30.06.2008 Goodbye and thank you from the www.eu2008.si website editorial team upon the conclusion of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency. This is the last day of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We, the members of the www.eu2008.si website editorial team, would like to thank all the internet users that have visited our website and the mobile portal and made good use of their services in the last six months. More than 765,000 visits and 3,765,000 pageviews on the Slovenian Presidency website clearly support our presumption.
30.06.2008 Slovenian EU Council Presidency 2008 in Figures. Holding the EU Council Presidency is a responsible task involving managing and representing the Community of 27 Member States and about 500 million citizens.
In this important task, performed by the Republic of Slovenia in the first half of 2008, 2,720 Slovenian civil servants, 133 independent experts and 245 students participated.
In total, more than 8,000 events were held during the Slovenian EU Council Presidency: 283 events took place in Slovenia, 3,285 in Brussels and 4,242 elsewhere in the world.
30.06.2008 Achievements of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council. Programme and priorities - Future of Europe enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty: By signing the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007, the EU Member States committed to ratifying it at the earliest possible date. This aim was achieved by 19 Member States, while ratification procedures are under way in the remaining countries. Slovenia ratified the Treaty as the second Member State on 29 January 2008. This success was slightly overshadowed by the negative result of the referendum in Ireland. Nevertheless, the European Union remains committed to its goals. The Member States agree that the ratification procedures must continue. At the same time, we will cooperate with Ireland in trying to find a uniform solution acceptable to all Member States and enabling the further development of the Union in the shortest possible time.
30.06.2008 Minister Rupel passes the Presidency of the EU Council on to the French Foreign Minister Kouchner. A ceremony on the occasion of the assumption of the Presidency of the EU Council by France took place in Nova Gorica, Trg Evrope (Europe Square) this afternoon. The Presidency will pass from Slovenia to France today at midnight. In the square, which also witnessed Slovenia's EU accession on 1 May 2004, the President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council and Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel passed the symbolic baton which he received six months ago from the Portuguese Minister, Luis Amado, on to his successor, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
30.06.2008 Slovenian Presidency, on behalf of the EU, and Australia sign agreement on providing airline passenger data to Australian authorities. Today, Australia and the EU, represented by the Slovenian Presidency, signed an agreement on the provision of passenger name record (PNR) data to Australian authorities. Negotiations on the agreement were opened following the adoption of the EU negotiating mandate in February this year. The Presidency, as the chief negotiator for the EU and assisted by the Commission, engaged in intensive negotiations with the Australian side. The negotiations were successfully concluded in May, with a draft agreement that addressed the operative law enforcement needs of the competent Australian authorities while providing for robust data protection safeguards.
30.06.2008 Airline industry to be included in the ETS as of 2012 – EU urges the industry to play its part in the fight against climate change. The Member States of the EU showed overwhelming support for the Slovenian Presidency's proposal on the inclusion of aviation in the European ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) system when they rubber stamped the agreement last week. "Hence, the Slovenian Presidency managed to arrive at an agreement on one of the most challenging dossiers, which is closely linked with Europe's overall aim to fight climate change," stated the President of the Environment Council and Slovenian Environment, Minister Janez Podobnik, following the agreement reached on Friday (27 June) by Deputy Permanent Representatives.
30.06.2008 Achievements of the Slovenian Government Office For Local Self-Government And Regional Policy During the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Slovenian Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy (GOSP) achieved all the set objectives in the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. On the strategic level, the greatest emphasis is on the progress regarding the issue of the future of cohesion policy, where the Republic of Slovenia managed to promote an in-depth discussion and, at the same time, prepare concrete conclusions and guidelines for the future thus setting the direction for the future reforms. At the same time a big emphasis was put on the partnership approach, especially on the role of regions and territorial cooperation namely in the context of their contribution in reaching the Lisbon Strategy objectives as well as strengthening the institutional cooperation of the regions, e.g. in the framework of the Euroregions.
27.06.2008 Informal Meeting of EU Directors-General Responsible for Fisheries. Slovenia today hosted the Informal Meeting of the EU Directors-General responsible for fisheries, the last meeting held in Slovenia during the Slovenian Presidency of the EU. The Directors-General discussed high fuel prices, which have a strong impact on the fisheries sector. The fishing fleet is greatly affected in that the cost of fuel can represent half or an even greater share of production costs.
27.06.2008 Minister Rupel attends second day of the G8 meeting. The main topics of the second and final day of the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting in Kyoto today were Korea, Iran, the Middle East Peace Process, Sudan and Zimbabwe. The meeting is being attended by the foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, and the deputy foreign minister of Russia. As usual, an EU delegation also takes part as an observer, this time headed by the President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel.
27.06.2008 EU-Russia Summit: The Start of a New Age. The 21st EU-Russia Summit in Hanty Mansiisk, Russia, was marked by talks held in a friendly atmosphere. The Summit fulfilled the main expectation regarding mutual relations in the recent period. Leaders from both sides welcomed the start of the new phase in the process of deepening the strategic partnership introduced by the negotiations on a new fundamental agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation.
26.06.2008 Presidency Press Statement: EU and Turkmenistan hold first round of human rights talks. The European Union and Turkmenistan held the first round of the human rights dialogue on 24 July in Ashgabat. The meeting, which took place in a constructive atmosphere, covered the human rights situation in Turkmenistan as well as cooperation with the UN mechanisms.
26.06.2008 Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel attends G8 Foreign Ministers meeting. The G8 Foreign Ministers meeting opened in Kyoto today. The EU delegation is headed by the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Dimitrij Rupel. The two-day meeting dedicated to all the most important international crisis points is being attended by the Foreign Ministers of the USA, Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan, and the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Canada and the Russian Federation. The European Union always takes part in G8 meetings, too. For Slovenia, this is the first and only opportunity in many years to attend such an important meeting, since the G8 Group is made up of the countries that have the largest and most powerful economies in the world. Today's discussion focused on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Burma/Myanmar; tomorrow the Ministers will discuss Korea, Iran, the Middle East Peace Process, Sudan, Zimbabwe and the Caucasus.
