WEBVTT

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Greetings.
Today we have the honour

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of hosting the President
of the European Commission,

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Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen.

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The President responded quickly
and came to Slovenia

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to express not only
the support of the institutions,

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but also her personal support,
affection and sympathy

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to Slovenia
during this terrible ordeal.

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The purpose of today's visit
was twofold.

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The first,
perhaps the most important,

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is that we saw the situation
in Črna and met the people.

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We told them, not only the
authorities, but the people,

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that they are not alone.

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They will not be abandoned.
We will not forget about them.

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This applies to all
affected areas in Slovenia.

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That is the core message.
The President saw with her own eyes

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the scale
of the affected areas

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and how bad the damage
on the ground actually is.

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Including the damage
that cannot be seen from the air.

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Tens of thousands of homes
were flooded

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and tens of thousands of families
are despairing

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how they will survive
the coming weeks and months.

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Our message is clear.

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Help will be quick and efficient
and no one will be abandoned.

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Today's second message is that the
European Union is the best thing

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that could have happened to Slovenia
and Europe in the past 100 years.

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When we needed help,
we received it immediately.

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The same day we activated
the mechanism of quick aid,

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Slovenia began receiving
precisely the aid we asked for.

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We asked
for heavy machinery

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to break through to places
such as Črna, and we got it.

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We asked for helicopters
to supply remote, cut-off places,

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and we got them.

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And we saw this today,
in Črna as well.

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That is the European solidarity
that makes Europe great

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and why there is no alternative to
the European Union. And rightly so.

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Slovenia has helped in the past
with disasters abroad

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and today it is receiving quick,
decisive, solidary aid from Europe.

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Solidarity matters most
when one needs it.

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But first, emergency aid
is not the end.

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Now comes the phase
of reconstruction and recovery.

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In this field,
as the President will explain,

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Europe is offering quick
and abundant assistance.

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This message,
which the President will convey,

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that the Commission
will do all it can

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so Slovenia gets quick,
abundant aid,

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this year
and in the coming years,

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is an important message

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that our government will also
incorporate in all its plans.

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We were also offered
technical assistance

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so we may better overcome all,
even bureaucratic obstacles,

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in order to both receive and spend
the funds efficiently.

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The funds are limited,

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both in the European
and the Slovenian budget,

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but there will be enough
for recovery.

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But we must be efficient
and spend the funds rationally.

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The funds must mainly come
to those most affected, the people.

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Public infrastructure is important,
but we must first help the people.

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We have taken
the first steps toward this

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and we will
accelerate them.

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Today we also saw that the Act,
which is in Parliament today,

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is the right way
to help the municipalities.

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People are communicating
with the municipal authorities,

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which need the funds
immediately.

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The Act, which enables
a 40 % advance payment,

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is a complete novelty, but it
solves precisely this problem.

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We will not wait
for the damage to be catalogued

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and the municipalities
to provide the funds themselves.

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The State will provide an advance
payment. That is our core message.

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We are discussing this
with the EC as well,

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to get the funds
and begin working

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as soon
and as efficiently as possible.

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I would like to thank
the President again

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for her sympathy toward Slovenia,
her understanding

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and for coming to us
with truly extraordinary measures,

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which are unfortunately demanded
by an extraordinary situation.

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There will likely be more of these
situations in Europe in the future.

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That is why
we must prepare.

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I believe Slovenia
will be a model example

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of how Europe should prepare
for future, unavoidable disasters,

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but how to do so effectively.

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Thank you.
Go ahead, Madame President.

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Thank you. Thank you very much,
Prime Minister, dear Robert,

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that you took me to Črna.

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It is so important to see firsthand
and with my own eyes

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the massive impact
of this disaster.

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It was heartbreaking
to see the devastation

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that the rain, the flooding
and the mudslides have caused.

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We feel with the victims,
we mourn those who lost their lives.

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But it was also heartwarming to see
the enormous solidarity of people

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and their confidence
and courage.

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What I've met

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are people who stand together
in the most difficult times.

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Volunteers
from all walks of life,

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a government
that reacted immediately

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and worked closely
with the municipal authorities,

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the army, the police,
the Civil Protection,

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the firefighters, the Red Cross,
the mountain rescuers,

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Just to name a few
who really showed that solidarity

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is one of the outstanding virtues
of the Slovenian people.

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I am here today to let Slovenia
and the Slovenian people know

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that Europe
stands by your side.

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We were with you
in the first days immediately

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with the material
that was needed,

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the mobile bridges,
the excavators, the helicopters

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and the technical team
and the crews.

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Of course we will stay
as long as necessary.

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It was also impressive to see the
contributions of the Member States.

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I met Frenchmen, Germans,
Austrians and Croatians,

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just to name a few,
that were working in Črna.

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But of course there is also
European solidarity needed

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when it comes
to financial support.

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I discussed today
with the Prime Minister

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a package
of three components

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for the immediate,
mid and long-term needs.

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A lot of investment has to be done
for the recovery of this country.

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This package consists of,
first of all, the Solidarity Fund.

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Here we will make accessible
400 million euros.

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100 million of them still this year
and 300 million euros next year.

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Here, time, as always,
is of the essence.

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We need the request of Slovenia
and a first damage assessment

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so that we can start
with the disbursement.

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The second element
is NextGenerationEU.

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Besides the funds that Slovenia is
already using and has programmed,

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there is still
2.7 billion euros accessible.

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Slovenia can request them.

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Here, too,
time is of the essence,

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because this request
has to be done by end of August.

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Therefore the Prime Minister and I
agreed to immediately, as of today,

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create a task force
of Slovenia and the Commission

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to immediately work
on the administrative requirements

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to make sure
that these 2.7 billion euros

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are accessible for Slovenia
for investment.

