EU Council Presidency
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...
Slovenia’s Janša calls for combination of EU’s soft, hard power
Prime Minister Janez Janša told the Slovenian parliament that the EU had to come up with strategic answers to strategic challenges, working both on its soft and hard power to become a major player regionally and globally.
Slovenian interior minister asked to apologise for ‘swine’ comment
Slovenian President Borut Pahor has criticised Interior Minister Aleš Hojs for using the term "swine" in a comment interpreted as targeting a senior member of the EU Commission, urging the minister to apologise.
Amnesty urges Slovenian EU presidency to work on human rights
Amnesty International has sent a list of demands concerning human rights to Slovenia as the country took over the EU Council presidency for the next six months, which includes achieving progress in the protection and promotion of human rights and...
Slovenia faces mountain of climate legislation as it takes on EU presidency role
As Slovenia takes over the EU Council presidency from Portugal on Thursday (1 July), it faces an avalanche of climate legislation, both inherited from its predecessor and from the European Commission which is due to table a massive legislative package on 14 July.
Slovenia takes EU driver’s seat as values questions dominate
A joint press conference between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Slovenian prime minister Janez Janša was dominated with questions over rule of law, media freedom and EU values. Slovenia started its six-month stint at the helm of...
Slovenia hosts College of European Commissioners for working visit
Slovenia's six-month stint at the helm of the Council of the European Union begins on Thursday (1 July) with a customary working visit by the College of Commissioners and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
MEPs want COVID-19 restrictions standardised across Europe
European lawmakers have called on the EU to build upon the digital vaccination certificate as a major step forward in facilitating movement within the bloc during the pandemic by harmonising criteria for the imposition of coronavirus restrictions across member states.
Diplomat: Portuguese presidency unblocked EU legislative dossiers
The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU has moved forward many legislative dossiers forward, even some that had been blocked for years, according to the the deputy permanent representative of Portugal to the EU, Pedro Lourtie.
Portugal: Improve EU single market for post-pandemic recovery
Portuguese Economy Minister Pedro Siza Vieira has said that the European Union's single market is still an "incomplete construction" with "barriers to be eliminated" but that steps to make it function better should be a foundation of the post-pandemic economic recovery.
Portuguese FM: EU enlargement could be ‘great achievement’ for Slovenia
Portugal's foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, said on Thursday (24 June) that the launch of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania would be "a major achievement" of Slovenia's upcoming EU Presidency.
Schinas: Erasmus generation has a duty to defend Europe
European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas has said that "the time has come" for the Erasmus generation to help Europe defend itself from the enemies who would have us believe that the European Union has no future.
Creative Europe programme to provide €2.5bn funding for culture sector
European Commissioner for Innovation and Research, Mariya Gabriel, has said that the Creative Europe 2021-2027 programme will focus on the "economic sustainability" and the "digital inclusion" of the cultural and creative sectors by funding projects for specific challenges.
EU Council reaches agreement on road charging
The Council of the European Union (EU), chaired by Portugal, has reached an agreement with the European Parliament to revise the rules on road charging, the so-called Eurovignette, to reduce emissions of polluting gases and infrastructure congestion.