26.06.2008 Slovenian Justice Minister Lovro Šturm speaks about future cooperation in the area of justice. The President of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, Dr Lovro Šturm, today presented at the Committee for Legal Affairs of the European Parliament (JURI) the results of Slovenia’s Presidency of the EU Council in the area of justice. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is responsible for the legal protection of the rights and competences of the European Parliament, including its participation in proceedings before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. The Committee is also competent for EU measures that have an impact on Member State legislation, including in the fields of civil and commercial law, corporate law, intellectual property law and procedural law, as well as environmental liability and sanctions against environmental crime.
26.06.2008 Minister Mate: "We have justified the confidence placed in us during the Slovenian Presidency.". Dragutin Mate, Slovenian Minister of the Interior and President of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, presented the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council in the area of home affairs at the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE Committee) in Brussels today.
26.06.2008 State Secretary Tomaž Jeršič presents Slovenian Presidency achievements in energy, telecommunications and industrial policy before European Parliament ITRE Committee. At the close of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency, the State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of the Economy, Tomaž Jeršič, appeared before the MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) to present the work and progress achieved during the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the areas of energy, industrial policy, competition and telecommunications. He focused especially on the achievements of the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meetings held in June.
26.06.2008 Two-day Plenary Session of the Permanent Committee on Cadastre (PCC) in the European Union. A two-day general meeting of the Permanent Committee on Cadastre (PCC) in the European Union started at Bled today, organised by the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia, which chaired the Committee on behalf of Slovenia during the first half of 2008.
26.06.2008 Slovenian Minister of Justice before the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE): successful conclusion of the Slovenian Presidency in the area of Justice. The President of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, Dr Lovro Šturm, today presented the results of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council in the area of justice at the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). The Minister informed the MEPs that a prototype of the European e-justice portal was opened in April 2008. The prototype was set up on an experimental basis for States participating in the project of linking up insolvency registers, which was the aim of the Slovenian Presidency. The European e-Justice Portal will constitute a single online access point and will enable existing e-justice services to be linked. The portal is expected to be opened to the public in 2010. "'It is very important to provide the appropriate funds within the framework of the civil and criminal programme for future quality work in the e-justice field," declared Minister Šturm.
26.06.2008 Members of the European Parliament commend the Slovenian Presidency for fulfilling its promise in the area of science. The Slovenian Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mojca Kucler Dolinar, today in Brussels presented before the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency in the area of science, technology and the information society.In her opening address, she stated:"We were warned that our programme is too ambitious; however, today we are proud to say we have succeeded."
26.06.2008 A historic EU-Russia Summit in sight, according to Prime Minister Janez Janša. The 21st EU-Russia Summit – currently being held in Khanty Mansiisk, Siberia, under the Slovenian EU Council Presidency – will be a historic one, declared the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the European Council, Janez Janša. One of the centrepieces of this Summit will be the official launch of negotiations on the new agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation. The Slovenian EU Council Presidency, in cooperation with all the Member States and with the support of the European institutions, has invested a great deal in ensuring the mandate for negotiations on a new agreement to replace the 1997 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was confirmed in good time. The European Union and the Russian Federation will also resume the practice of issuing joint statements – the last time a Joint Statement was adopted by an EU-Russia Summit was in November 2003.
24.06.2008 Dr Rupel attends Quartet meeting: Middle East talks to enter a crucial phase. The President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel, last night attended the meeting of the ‘Quartet’ of Middle East peace negotiators in Berlin, where he represented the European Union alongside the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, and the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The US delegation is headed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Russian Federation delegation by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, participated at the conference from New York through video link.
24.06.2008 EU Fisheries Ministers further agree on Fishing Authorisations and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem Protection. The EU Council of Ministers responsible for fisheries, under the chairmanship of Slovenian Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc, today adopted two further Regulations on fisheries, the first on authorisations for fishing activities and the second on the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems.
“I am highly satisfied that, on top of the Regulation on preventing illegal fishing, we also today adopted a Regulation unifying the rules for obtaining authorisations for the fishing activities of Community fishing vessels outside Community waters and the access of non-EU vessels to European waters. This is one action to simply procedures and reduce the administrative burden,” emphasised Mr Jarc.
24.06.2008 Synergy has created shifts that have made Europe more effective, claims Prime Minister Janez Janša. At today’s extraordinary plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, presented the conclusions adopted at the June European Council meeting held on 19 and 20 June this year.
In the Prime Minister’s words, in the past six months, the synergy between the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament has helped bring about certain shifts that have made Europe better and more effective, especially in terms of seeking answers to global challenges. “The shifts that we have made prove that Europe is dynamic, that it is functioning and that it is capable of addressing problems,” he underscored.
24.06.2008 “The Slovenian Presidency successfully carried out its work,” says Slovenian Finance Minister Bajuk. The current President of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Slovenian Finance Minister Dr Andrej Bajuk, today in Brussels presented the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency to the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in the area of the Council's work and pointed out that economic conditions had substantially influenced the work of the Slovenian Presidency.
24.06.2008 Energy dialogue regarding high oil prices. Minister of the Economy Andrej Vizjak today co-chaired the fifth meeting of the EU-OPEC Energy Dialogue in Brussels. The main theme of the ministerial meeting was high oil prices. The ministers of the EU Member States and OPEC Member Countries exchanged positions and information.
24.06.2008 Foreign Minister Rupel at Berlin Conference on Palestinian Civil Security and Rule of Law. Attending the Conference in Support of Palestinian Civil Security and Rule of Law today, the current EU General Affairs and External Relations Council President, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel confirmed the European Union’s commitment to actively participating in strengthening civil security forces and the rule of law in Palestine. The Conference, which is being attended by senior representatives of many countries and international organisations, including the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East Tony Blair, was opened by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
24.06.2008 EU Ministers for fisheries reach agreement on fight against unlawful, unregulated and unreported fishing. EU Ministers competent for fisheries headed by the Slovenian Minister Iztok Jarc adopted the regulation establishing the system for the fight against unlawful, unregulated and unreported fishing. It is a priority file of the Slovenian Presidency and the Commission in the field of fisheries. “The adopted Regulation sets an example for other world countries as well as international and regional organisations from the fisheries field,” said Slovenian Minister Jarc after the adoption.
