method of taking the private detective exam; proposing to the Ministry a private detective identification card, and organising and conducting regular training for pri- vate detectives. The work and operation of the Detective Chamber are supervised by the Ministry of the Interior, which is primarily responsible for monitoring the perfor- mance of the Chamber’s tasks and its exercise of public powers (28). Within the scope of its public powers, the Chamber per- forms tasks such as granting and revoking private detec- tives’ licences and, in agreement with the Ministry of internal affairs, determines the examination programme for private detectives and the manner in which the private detective examination is taken. It also conducts professional supervi- sion over the work of private detectives and private investi- gation companies. The Board of the Chamber decides on the granting or revocation of a licence to perform private detective work as well as on the issuance of consent for the registration of foreigners or a foreign private investigation company on the register of private detectives operating in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, and on other mat- ters related to the performance of tasks within the scope of public authority, in accordance with the provisions of the Private Detective Services Act (17). It is also important to point out that in certain cases the Ministry can withdraw the public powers of the competent body. This is the case when the body, in this case the Chamber, grants or revokes a licence illegally, without grounds or in violation of the law; when records are not kept in accordance with the law; if the Chamber does not comply with the deadlines and proce- dures for the recognition of professional qualifications of foreign private detectives and if when does not have a quali- fied person to manage the administrative procedures and regarding the recognition of professional qualifications and to make decisions. If the body fails to eliminate the irregu- larities within a certain period, the Ministry will withdraw its public powers until the irregularities are eliminated (17). The bodies of the Chamber include the Assembly, the Board of Directors, the President, the Supervisory Board and the Tribunal of Honour. The Assembly is the highest body of the Chamber and consists of all private detec- tives who are entered in the register of private detectives kept by the Chamber. Its powers comprise the adoption of the Chamber’s by-laws and other general legal acts; the adoption of the Code of Professional Ethics of Private Detectives of the Republic of Slovenia; the adoption of the Chamber’s Rules of Procedure, the election and dis- charge of the President and Vice-President, the members of the Board of Directors, the Supervisory Board, the Chair and members of the Tribunal of Honour and others. The Assembly is convened as required, and at least once a year on the initiative of the Board of Directors or at the request of at least 30 private detectives. Decisions on amend- ments and supplements to the founding charter, adoption of and amendments and supplements to the by-laws, sta- tus changes of the Chamber, the cessation of operations of the Chamber and other matters are adopted with a ma- jority of the Chamber’s members present. Another of the Chamber’s bodies is the Board of Directors, which manag- es the work and operations of the Chamber. It consists of nine members elected by the Assembly for a four year term of office. The work of the Board of Directors is managed by the President of the Chamber or, in their absence, by the Vice-President. The Board of Directors has certain pow- ers, such as convening the Assembly of the Chamber and preparing the relevant materials, implementing resolutions adopted by the Assembly; formulating draft by-laws, the Code of Professional Ethics of Private Detectives and other general acts, organising and conducting regular profes- sional training, appointing and dismissing the Chamber’s Secretary, adopting general legal acts of the Chamber that have not been adopted by the Assembly, and more. Meetings are convened and chaired by the President of the Chamber, who also represents the Chamber and acts on its behalf in Slovenia and abroad, implements the resolu- tions of the Assembly and the Board of Directors, grants detectives’ licences and cards, awards Chamber awards, issues resolutions and decisions, approves payments and performs other tasks. In addition to the above-mentioned bodies, the Chamber has a Supervisory Board, consisting of three members, one of whom is the Chair. The main task of the Supervisory Board is to monitor the Chamber's finan- cial transactions and, in particular, to review the financial transactions and financial situation of the Chamber at least twice a year and report thereon to the Board of Directors and the Assembly. After reviewing the year-end accounts of the Chamber, the Supervisory Board draws up a report thereon. The final body of the Chamber is the Tribunal of Honour, which consists of seven members, who are elected by the Assembly for a term of four years. It decides in dis- ciplinary proceedings against detectives due to a breach of professional duty or a breach of a private detective’s due care and diligence, and also in the case of the violation of the Code of Professional Ethics of Private Detectives, the Chamber’s by-laws and other acts. Moreover, it decides in case of disputes between members of the Chamber or between the members and third parties. The proceedings against a detective due to a violation of Articles 38 and 52 of the by-laws may be instigated at the proposal of the Supervisory Board, the national supervisory authority, a member of the Chamber or the party concerned (16). Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 183 In addition to the above-mentioned bodies, the Professional Department of the Chamber and the Secretary managing it play an important role. The Secretary is also responsible for preparing materials required for the work of the Board of Directors and the Assembly as well as other bodies of the Chamber, the working bodies of the Assembly and the Board of Directors, and coordinates the work of the Chamber’s bodies. The Secretary is appointed, for a fixed or indefinite period, and is dismissed by the Board of Directors of the Chamber. This position, for which an employment contract or a work contract is concluded, requires at least higher education in the relevant field and five years of pro- fessional experience (16). The work and financial operations of the Chamber are fi- nanced by membership fees and other contributions from detectives; the Chamber s income from the performance of public powers and other services, the sale of services within the scope of the Chamber’s business activity, fines imposed against detectives in disciplinary proceedings, gifts and legacies as well as interest and other income from the performance of tasks (16). Membership is terminated when the detective’s licence expires, if one of the conditions laid down in Article 15 of the Private Detective Services Act (ZDD-1) is met or if the licence is definitively revoked in accordance with to Article 9 of the by-laws, or if the Chamber ceases to operate (16). In the event of a disciplinary breach by a detective, disci- plinary measures may be imposed, such as a warning, a fine or a proposal to the Board of Directors to revoke the licence or prohibit the provision of cross-border services. The measure is imposed in the case of a minor breach that is particularly insignificant in view of the circumstances in which it was committed and does not have serious conse- quences. A fine up to EUR 1,000 is imposed if the detec- tive has obtained an unjustified financial advantage in the performance of a service, with a payment period of no less than 30 days and no more than 6 months. The proposal to revoke a licence refers either to a permanent revocation, a temporary suspension or a conditional revocation or a ban on the provision of cross-border services (16). Comparison of the operation of chambers in Slovenia As can be seen from Table 1, it is not surprising that there are no specific differences between the chambers, given that all chambers are based on the same basic law. The main or basic task of all chambers is to represent the inter- ests of their members and to assist them in their business. Each of the chambers focuses on its own field of activity, e.g. the Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the cor- porate sector and the economy, the Chamber of Craft and Small Business on crafts and companies, and the Medical Chamber on healthcare, medicine, and doctors. Likewise, practically all chambers perform certain tasks within the scope of public authority. The performance of public tasks is carried out in accordance with the laws that regulate the scope of the chambers’ tasks, in accordance with the regulations, on the basis of a corresponding con- cession or, if applicable, an authorization granted to the chamber by the relevant ministry. The chambers differ in terms of whether membership is mandatory or voluntary. In most professional chambers, membership is mandatory, in the vast majority of chambers of commerce membership is voluntary, and in mixed-type chambers membership is either mandatory or voluntary. Chambers’ by-laws specify the conditions in which a person can become a member. As already mentioned, each chamber represents the inter- ests of its members in the respective professional field for which it was founded. For example natural and legal per- sons who perform a craft or handicraft activity or any other for-profit or non-profit activity may join the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (13), companies and sole traders can join the Chamber of Commerce and Industry on a vol- untary basis (3), everyone practising medicine in the capac- ity of physician in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia must join the Medical Chamber (14), doctors of veterinary medicine can join the Veterinary Chamber on mandatory or voluntary basis or as honorary members (15), and do- mestic and foreign private detectives who perform detec- tive services in the Republic of Slovenia as a freelance pro- fession or in a private investigation company are obliged to become members of the Detective Chamber (16). A review of the chambers' by-laws shows that all cham- bers of commerce obtain funds for their operation from the monthly or annual membership fees. In addition, the vast majority of chambers of commerce receive designated funds provided by members on an interest basis, funds as payments for services rendered, funds acquired in the market, donations and gifts, and funds from