EU Council Presidency
Slovenia advocates for strong cohesion policy, minister says
Cohesion policy has an important role to play in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, and the Slovenian EU presidency intends to keep it strong, Development and EU Cohesion Policy Minister Zvonko Černač said at a conference in Porto.
‘Too many priorities kill the priorities?’ France’s many ambitions for its 2022 EU presidency
With France set to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU (FPEU) in January 2022, the list of issues the government wants to tackle for the occasion seems never-ending.
In Slovenia, lawmakers from across Europe debate EU’s common foreign and security policy
An inter-parliamentary conference on the EU's common foreign and security policy, organised on Thursday (9 September) as part of the Slovenian EU presidency in Ljubljana, heard calls for a united and active approach by the bloc to global challenges.
Macron to push for pesticide phase-out during EU presidency stint
France will push for "an accelerated phase-out of pesticides" at the EU level when it takes on the rotating EU Council Presidency in January 2022, President Emmanuel Macron told the World Conservation Congress which opened in Marseille this week
Slovenia, Germany and Portugal adopt schemes for patient inclusion in cancer research
Slovenia, as part of its EU Trio Presidency with Germany and Portugal, adopted on Tuesday (7 September) a document on approaches to actively involve patients in cancer research.
Slovenia bets on regional cooperation in fight against firearms trafficking
Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said cooperation was key to fighting firearms trafficking in South East Europe as he attended a high-level online meeting on the issue Tuesday (7 September) on behalf the Slovenian EU presidency.
Court orders Slovenia government to fund under-fire news agency
Slovenia's Supreme Court ruled Monday (6 September) that the conservative government must resume financing of the country's only news agency STA, which it halted during a row over its management and reporting.
Ministers call for OSCE-type conference for the Mediterranean
The 2015-2016 refugee crisis must not repeat itself in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries stressed at Bled Strategic Forum on Thursday (2 September), calling for more cooperation in the region.
Slovenia aims to make EU-Western Balkans summit regular feature
Slovenia's EU presidency will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in early October and its desire is to make these summits a regular annual event as a means of accelerating the EU enlargement process, Foreign Minister Anže Logar has said.
EU mulls aid for Afghanistan’s neighbours, ‘determined’ to prevent new migration crisis
The EU is determined to prevent uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements from Afghanistan by boosting aid to its neighbours in the region, a nemergency meeting of EU home affairs ministers concluded. However, they did not discuss sums or resettlement numbers.
NGOs urge Slovenia’s minister to propose EU exit Energy Charter Treaty
Slovenian environmental NGOs have called on infrastructure minister Jernej Vrtovec to use the country's EU presidency to propose a political discussion on the bloc exiting the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) at an energy ministers' meeting in September.
Slovenian opposition calls for independent probe into Pegasus concerns
Slovenia's opposition Social Democrats have called on Prime Minister Janez Janša to initiate an independent, voluntary forensic investigation of mobile devices of political leaders, journalists and civil society in the face of the Pegasus surveillance scandal.
EU Commissioner rejects Janša’s accusation of ‘harming’ Slovenia
European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič has rejected an accusation by PΜ Janez Janša that he was acting against Slovenia's interests saying "Slovenia is being harmed by those who undermine the rule of law and media freedom".
EU ministers discuss preparations for COP26 conference
EU environment ministers meeting for an informal session at Brdo pri Kranju have discussed the UN climate conference COP26, to be held in Glasgow in November. Slovenian Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said the discussion on Tuesday sought to analyse the...
EU ministers say bloc needs common research area
EU ministers in charge of research agreed that Europe needs a common research area as they met for an informal meeting in Slovenia on Monday to discuss revitalising the European Research Area (ERA), and the role of international cooperation to...
EU presidency expects solid results on health union package
Slovenia and its predecessors at the helm of the EU, Portugal and Germany, are working to finalise negotiations on three draft regulations that form the basis of the EU Health Union, Slovenian Health Minister Janez Poklukar has said. The desire...
Slovenia: Progress slow in EU migration pact talks
Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs has said following an informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers that although EU member states would like to see progress in talks on the EU pact on migration and asylum, stances are still diverging....
Logar quizzed on Western Balkans non-paper, Iran statements
Presenting Slovenia's EU presidency priorities in foreign affairs to the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Anže Logar faced questions by MEPs about a non-paper on redrawing Western Balkan borders, the situation of North Macedonia and Albania, and PM Janez Janša's recent statements about Iran, and media freedom.
Slovenia to prioritise e-mobility, alternative fuels in transport talks
The main priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency in transport are e-mobility and alternative fuels, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said as he presented the presidency agenda to the European Parliament's Transport Committee on Tuesday.
Slovenian minister: Internal EU borders must connect, not divide nations
Slovenian Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik has told a conference hosted by his ministry that borders within the EU should unite, not divide nations.
Slovenia, Bulgaria seek compromise on North Macedonia’s EU bid
Slovenia's President Borut Pahor met his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev on Thursday (8 July) to discuss Bulgaria's veto on North Macedonia's bid to join the EU.
Logar: Article 7 hearings on Slovenian EU presidency agenda
On behalf of the Council of the EU, Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar told the European Parliament on Wednesday that hearings under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union regarding Poland and Hungary were on the agenda of Slovenia’s...
Slovenian PM refuses to comment on party’s European political future
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša did not wish to comment on the European political future of his Democrats (SDS) party during a visit to Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. Asked about the SDS’s membership in the European People’s Party...