24.06.2008 Trio Presidency transport ministers summarise accomplishments achieved during the last eighteen months. The transport ministers of the first Trio Presidency met today at Brdo to review the accomplishments of the last eighteen months in the field of transport and addressed key challenges for the future. Minister of Transport of the Republic of Slovenia Radovan Žerjav, Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Wolfgang Tiefensee, and Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications of the Portuguese Republic Mario Lino praised the good mutual cooperation of the Trio, which brought tangible results and achievement of the set objectives.
23.06.2008 Slovenian Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti tells EP committee, “All our set objectives were achieved in full and, in many areas, exceeded.”. Today in Brussels Dr Vasko Simoniti, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia gave a final report to the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). Before that, at 12.30 in front of the Justus Lipsius Council building on Place Schuman, he donated a sculptural monolith bearing the quotation ‘May all peoples thrive and prosper’ in 23 languages, a lasting symbol of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency in Brussels.
23.06.2008 Agriculture Ministers adopt Plant Protection Product Regulation . Today the EU’s Agriculture Ministers, headed by Slovenian Minister of Agriculture Iztok Jarc, by a significant majority and with the support of the European Commission adopted the Regulation on placing plant protection products on the market. Mr Jarc stressed that reaching political agreement after two years of EU Council discussions on the Regulation was a great achievement for the Slovenian Presidency, adding that one of the chief aims of the new Regulation is to enforce the high standards needed to prevent harmful effects of plant protection products on human and animal health or the environment.
23.06.2008 A lasting souvenir of Slovenia's EU Presidency in front of Justus Lipsius. Slovenian minister of culture Vasko Simonitti today handed over to Director General and Head of Protocol of the Council's General Secretariat Marc Lepovre a marble monolith, a monument to Slovenia's first EU Presidency. The statue, which stands in front of the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, carries the verse "God's blessings on all nations" from Slovenia's national anthem in 23 official EU languages.
23.06.2008 Achievements of the Slovenian Presidency in the areas of education, young people and sport exceeded all expectations. "I am very pleased with the Slovenian Presidency since we have successfully concluded the 18-month programme of the Trio Presidency and realised all key priorities in the area of education, training, young people and culture," declared the current President of the Education, Youth and Culture Council, Slovenian Minister of Education and Sport, Dr Milan Zver, today at the European Parliament. At the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education, Minister Zver presented the achievements of the Slovenian Presidency in the areas of education, training, young people and sport. At the conclusion, the MEPs agreed that the Slovenian Presidency had exceeded all expectations and was very successful in their work.
23.06.2008 Slovenian Minister of Agriculture Iztok Jarc on Achievements of the Trio Presidency . Before the last EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting under the Slovenian Presidency, today, the Slovenian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food and current Council President, Iztok Jarc, highlighted the importance of work and cooperation under the trio Presidency. Germany, Portugal and Slovenia had set out their objectives in a well-prepared 18-month Presidency programme, said the Minister, and had for the most part accomplished their objectives in every area. Among the trio Presidency’s achievements he highlighted simplification and removal of administrative barriers, reform of the wine sector, progress on the plant protection products package and the common agricultural policy (CAP) healthcheck.
23.06.2008 Spatial information conference in Maribor. The INSPIRE Conference, being held from 23 to 25 June at the Habakuk Hotel in Maribor, is today being opened by Dr Mitja Bricelj, State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. Conference participants will discuss the Member State obligations and activities required under the 2007 Directive establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community for environmental policy implementation purposes (the 'INSPIRE Directive').
21.06.2008 Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers of South-Eastern Europe. On Friday 20 and Saturday 21 June, the first Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) was held in Sotelia Hotel, Podčetrtek, Slovenia. Alongside the SEE Defence Ministers and their deputies, the meeting was attended by senior representatives of Italy, Hungary, the EU and NATO. Participants at the meeting, chaired by Slovenian Defence Minister Karl Erjavec, discussed the current state of affairs and future possibilities for cooperation in the area of defence in the region. All participants agreed on the importance of pursuing practical forms of regional integration. The meeting confirmed the conclusions of the 8th Clearinghouse Conference held at Brdo pri Kranju from 18 to 20 June.
20.06.2008 Slovenian Presidency welcomes entry into force of new memorandum of understanding on cross-border financial stability on 2 June 2008. The Slovenian Minister of Finance and President of the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Dr Andrej Bajuk, has welcomed the entry into force of the new Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the Financial Supervisory Authorities, Central Banks and the Finance Ministries of the European Union on cross-border financial stability on 2 June 2008, when it was signed by all 113 institutions. Dr Bajuk underlined, "The agreement on the Memorandum of Understanding on Cross-Border Financial Stability reached at the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council on 4-5 April 2008 in Brdo pri Kranju constitutes a tangible achievement of the Slovenian Presidency in the area of crisis management in the EU."
20.06.2008 EU Lifts Restrictions on Cuba. The European Union will lift the already suspended 2003 measures on Cuba as a means to facilitate political dialogue with this country. This was agreed by the EU foreign ministers at a dinner organised on Thursday evening in Brussels on the margins of the European Council meeting and headed by the President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, Foreign Minister of Slovenia Dr Dimitrij Rupel. The Council will formally confirm the decision at its next session, expected to be held next week. The issue was already on the agenda at the session of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on Monday in Luxembourg, but the ministers postponed it, especially due to a long discussion on the effects of the Lisbon Treaty referendum results in Ireland.
20.06.2008 French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner thanked the Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. At the end of the dinner of EU Foreign Ministers on the margins of the European Council, which was the last official meeting of ministers during the Slovenian EU Council Presidency, the incoming President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council and French Foreign Minister, Mr Bernard Kouchner, thanked the current President, Mr Dimitrij Rupel, for the accomplished work.
20.06.2008 EU leaders unanimous in favour of mitigating effects of high food and oil prices. At their June Summit under the current Council President, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, EU Heads of State and Government today called for a united front in taking measures to relieve the effects of high food and oil prices at European and world level. The President of the European Council, Janez Janša, underlined that these are major challenges with a significant impact on the life of all EU citizens. He pointed out three statistics illustrating the gravity of the situation, "16% of EU residents live below the poverty line, low-income families being the worst affected. An additional 100 million people have been pushed into poverty due to the increase in food prices, while oil prices have risen by 500% in the past six years."