the state bud- get. Some chambers receive funds from support contribu- tions, funds based on European projects, publications is- sued, payments for granted public powers and from other sources. All professional chambers also finance their op- erations with membership fees or members’ contributions, i.e., membership fees, joining fees and other payments, as well as from donations, gifts and other sources. Almost all professional chambers gain funds also from the activity for which they were founded. In addition, the vast majority of professional chambers secure financial resources through designated funds which their members provide on an inter- est basis. The chambers differ in terms of the number of members. This number varies from chamber to chamber, which is mainly due to the different areas of competence and the scope of certain activities in Slovenia. A closer comparison of the Veterinary and Detective Chambers – the central chambers in our research –im- mediately reveals that their fields of activity are completely different. The Veterinary Chamber operates in the field of veterinary medicine, while the Detective Chamber operates in the field of detective activity. The Veterinary Chamber in- cludes doctors of veterinary medicine practising through- out Slovenia (19), while the Detective Chamber includes domestic and foreign private detectives who perform de- tective services in various ways in Slovenia (16). The by-laws of the Veterinary Chamber were adopted in 2014 (15) and those of the Detective Chamber at an extraor- dinary meeting in 2011 and at a regular meeting in 2012 (16). Both documents define membership in the respec- tive chamber. Membership in the Veterinary Chamber is mandatory, voluntary or honorary, whereas in the Detective Chamber it is mandatory for all detectives working in the Republic of Slovenia. Members of both chambers have cer- tain rights and duties, which include the payment of a pre- determined membership fee. All the tasks performed by the chambers are defined in their by-laws. Some are very similar to each other; namely, both chambers issue and revoke licences in their respective field, keep registers or records of licences and supervise the operations – of veterinary organisations and detec- tives, respectively. Other tasks differ, but what is important is that both chambers perform their tasks with the aim of representing the interests of their members, defending their honour and reputation or the chamber’s good name. Some tasks specified in the by-laws or laws are performed by the chambers based on public powers in accordance with the laws governing either veterinary medicine or private detec- tive work. Both chambers have certain bodies that perform various tasks and are very important for the chamber’s overall op- eration. It is evident from the chambers’ by-laws and legal acts that the Veterinary Chamber has many more bodies than the Detective Chamber. Nevertheless, the two cham- bers have some identical bodies, which perform very simi- lar and even identical tasks. In both chambers, the highest body is the Assembly, in which all members are represent- ed. Another body that operates in both chambers is the Board of Directors, i.e., a decision-making and consultation body, which also manages the work and operations of the respective chamber. Both chambers have a President, who carries out certain tasks and in the Veterinary Chamber an- swers to the Assembly, and in the Detective Chamber to the Board of Directors. In the absence of the President, the Vice President acts in their place. The Supervisory Board in both chambers consists of three members and is an au- tonomous and independent body supervising the material and financial operations of the Veterinary Chamber (15), whereas in the Detective Chamber it conducts only finan- cial supervision (16). The chambers are financed in a very similar way, i.e. through membership fees, admission fees and other con- tributions from members, donations, gifts and legacies as well as other sources. The chambers also obtain funds in other ways, namely the Veterinary Chamber through the or- ganisation and performance of various professional tasks, through specialisation fees and in other ways (15). The per- formance of the public powers by the Veterinary Chamber is financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food through the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection. The Detective Chamber also acquires funds through various membership fees and payments, fines, and funds from the sale of services, as well as in other ways (16). In reviewing the two statutes, we noted a difference in the funding of functions based on public powers. The Veterinary Chamber receives funds from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia for the tasks it performs on the basis of public powers. The Ministry in charge of the veterinary sector and the Chamber regularly agree on the amount in accordance with the law (15). The by-laws of the Detective Chamber do not contain an article on the financing of tasks based on public pow- ers. It can therefore be concluded that the Chamber does not receive any funding for this purpose. The activities of the Veterinary Chamber and Detective Chamber can be de- scribed as to be very similar, despite of the fact that they cover very different professions. Although both chambers