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Then there is
the third element.

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This is existing,
already programmed money

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that can be reprogrammed.

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These are 3.3 billion euros
of Cohesion Funds.

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This lasts until 2027.

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So, we have a good package
of immediate support,

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of medium-term
and long-term support

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for the reconstruction
and recovery of Slovenia.

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All in all, I must say
Slovenia is an outstanding example

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of a Member of the European Union,
our friend,

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that has always
responded immediately

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when others were in need.

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We know that
from the Italian flooding

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or your Croatian
neighbours' earthquake.

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Now Slovenia needs help

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and, of course, we stand with
our friend, we stand by Slovenia.

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Slovenia can count on Europe.

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Thank you
for bringing me here today,

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It was very important
for me to have an impression

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of the impact of the flooding
and the common work ahead of us.

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Thank you very much.

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Two questions. Please, introduce
yourself and ask a question.

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Robert Petrovič
of Slovenian Press Agency.

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I have two questions.
The first one is for Prime Minister.

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Will Slovenia apply for the loans
from a Recovery Fund?

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And for the President
of the European Commission.

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How flexible will
the Commission be?

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Will the funds,
meant for Flood Control,

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be redirected
for restoration as well? Thank you.

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Should I start?

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Maximum flexibility
will be needed.

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A lot has been programmed,
for example in Cohesion Funds.

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I'm convinced that some of the
projects aren't existing anymore.

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There we will show
maximum of flexibility.

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2,7 billion of NextGenerationEU
are not programmed.

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This is fresh money, accessible,
if there is a request from Slovenia.

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You will find a whole range
of new programming

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and flexibility to reprogram
the necessary funding.

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The most important thing is,
to be aware that this is a package.

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We shall receive this package
from a European Union

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through grants.
That is 400 million.

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These are so called
short-term means.

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There will also be a possibility
to use the reimbursable grants.

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With reimbursable grants,
the flexibility is important

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for reprogramming.

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All these means
have been already reprogrammed.

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If we can't redirect them to
reconstruction, they are of no use.

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That is why,
this is such an important message.

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The Commission shall work
with the Slovenian government

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and shall help us to prepare
the documentation for reprogramming.

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I would like to say already
that we've also talked

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that Slovenian government shall
establish a special fund

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for recovery after floods, where we
will invest from Slovenian budget.

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The first instalment
from Slovenia shall be 300 million.

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This fund should
manage all the means,

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meant for reconstruction.

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We want to be fast,
goal oriented

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and combine all the funds
for reconstruction in one place.

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Thank you.

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Jure Kos of Delo. My question is
for President von der Leyen.

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Natural disasters
are becoming more common.

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From the policy standpoint,
has the EU done enough

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to adapt to this challenge?

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And also, these disasters can lead
to huge fiscal burdens.

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The Commission is aiming
to rewrite EU's fiscal rules.

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How will it prevent,
from these rules becoming obstacles

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for countries, trying to recover
from large scale national disasters

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such us the one
we've witnessed today? Thank you.

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Certainly, in this natural disaster
a climate change played a role.

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It's not the only reason,

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but it's one role
that climate change played.

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What we see and we have
experienced it in the last years

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that we have more frequent
and more intense

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extreme weather phenomena,
weather situations.

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We will have to learn
to adapt to those.

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To rebuild and invest smarter.

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And to work hard
to fight global warming,

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because this is the underlying
cause for extreme weather phenomena.

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As far as Stability
and Growth Pact is concerned,

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we are in discussions. The finance
ministers are negotiating.

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And indeed,
there are negotiations going around

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of individual path of reduction
of debts for Member States

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with safeguards and guidelines.

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There is an individual path
and force majeure will play

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a role in the ability to adapt
to trajectory of reduction of debts.

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That is without any question.

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Is there another question?
Otherwise we shall finish.

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Last question. Go ahead.

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Iva Lačan of Bloomberg Adria.

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With all resources,
available for reconstruction,

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I would like to know,
what is with the means for economy.

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Will there be something
for the economy to use?

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And if, in what way.
Thank you very much.

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The economy surely
won't be neglected.

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In the Act that is being discussed
now in a Parliament's session

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there is a section
on temporary economy's measures.

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This means, when an employee
because of force majeure

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can't come to a workplace,
access to temporary lay-offs.

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I believe,
we will talk more about it later.

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In discussion with the President of
the Commission we have also asked

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about State aid.

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As she said,
this is a case of force majeure.

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On account of this, we shall
have to in some cases apply

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for a special consideration
of allocating the State aids.

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Here, we are also counting
on Commission's help

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in preparing proper documents
and legal basis.

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Considering what we've heard today,
I believe, we shall succeed.

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I would like to respond to the
question about fiscal rules.

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Force majeure is an element
that we will have to install it

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in all European considerations
and legislation.

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Including the fiscal rules.
Of course, there is no clear path,

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but Slovenia is in a way
a very good example

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to set the rules, how to use
a force majeure with fiscal rules.

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We will work hard on it
in the next few months.

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And the results shall come.

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Perhaps there's one point
I would like to add.

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It is important to know
that NextGenerationEU is targeted

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at the support of business. You have
a sophisticated and good plan,

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taking care
that grants are allocated.

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Specifically to benefit
the business sector.

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We should not forget
the NextGenerationEU as a whole.

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From 800 billion of this fund, one
third goes into European Green Deal.

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This is not only
fighting global warming,

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cutting greenhouse gas emissions,
but of course, adapting also

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to climate change
as we see it today.

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Thank you. Thank you, all media
for following this press release.

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Thank you both leaders.

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Have a nice day.