20.06.2008 European Council upholds ‘European perspective’ for Western Balkans. At its meeting in Brussels today, the European Council confirmed its full support for the prospect of a future in Europe – the ‘European perspective’ – for the countries of the Western Balkans, to whom the EU leaders issued recommendations on drawing closer to the European Union.
“The Slovenian Presidency has endeavoured throughout to bolster the European perspective for the Western Balkan countries, this being a prerequisite for peace and stability in the region. So I am pleased that, today, we have confirmed some important achievements towards making the prospect of the region’s future in Europe a reality,” stressed the current European Council President, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša.
20.06.2008 European Council to analyse further and return to Lisbon Treaty in October; meanwhile, ratification continues. The European Council held extensive discussions yesterday and today on the outcome of the Irish referendum rejecting the Lisbon Treaty and the implications of this for the European Union. Mr Janez Janša, the Slovenian Prime Minister and President of the European Council, today assessed the debate as very constructive, “I sensed a very positive mood and a high level of solidarity. I am sure my colleagues felt the same.”
19.06.2008 EU leaders approve Slovakia’s bid to join the eurozone. Today, the leaders of the EU Member States confirmed Slovakia's readiness to join the eurozone on 1 January 2009. Slovakia will thus become the sixteenth member of the eurozone and the fourth to join from the group of countries that became EU members in 2004.
18.06.2008 Slovenian Presidency achieves decision on EIT headquarters: Budapest selected. Although it has been clear all along that achieving a final decision on the location of the headquarters of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) would be a neither easy nor quick task, the Slovenian Presidency has demonstrated fine diplomatic skills and has managed to bring the divergent positions of the Member States to a consensus. The EU Member State ministers today agreed in Brussels that the most appropriate candidate is Hungary.
18.06.2008 Presidency presented the preparation of the European Council to the European Parliament, following the Irish referendum. "At tomorrow's meeting of the European Council, Heads of State and Government will discuss how best to remedy the situation caused by the Irish "no" vote for the Lisbon Treaty. They will endeavour to set a timetable for further work. The Presidency is convinced that a solution could be found in close cooperation with Ireland." With these words, State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarčič announced one of the main topics of tomorrow's European Council, during his presentation to the European Parliament at today’s plenary session. The European Council will also focus on other equally important challenges. Thus, Heads of State and Government will discuss measures to alleviate the impact of rising food and oil prices; the European perspective of the Western Balkans; and the progress made on economic, social and environmental issues. In keeping with the tradition of June summits, the meeting will also discuss issues relating to justice and home affairs and external relations.
17.06.2008 Prime Minister Janez Janša: European Council will focus on practical challenges before the European Union. At the press conference today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, presented today the agenda of the June European Council meeting to be held on 19 and 20 June 2008 in Brussels; he also spoke about current affairs in Europe. Mr Janša reported that the Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, would inform his colleagues about the reasons behind the negative referendum result. “In this context I expect an open discussion and constructive exchange of views,” added the current President of the European Council, Mr Janša.
17.06.2008 Minister Rupel Briefs the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. The President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, today briefed the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament (AFET) on Monday’s Council meeting and the activities accomplished during the Slovenian Presidency.
17.06.2008 Debate on the Internal Energy Market: Statement by State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarčič on Behalf of the Council of the EU. During the Slovenian Presidency, energy issues were high on the agenda. Issues such as the security of supply, functioning of energy markets and sustainable environmental management are of strategic importance for the EU and its citizens today. It is becoming increasingly clear that the energy sector is an area which has to offer new knowledge and new services if we wish to safeguard the competitiveness of the European economy.
17.06.2008 Minister Mate at successful political trialogue on Common Consular Instructions . On the margins of today’s plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Slovenian Interior Minister and President of the Home Affairs Council Dragutin Mate attended a political trialogue with MEP Sarah Ludford, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending the Common Consular Instructions on visas for diplomatic missions and consular posts in relation to the introduction of biometrics, including provisions on the organisation of the reception and processing of visa applications.
17.06.2008 Role of Forests in Climate Change. A three-day meeting of Directors-General for Forestry began today in Slovenia. The main topics of the meeting concern forests and climate change, and the question of what role forests should play in adapting to and mitigating climate change. The Directors-General will also discuss the initiative for concluding a legally binding agreement on forests in Europe which was previously dealt with at the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe in November last year.
17.06.2008 Fifth meeting of the Accession Conference at ministerial level with Turkey. The fifth meeting of the Accession Conference with Turkey at ministerial level was held today in Luxembourg, following the start of accession negotiations on 3 October 2005. The European Union Delegation was headed by Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenian Foreign Minister and current President of the Council. The Turkish delegation was led by Ali Babacan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator.
17.06.2008 Sixth meeting of the Accession Conference at ministerial level with Croatia. The sixth meeting of the Accession Conference with Croatia at ministerial level was held today in Luxembourg, following the start of accession negotiations on 3 October 2005. The European Union delegation was headed by Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenia’s Foreign Minister and current President of the GAERC Council. The Croatian delegation was led by Gordan Jandroković, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
17.06.2008 EU opens two chapters in accession negotiations with Turkey. The President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, today chaired the accession conference with Turkey. The Turkish delegation was headed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. At the accession conference, the European Union opened two new chapters, namely Chapter 6 (Company Law) and Chapter 7 (Intellectual Property Law).
17.06.2008 EU opens two chapters in accession negotiations with Croatia. The current President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, chaired the accession conference today with Croatia; the Croatian delegation was headed by the Foreign Minister, Gordan Jandroković. At the accession conference, the European Union opened two new chapters, namely Chapter 2 (Freedom of Movement for Workers) and Chapter 19 (Employment and Social Policy).
16.06.2008 Minister Rupel heads the EU-Israel Association Council. The current President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dr Dimitrij Rupel, today chaired the EU-Israel Association Council. The Israeli delegation was headed by Tzipi Livni, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The meeting focused on assessing relations between the European Union and Israel. The Association Council, the central body in the bilateral relations, regularly examines the relations and formulates proposals for strengthening cooperation.
16.06.2008 Minister Rupel on the Irish referendum. At the press conference which followed the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council President, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, responded to a question on the implications of the Irish ‘no’ vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. He explained that some time had been dedicated to the issue at the Council session; Commission representatives and many ministers had taken part in a debate after hearing a report from the Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin.