are specialised organisations, they have common goals namely ensuring high standards of practice, ethical conduct, and concern for the public good. In this way, they contribute to the development of the profession and to the lawful and professional performance of tasks assigned to them by the state within the scope of public powers and public tasks, in numerous fields and as part of various financial and other frameworks. In summary, both chambers operate similarly, in a similar way, naturally in a manner adapted to the profes- sion in respect of which they were originally established. Conclusions There are many interpretations and definitions of what a chamber actually is, and each differs from the other in a few small details. Nevertheless, it can be stated that chambers are a type of community that brings together individuals or groups practicing the same profession. Chambers differ in terms of their status, their entities, their number of mem- bers, their powers, their tasks and other aspects. In terms of their status, they are divided into public-law and private- law, and in terms of entities, they are classified into cham- bers of commerce, professional chambers, and mixed-type chambers. What all chambers have in common is that they have developed or emerged from the same law, i.e., the Chambers of Commerce and Industry Act (4). Each cham- ber has its own by-laws, wherein it defines its tasks, public powers, bodies, financing, and all other relevant matters. The main tasks of each chamber is to pursue the objec- tives and interests of its members and to represent them. Also very important are the tasks performed within the framework of public powers, which differ from chamber to Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 | 185 chamber depending on the activity or field for which the chamber was established. The research examines in more detail the Veterinary Chamber and the Detective Chamber, and includes a com- parison of the two. The Veterinary Chamber (15) and the Detective Chamber and practically all other chambers in the chamber system of the Republic of Slovenia are financed by membership fees and from other contributions, income of the chamber from the performance of public powers and other services (16). In this respect, we would like to point out that not all chambers are financed for the performance of tasks within the scope of public authority, which leaves room for im- provement in such a ways that all chambers receive funds in the same way for the tasks they perform for the state on the basis of public powers. The legislation to be applied to the activities of the chambers must also be regulated and defined. In this context, the General Administrative Procedure Act (29) should be reasonably applied or its ap- plication defined. We would like to emphasise that in any amendment of laws and other regulations and acts relevant to the chambers they should be considered as partners participating in the procedures and processes, and only merely as enforcers of legislation enacted without their par- ticipation. In view of our focus and the detailed presentation of veterinary and detective activities, it is also important to point out some of the risks and obstacles faced by the two chambers. Particularly problematic is the fact that many people decide for important services, such as veterinary services, only because of the low prices and discounts they receive, which means they are more exposed to the risk of a lesser-quality service and the use of cheap materials and medicines. As far as the Detective Chamber is concerned, the biggest problem are the individuals who perform detec- tive work without a licence, which the inspectors do not dis- cover at all, as they are more focused on checking whether private investigation companies with valid licences are op- erating and carrying out their activities, and whether other companies that are not allowed to perform detective work or this work does not fall under their jurisdiction are doing it anyway. Another major problem is public's lack of aware- ness or ignorance about the detective work itself and what detective work actually is. Many people do not realise that they can turn to private investigation companies in many situations for help, because too little is said about it and the clarification is inadequate. It can be concluded that the chambers are very similar and operate in n a similar way. Both the Veterinary Chamber and the Detective Chamber perform core tasks in their field of activity; nevertheless, like everyone else, they face various challenges in their op- erations and activities that need to be resolved immediately to ensure smooth operations, which is particularly impor- tant for all their members, i.e. veterinarians and detectives. Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Mint International, d.o.o. for proofreading the manuscript in English. References 1. Virant G. Vrsta in značilnosti pravnih oseb: gospodarske in poklicne zbornice. Podjetje in delo 1999; 25(6): 6–7. 2. Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika: SSKJ 2. 2. dopolnjena in deloma prenovljena izd. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 2014. 3. GZS EN. By-laws of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Slovenia. Ljubljana: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, 2006. https://eng.gzs.si/ (24. 1. 