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28th November 2007
28.11.2007, 13:28
On a Breakfast Policy Briefing, held in Brussels, in organization of the European Policy Centre, H E Mr Igor Senčar, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the European Union, outlined the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the EU. Slovenia, as the first among the ''new'' member states (accession 2004), is taking over the presidency of the EU on the 1st January 2008. Also, it will be one of the last countries to take over the presidency in this way, because the system of rotation will no longer exist according to the new Treaty.
Ambassador Senčar announced the Slovenian readiness to be among the first countries to ratify the new Treaty, in order to set an example for other member states.
The ratification is expected during the year 2008 and its entry into force in the beginning of 2009.
Regarding the situation in Kosovo, Slovenia will stick up for the unity of the EU. In that sense, Mr Senčar stressed that ''what did not happen in the 90-s should happen now'', because it is a problem primarily concerning the EU and not the USA and Russia. Also, Slovenia wishes to encourage the accession of all Western Balkan states to the EU and, in that sense, it will work on the regional integration, according to the Thessaloniky and Salzburg agendas.
Furthermore, the Slovenian priority will be the energy industry, focusing on the implementation of the measures against climate changes and global warming respectively, based on the Commission's legislative package with ambitious objectives to slash greenhouse-gas emissions and boost renewable energies by 2020 in a bid to reduce the EU's dependency on imported fuels and set the pace for "a new global industrial revolution".
The Lisbon strategy will be the topic of the European spring summit next year.
Mr Senčar had pointed out that one of the Slovenian standpoints is that the European borders must remain opened and set out as a priority the continuation of the enlargement process. Regarding Croatia, he announced the possibility of certain chapters to be closed.
During the Slovenian presidency, the Schengen enlargement process on the territory of nine more member states, which joined the EU in 2004, including Slovenia, will also come to its end. As from the 21st December 2007, the Slovenian border with Croatia falls under the provisions of the Schengen control. It has been announced that, in the end of 2008, the Schengen Information System of the second generation (SIS II) will become operative.
Since the year 2008 is the Year of the intercultural dialogue, Slovenia will pay special attention to the cultural tourism development, artist mobility and the research development.