16.06.2008 Prime Minister Janez Janša receives President of the European Economic and Social Committee. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, had a meeting today with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Mr Dimitris Dimitriadis, who thanked the Prime Minister for the excellent cooperation the EESC had enjoyed with the Slovenian Presidency, adding that he looked forward to further cooperation between the European Economic and Social Committee and Slovenia after the conclusion of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency.
16.06.2008 EU signs Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foreign ministers of the EU-27 and representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina today signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which formally launches Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the EU. Dr Dimitrij Rupel, GAERC President and Slovenian Foreign Minister, signed the agreement on behalf of the EU Presidency; Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn on behalf of the European Commission; and Prime Minister Nikola Špirić on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BiH Presidency Chairman, Dr Haris Silajdžić, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Sven Alkalaj, and the High Representative for the CFSP, Mr Javier Solana, were also present at this event.
16.06.2008 ASEM finance ministers discuss challenges in the world economy. Dr Andrej Bajuk, Slovenian Minister of Finance and current President of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), today attended the meeting of finance ministers from Asia and Europe (ASEM) being held from 14 to 17 June 2008 on Jeju Island in South Korea. He participated in the discussions by presenting common positions of the EU Member States.
16.06.2008 General Affairs and External Relations Council discusses the Western Balkans. Under the presidency of Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel, the General Affairs and External Relations Council today discussed the Western Balkans. By way of introduction, the Council reiterated its “firm commitment” to the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries.
16.06.2008 Presidency statement: Cyprus – Amendments to the Green Line Regulation. The Presidency welcomes today's adoption of the amendments to the Green Line Regulation. The regulation, originally adopted in 2004 and first amended in 2005, contains rules for the crossing of people, goods and services across the Green Line on Cyprus.
15.06.2008 “The outstanding results of the cooperation between ASEM countries in the last 12 years mean we can look to the future with optimism,” affirms Finance Minister Bajuk. Dr Andrej Bajuk, Slovenian Minister of Finance and current President of the Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) Council, today attended the ASEM conference in the format of a meeting of Asian and European (ASEM) Finance Ministers on Jeju Island in South Korea. At the conference, discussions focused on future regional economic integration in Asia and Europe; Dr Bajuk took part in a debate on challenges and opportunities related to the strategic partnership between the European Union and Asia and presented the conclusions of the discussions.
14.06.2008 G8 Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Osaka Mainly Focuses on High Crude Oil and Food Prices. Slovenian Minister of Finance and current President of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Dr Andrej Bajuk, attended the meeting of the G8 finance ministers on 13 and 14 June 2008 at the invitation of Japanese Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga. In his capacity as ECOFIN chair, Minister Bajuk participated in discussions by presenting the positions harmonised at the EU level. The finance ministers exchanged views on the following three issues: macro-economic prospects, including developments on financial markets, and food and crude oil prices and climate change.
13.06.2008 Prime Minister Janez Janša: European leaders determined to find a solution to the situation. "There is firm resolve to proceed, to seek a way out of this situation within the framework as set by the Lisbon Reform Treaty," said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Union, Mr Janez Janša, in response to the publication of the official outcome of the referendum on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, held yesterday in Ireland. The Prime Minister went on to add that the Heads of State and Government of the European Union Member States would hold a meeting next week in Brussels, and the Irish Prime Minister, Mr Brian Cowen, would be invited to explain the reasons for this outcome of the referendum.
13.06.2008 European Lifelong Learning Awards for Quality in Mobility 2008 . Within the framework of the international conference "Quality in Mobility within the Lifelong Learning Programme", the European Lifelong Learning Awards for Quality in Mobility were granted for the first time today. The awards to the winning Erasmus, Grundtvig, Comenius, Leonardo and Languages projects were conferred by the President of the EU Education, Youth and Culture Council, Slovenian Minister of Education and Sport, Dr Milan Zver, and the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Jan Figel'. "The Lifelong Learning Programme and in particular the mobility projects carried out within its framework are basic tools for encouraging intercultural dialogue, mutual acquaintance and thus promotion of multiculturalism and multilingualism," said the President of the EU Education, Youth and Culture Council, Slovenian Minister of Education and Sport, Dr Milan Zver, at the awards ceremony. He also pointed out that "priority was given to operators of the educational process: to educational institutions, primary and secondary school pupils, teachers, and to the actual results of their participation in the most important EU education programme – the Lifelong Learning Programme. And it is really in the schooling process where innovation and creativity – being among the main priorities of the Slovenian Presidency – start.
13.06.2008 European transport perspective for the Western Balkan countries. In the afternoon session of today's Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting, the Transport Ministers of the EU Member States discussed the so-called transport agreement with the Western Balkan countries, as well as railway agreements, clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles, and aviation. The transport ministers conferred a mandate on the Commission to open negotiations on the Transport Community Treaty between the EU and the Western Balkan countries. This is the continuation of the process and events of transport rapprochement of the Community with this region, as well as the continuation of the content discussed by the EU Transport Ministers at the conference in May in Belgrade.
13.06.2008 General Affairs and External Relations Council Meeting, 16 and 17 June 2008. The General Affairs and External Relations Council will convene in Luxembourg on 16 and 17 June for its final meeting under the Slovenian Presidency. The Council's session on General Affairs will focus on preparations for the European Council on 19 and 20 June. The ministers will examine draft conclusions prepared by the Presidency. After that, the future French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies will present their draft 18-month programme of the Council in the second half of 2008 and in 2009. The document focuses on long-term EU objectives and on issues expected to be covered during the upcoming 18-month period.
13.06.2008 Prime Minister Janez Janša comments on the Irish referendum. Today, we have learned about the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
The Slovenian Presidency of the EU deeply regrets this outcome.
Nevertheless, we respect the democratic will of the Irish voters.
Next week, the Heads of State and Government of the EU Member States will meet in Brussels at the European Council meeting. I will invite the Irish Prime Minister to explain the reasons for the rejection of the Treaty by the Irish people. We will discuss the situation and look for ways to move forward.
The Lisbon Treaty has already been ratified by two thirds of EU Member States. The Treaty is necessary to make Europe more efficient, more democratic and transparent.
13.06.2008 Minister Rupel visits Skopje. Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) Dimitrij Rupel is on a visit to Skopje today, where he met with the highest representatives of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. They discussed two key issues – Macedonia's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures and preparations for repeat elections at certain polling stations that saw unrest and irregularities in the elections on 1 June.