2024). 4. Zakon o gospodarskih zbornicah (ZGZ). 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Javno pooblastilo v Republiki Sloveniji. Ljubljana: Univerza v Ljubljani, Pravna Fakulteta, 2005. Doktorska disertacija. 11. DTS. Poslanstvo. Ljubljana: Zbornica delovnih terapevtov Slovenije, 2019. https://www.zdts.si/index.php/home/poslanstvo (24. 01. 2023). 12. Zakon o zasebnem varovanju (ZZasv-1). Ur List RS 2011; 21(17): 2055–72. 13. OZS. Statut Obrtno-podjetniške zbornice Slovenije. Ljubljana: Obrtno- podjetniška zbornica Slovenije, 2016. https://www.ozs.si/datoteke/ ozs/staro/Media/Dokumenti/OSTALO%20NA%20OZS/Statut%20 OZS_%C4%8Distopis22122016.pdf (24. 1. 2024). 14. Statut Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije. Ur List RS 1994; 4(65): 3651–4. 15. Statut Veterinarske zbornice Slovenije. Ur List RS 2014; 24(79): 8728–37. 16. Statut Detektivske zbornice Republike Slovenije. Ur List RS 2021; 31(64): 3857–62. 17. Zakon o detektivski dejavnosti (ZDD-1). Ur List RS 2011; 21(17): 2047–55. 18. Zakon o veterinarstvu (Zvet-1). Ur List RS 2001; 11(33): 3674–93. 19. VZbSi. O zbornici. Ljubljana: Veterinarska zbornica Slovenije, 2023. https://www.vzb.si/o-zbornici (25. 01. 2023). 186 | Slovenian Veterinary Research 2024 | Vol 61 No 3 Zbornice v Sloveniji – tako podobne in tako različne; primerjava struktur in načinov dela na primeru Veterinarske zbornice in Detektivske zbornice v Republiki Sloveniji O. Podpečan, M. Dvojmoč Izvleček: Zbornice so združenja pravnih in fizičnih oseb, ki opravljajo pridobitno dejavnost. Po definiciji so javnopravna skupnost, ki opravlja podobno dejavnost, ustanovljena pa je predvsem za zaščito interesov svojih članov. V Sloveniji so ustanovljene zbornice za zastopanje oseb, ki opravljajo različne dejavnosti - od gospodarskih družb, samostojnih podjetnikov, kmetov, gozdarjev, obrtnikov, detektivov, veterinarjev ipd. Zbornice se med seboj nekoliko razlikujejo in jih lahko razdelimo v tri skupine, in sicer na gospodarske zbornice, poklicne zbornice in mešane zbornice. Naloge zbornic, njihovi organi in zadolžitve, merila za članstvo ter prenehanje, financiranje ali pridobivanje sredstev za delovanje in drugi pomembni podatki so določeni v njihovih statutih, z ustreznim zakonom ali drugim pravnim aktom. V prispevku je na primeru treh naključno izbranih zbornic, ki se med seboj razlikujejo po delovanju, izvajanju javnih pooblastil ali finan- ciranju nasploh, predstavljen celoten sistem zbornic Republike Slovenije, Veterinarska zbornica in Detektivska zbornica pa sta podrobneje pojasnjeni. Za ti dve zbornici smo se odločili, ker smo želeli predstaviti zbornico, ki deluje na področju naravoslovja in zbornico, ki deluje na področju družboslovja. S primerjavo veterinarske in detektivske zbornice lahko torej preučimo in analiziramo številne vidike, ki odražajo raznolikost in specifičnost posameznega poklicnega področja. Eden od razlogov, zakaj smo izbrali ti dve zbornici, je tudi dejstvo, da smo kot avtorji aktivni člani naših dveh izbranih zbornic. Primerjava omogoča lažje razumevanje njihovega delovanja ter njihovih podobnosti in razlik. Ugotovili smo, da ne samo zbornice, ki smo jih izbrali, ampak večina zbornic deluje zelo podobno, opravlja podobne naloge in ima veliko enakih or- ganov, potrebnih za njihovo delovanje. Verjetno je to posledica dejstva, da so se vse zbornice v Sloveniji razvile ali začele razvijati po vzoru prve zbornice – Gospodarske zbornice Slovenije. Ključne besede: zbornice; Veterinarska zbornica; Detektivska zbornica 20. VET-MAGAZIN. Veterinarska zbornica. Wien: Wet-magazin. com, 2022. https://vet-magazin.si/Novice/veterinarska-zbornica. html?SID=ZU0NiahXkDveeP8N@s1kUAAA (26. 01. 2023). 21. VZbSi. Članstvo VzbSi. Ljubljana: Veterinarska zbornica Slovenije, 2023. https://www.vzb.si/o-zbornici/clanstvo-vzbsi (26. 01. 2023). 22. Pravilnik o licenci za opravljanje veterinarskih dejavnosti. Ur List RS 2006; 16(115): 12117–8. 23. Pravilnik o pogojih, ki jih morajo izpolnjevati veterinarske organizacije, in o postopku njihove verifikacije. Ur List RS 2003; 13(35): 4079–83. 24. Pravilnik o pogojih, ki jih mora izpolnjevati veterinarska zbornica za opravljanje nalog, ki se opravljajo kot javna pooblastila po zakonu, ki ureja veterinarstvo. Ur List RS 2001; 11(86): 8637. 25. VZbSi. Mednarodno sodelovanje. Ljubljana: Veterinarska zbornica Slovenije, 2023. https://www.vzb.si/o-zbornici/mednarodno-sode- lovanje (26. 01. 2023). 26. Dvojmoč M, ed. Detektivska dejavnost in upravičenost nadzorovanja zaposlenih: priročnik za naročnike in ponudnike detektivskih storitev v Republiki Sloveniji. Maribor: Univerzitetna založba Univerze, 2020. http://www.dlib.si/stream/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-7G7INAXE/7c204339- 2479-4960-8ceb-2b719f98df0e/PDF (24. 1. 2024). 27. Detektivska zbornica Republike Slovenije. Kodeks poklicne etike. Ljubljana: Detektivska zbornica Republike Slovenije, 2017. https:// www.detektivska-zbornica-rs.si/kodeks-poklicne-etike/ (25. 01. 2023). 28. Dvojmoč M. Detektivska dejavnost v Sloveniji: (normativen) razvoj dejavnosti in pogled v prihodnost. Revija za kriminalistiko in krimi- nologijo 2017; 68(3): 280-297. https://www.policija.si/images/sto- ries/Publikacije/RKK/PDF/2017/03/RKK2017-03_MihaDvojmoc_ DetektivskaDejavnostVSloveniji.pdf (20. 1. 2023). 29. Zakon o splošnem upravnem postopku (ZUP-UPB2). Ur List RS 2006; 16(24): 2477–513.