13.06.2008 The period of vague rules for performing road haulage services in the European Union comes to an end. The second day of the meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, chaired by Slovenian Transport Minister Radovan Žerjav is taking place today in Luxembourg. During the morning part of the debate, the EU transport ministers held a demanding and profound discussion on the three legislative proposals in the road transport package: the Proposal for a regulation on common rules for access to the international road haulage market, the Proposal for a Regulation establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator, and the Proposal for a Regulation on common rules for access to the market for coach and bus services. Following a lengthy debate, the Council of Ministers endorsed the compromise proposal of the Slovenian Presidency. The ministers therefore arrived at a political agreement on all three legislative proposals.
13.06.2008 State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Robert Marolt and State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Zvonko Zinrajh attend G8 Justice and Home Affairs ministerial meeting on the fight against terrorism and crime . State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Robert Marolt and State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Zvonko Zinrajh attended the G8 Justice and Home Affairs ministerial meeting held from 11 to 13 June in Tokyo. The state secretaries participated in the ministerial meeting as representatives of the country holding the presidency of the European Union. Japan was represented by Japanese Minister of State and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Shinya Izumi and Minister of Justice Kunio Hatoyama. State Secretary Zinrajh remarked that the Slovenian Presidency has had an opportunity to contribute to the discussion held by senior representatives of the G8 countries on fighting terrorism and various types of crime. He emphasised that in combating terrorism, the focus should be on protecting critical infrastructure as well as on prevention, and added that it is imperative that radicalisation and terrorist recruitment be thwarted.
13.06.2008 Senior Adriatic country representatives and EU Water Directors in Slovenia (Announcement). On 16 and 17 June, two important water management events will take place simultaneously in Slovenia. The first ever meeting of all Adriatic country senior representatives will be held in Koper, in tandem with the 9th Meeting of the Joint Slovenian-Croatian-Italian Commission for the Protection of the Adriatic and coastal areas. The aim of the meeting is to prepare an Adriatic Strategy consistent with the EU Marine Strategy Directive. The senior representatives will presumably sign a joint declaration on the preparation of this Adriatic Strategy.
13.06.2008 EU Environmental Coordinators Meeting. The meeting of EU Environmental Coordinators is being held on the Slovenian coast today. Such a meeting is traditionally organised by every EU Presidency country towards the end of its Presidency term of office. The meeting participants are, for the most part, the individuals from the EU Member State Environment Ministries who are responsible for coordinating European affairs in the area of the environment.
13.06.2008 Mental health should be considered an integral part of all spheres of social life. Today in Brussels, Minister of Health Zofija Mazej Kukovič attended the European conference on mental health, which was organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency under the slogan “Together for Mental Health and Well-Being”. Experts predict that by 2020 depression will become the most frequent cause of illness in the developed world, and that the prevalence of mental disorders among all illnesses is growing most rapidly. “The number of people with mental disorders is also increasing due to demographic trends and the growing number of elderly population in the European Union,” noted the Minister in her opening address; she added, “Our goal is to develop measures to promote mental health and raise public awareness, assume and maintain healthy living habits, and create an environment that provides for personal growth.”
12.06.2008 Slovenian Economy Minister Vizjak comments on "great progress" in harmonising regulatory package on electronic communications networks and services. The EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council has concluded its meeting in Luxembourg. Telecommunications and information society issues were on the agenda. The Council was chaired by the Slovenian Minister of the Economy, Andrej Vizjak, and the Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mojca Kucler Dolinar, and one of the key topics was a review of progress made in harmonisation of the regulatory package on electronic communications networks and services.
12.06.2008 Slovenian Presidency welcomes ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Greek parliament. The Slovenian Presidency welcomes ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Greek parliament. In common with Estonia and Finland, Greece approved the Treaty yesterday. The Treaty has therefore now been ratified by the parliaments of Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Romania, France, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, Estonia and Greece.
Just six months after its signature, the Treaty has already been ratified by two thirds of the Member States (prior to today’s referendum in Ireland). This represents a major success.
More about the Lisbon Treaty, details of ratification procedures in individual Member States, and the benefits the Treaty brings to EU citizens is available on the web site: Europa – Treaty of Lisbon.
12.06.2008 Ministers responsible for information society confirm conclusions in favour of increasing digitisation in Europe. In the afternoon session of the first day of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting, chaired by Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Mojca Kucler Dolinar, the ministers focused on information society issues. The ministers discussed a general approach regarding the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) with a view to reaching agreement with the European Parliament at first reading.They reached agreement on a three-year extension of the Agency's mandate. This period will be devoted to deliberations and discussion on general guidelines related to European efforts in favour of increased network and information security.
12.06.2008 Conference on the European Social Fund: "European Social Fund: Contribution to the Inclusion of Young People into the Labour Market". As the managing authority for structural funds and the cohesion fund, the Government Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy, which is led by Minister Dr Ivan Žagar, organised a conference on the European Social Fund titled “European Social Fund: Contribution to the Inclusion of Young People into the Labour Market”, which took place on 11 and 12 June 2008 in Maribor in the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
11.06.2008 EU Presidency welcoming the arrest of Stojan Župljanin. The EU Presidency welcomes the arrest today in Belgrade of Stojan Župljanin, one of the four remaining war crime fugitives, charged with crimes committed in Bosnia-Hercegovina. It underlines that Mr Župljanin now needs to be transferred to The Hague without delay.
10.06.2008 Pan European conference on population level management plans for large carnivores. A two-day pan-European conference on population level management plans for large carnivores opens today, aimed at endorsing the guidelines on population level management plans for large carnivores. Over 140 experts from 27 countries and several international NGOs are taking part in the conference, which will be opened by the Slovenian Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Janez Podobnik.
One of the major challenges in the implementation of European legislation in the field of nature conservation (the Habitats Directive) is the management of large carnivores, especially after the enlargement of the European Union, on account of the increase in the number of Member States hosting larger populations of carnivores. In this connection, the European Commission is handling the drafting of guidelines on developing plans for managing the population levels of large carnivores. At the final conference in Slovenia, the guidelines will be presented in their final version after discussions held at national level. Management practices in several EU and accession countries and international ongoing activities will also be presented.
10.06.2008 The Barcelona Process: the EuroMed Senior Officials Meet in Portorož. The 76th EuroMed Senior Officials and Committee Meeting was held in Portorož, Slovenia, on the 9th and 10th of June 2008. This meeting, which takes place four times under each rotating Presidency, was the last regular meeting under the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.
10.06.2008 EU-USA Summit on Transatlantic Cooperation and Global Issues. The European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA) confirmed the progress made in transatlantic relations and committed themselves to further strengthening the strategic partnership. The EU-USA Summit was an opportunity to exchange views on topical regional and security issues; both sides also paid great attention to global challenges, such as climate change and energy security. A Joint Declaration was adopted at the Summit highlighting the most important challenges requiring close cooperation between the European Union and the United States.
At the Summit, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Janez Janša, the President of the United States, George W. Bush, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, underlined the importance of the strategic transatlantic partnership and expressed their commitment to coordinated cooperation in addressing regional and global issues. Both sides attached particular importance to stepping up economic links.
10.06.2008 State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Robert Marolt and State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Zvonko Zinrajh to attend G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting - announcement. At the invitation of the Japanese Minister of State and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Shinyja Izumi and Minister of Justice Kunio Hatoyama, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Robert Marolt and State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior Zvonko Zinrajh will attend G8 Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting, which will be held from 11 to 13 June 2008 in Tokio. The State Secretaries will participate in the ministerial meeting as representatives of the country holding the presidency of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union.
10.06.2008 2008 EU-U.S. Summit Declaration . We, the leaders of the European Union and United States of America, met today in Brdo, Slovenia to further strengthen our strategic partnership. We view this Summit, and the fact that it is being hosted by Slovenia in its role as Presidency of the Council of the EU, as symbolic of our endeavour to realise a free, democratic and united Europe. The process of unifying Europe is one of the outstanding historical legacies of our partnership over the past half century.
10.06.2008 Achieving EU Health Strategy objectives should be easier in future . At today’s meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Luxembourg, EU Health Ministers adopted conclusions on implementing the EU Health Strategy presented by the European Commission in October last year. The key to achieving strategy goals and resolving other important strategic issues is intensified structured cooperation between the Council and the Commission. According to the Council President, Slovenian Health Minister Zofija Mazej Kukovič, “The increased commitment of the EU Member States and the Council to the area of health in the EU and in issues with an impact on health and health systems as well as closer cooperation with the Commission would mean real added value for the EU Member States. It would also ensure the integration of health into all policies.”
10.06.2008 EU Health Ministers confirm commitment to reducing burden of cancer. Today in Luxembourg, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Zofija Mazej Kukovič, chaired the second day of the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO). The EU Ministers of Health adopted Council conclusions on the reduction of the burden of cancer, in which they called upon the Member States to develop and implement comprehensive strategies for cancer control. Such strategies should include “disease prevention, early detection, high-quality treatment, psychosocial support, rehabilitation and palliative care,” emphasised the current Council President, Slovenian Health Minister Zofija Mazej Kukovič. Following a successful expert conference on the subject, Slovenia has thus achieved a political commitment on the part of the Member States to reducing the burden of cancer.
10.06.2008 Euro-Mediterranean University a Challenge and Opportunity for the Economy. On Monday afternoon, 9 June, the Bernardin Congress Centre hosted the founding ceremony of the Euro-Mediterranean University foundation. Speakers were Science and Research Commissioner Dr Janez Potočnik, Vice-President of the European Parliament Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Mojca Kuclar Dolinar, and Piran Mayor Tomaž Gantar.
10.06.2008 Participants from 23 Countries at the International Conference of University Rectors. In the frame of the inaugural events of the Euro-Mediterranean University with its seat in Slovenia, the International Conference of University Rectors on Intercultural Dialogue in Higher Education was held on 9 June at the Bernardin Congress Centre in Portorož. The introductory speech was delivered by Mojca Kucler Dolinar, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Prof Dr Yusuf Ziya Ozcan, President of the Turkish Council of Higher Education, and Prof Dr Francesco Xavier Grau Vidal, President of EPUF (EuroMed Permanent University Forum).
10.06.2008 Slovenian EU Presidency reaches agreement on temporary agency workers and working time. At their meeting in Luxembourg, EU Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs reached agreement on two Directives of the utmost importance for European workers since they govern the aspects of working time and the rights of temporary agency workers. The current EPSCO Council President, Slovenian Minister for Labour, Family and Social Affairs Marjeta Cotman, expressed great satisfaction at the success in finding solution that gave workers all-round security.
09.06.2008 Prime Minister Janez Janša welcomes the US President. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, this evening greeted the President of the United States of America, Mr George W. Bush, on his arrival in Slovenia, at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. Tomorrow, the US President will attend the EU-US Summit.
09.06.2008 Euro-Mediterranean University enjoys broad political, moral and material support, says Prime Minister Janez Janša. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, today attended the celebration in Portorož on the occasion of the inauguration of the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI). In his address, the Premier – the patron of honour of the event – stressed that the Euro-Mediterranean University enjoyed the political, moral and material support of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Moreover, the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean University represents one of the specific projects of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue; the university will become a focal point bringing together all 39 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
09.06.2008 Slovenian Minister Rupel heads EU-Troika meeting with China. Today in Ljubljana, the current President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, headed the ministerial EU-Troika meeting with the People’s Republic of China. Apart from Dr Rupel, the EU delegation included the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, the European Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the State Secretary in charge of Cooperation and Francophony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alain Joyandet, while the Chinese delegation was headed by the Chinese Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi. The core issue under discussion was relations between the European Union and China, with particular emphasis on the framing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, and an exchange of views on the situation in Tibet and human rights. The meeting also offered an opportunity for exchanging opinions on certain regional and international issues, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Burma/Myanmar, Iran, Africa and regional cooperation with Eastern Asia.
06.06.2008 General agreement reached on third energy package. Today in Luxembourg, EU Energy Ministers reached agreement on key elements of all five legislative proposals on the single energy market (the third energy package), which also contains a new compromise proposal put forward after the meeting of the Senior Energy Officials at the beginning of May in Slovenia, in cooperation with the Presidency country and the European Commission. Council President Andrej Vizjak commented, “It is an extraordinary achievement, one that is important for the further development of the energy market. The Council has thus fulfilled the commitment made by the Energy Ministers at the Meeting of the Council in February and that of the Heads of State and Government at the spring European Council.”
06.06.2008 EPSCO Council meeting (Health) on 10 June in Luxembourg - event announcement . A meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) will be held in Luxembourg on 9 and 10 June. On the second day of the conference, 10 June, EU Health Ministers will convene at a meeting chaired by the Slovenian Minister of Health, Ms Zofija Mazej Kukovič. In the morning, the Ministers will discuss reducing the burden of cancer, antimicrobial resistance and implementation of the EU Health Strategy.
06.06.2008 EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in favour of strengthening rights in judicial cooperation in criminal cases. The President of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, Minister Dr Lovro Šturm, headed the final meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council during the Slovenian Presidency. At the meeting, Dr Šturm informed the ministers that the Slovenian Presidency, in the co-decision procedure with the European Parliament, succeeded in reaching an agreement on the Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law in the first reading. Thus, the co-decision procedure was successfully concluded, facilitating the adoption of this very important instrument for effective protection of the environment. “Yesterday, on World Environment Day, we reiterated the extreme importance of the environment. The Presidency assesses that the protection of the environment is an area that needs special attention,” emphasised Minister Šturm in Luxembourg. A special paragraph in the draft Conclusions of the European Council is dedicated to the protection of the environment.
06.06.2008 EPSCO Council meeting (Employment and Social Policy) on 9 June in Luxembourg - event announcement. The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), which will meet on 9 June 2008 in Luxembourg, will endeavour to find a political solution to two extremely sensitive directives – the Directive concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time and the Directive regulating the working conditions of temporary agency workers. Both directives, which are of utmost importance for European workers, will be discussed in a package. Among other important items on the agenda of the Council meeting is also the political agreement expected to be reached on the Employment Guidelines for 2008–2010 that have been amended on the basis of an opinion of the European Parliament.
06.06.2008 Minister Rupel Chaired EU-Brazil Troika Meeting. Slovenian Foreign Minister and President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Dimitrij Rupel today chaired the EU-Brazil Troika meeting at the ministerial level.The European Commission was represented by Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner and Brazil's delegation was led by the Minister of External Relations, Celso Amorim.Representatives of the EU Council General Secretariat and the upcoming French Presidency also participated.They discussed cooperation between the EU and Brazil, focusing in particular on the Action Plan implementation, as well as the fight against poverty, the environment and climate change, European security, biofuels, and migration; They also addressed some general issues such as EU-Latin American relations, the general political situation in Latin America, and the latest international issues.Furthermore, Minister Rupel familiarized his interlocutors with certain issues in relation to the Lisbon Strategy implementation and the planned EU enlargements.
06.06.2008 Ministers adopt concluding communication in Oslo. At their informal meeting held in Oslo on 5 and 6 June 2008, European Ministers of Education adopted a communication on the role of the school in encouraging intercultural dialogue, which symbolically rounds off the 18-month trio Presidency programme. The Ministers of the EU Member States, candidate countries, South-Eastern European and EFTA countries stressed in the communication that “Europe is becoming increasingly diverse, therefore the discussions on intercultural dialogue and encouraging multilingualism with emphasis on the role of the school are of key importance for our future.” The Minister of Education and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Milan Zver, chairing the meeting, commented: “Because an individual’s attitude towards the world, the environment in which he lives, and to fundamental human rights and values is formed in early childhood, in particular during school age, the role of the institution of the school in developing appropriate intercultural competencies - linguistic, social and cultural - is very important,” and added, ”That is why Ministers of Education bear a very considerable responsibility for the future of Europe.”
06.06.2008 Presentation of Slovenia at the Open Door Day of the European Institutions. The European institutions in Brussels will again open their doors to visitors and present their work, which is usually done more or less behind closed doors. This year, the "Open Door Day" will be on Saturday 7 June from 10.00 till 17.30, and the topic of the day will be intercultural dialogue. As the Member State holding the EU Council Presidency, Slovenia will also prepare a stand in the Justus Lipsius building of the Council of the EU.
06.06.2008 International ‘Culture Online’ conference opens today. The aim of the conference is to establish what kinds of digital cultural content are suitable for use and reuse in a WEB 2.0 environment, in cultural sectors, education, lifelong learning and in cultural tourism. Questions about the current state of affairs, the scope of knowledge and experience in the area of interoperability between different cultural institutions, particularly at national level, and the opportunities, challenges and also obstacles in the creation, use and storing of digital cultural content in multimedia centres, museums, libraries, archives and other cultural institutions will also be at the forefront.
05.06.2008 Resettlement of refugees from Iraq. The Council, on the initiative of the German delegation, held an exchange of views on the resettlement of refugees from Iraq in the European Union. The Council expressed concern about the humanitarian situation of displaced persons inside Iraq and Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries while acknowledging the heavy burden being placed on those countries.
05.06.2008 Slovenian Presidency achieves consensus on signing an EU-Australia airline passenger data agreement and re-establishes the ad hoc working group on information exchange. At today's meeting, the Slovenian Presidency reached consensus on the signing of an EU-Australia airline passenger data agreement, which will enable a reciprocal exchange of data on air passengers. Minister Mate called it one of the most important achievements of the Slovenian Presidency, which, based on the negotiation mandate adopted in February this year and with the Commission's assistance, held intense negotiations with the Australian authorities. The result is a draft agreement that includes strong security mechanisms for the protection of personal data on air passengers that Australia will obtain on the basis of this agreement. The signing of the agreement will be possible at one of the forthcoming Council meetings. The agreement is an important step towards closer cooperation between the EU and Australia in the area of justice and home affairs. The EU has already signed similar agreements with the USA and Canada.
05.06.2008 Education and intercultural dialogue offer solution for the future of Europe. “Schools are becoming vehicles and centres of intercultural dialogue which must also be accepted by other sub-systems in society, in particular by families and the policy makers who shape public opinion,” said the current President of the Education, Youth and Culture Council, Slovenian Minister of Education and Sport Dr Milan Zver, at the informal meeting of European Ministers of Education in Oslo. He stressed that “in the information society era when distances and differences between people, regions and nations are shrinking, intercultural dialogue is the key to success and future of both education and the economy.”
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