The Minister responded to the State of the Union address delivered by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on behalf of the Presidency, giving assurances that the objectives and priorities of the Slovenian Presidency have a strong European soul, which is reflected in its slogan: Together. Resilient. Europe. 

In this role, Minister Logar contributed to the debate on the “Fit for 55” package within the European Green Deal: “The Fit for 55 package is a priority of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency. It will also be the EU’s contribution to meeting the challenges of climate change and our opportunity to lead by example and ensure prosperity for all European citizens.”

In the debate on the Pegasus spyware, Minister Logar emphasised that the importance of cyber security is one of the Presidency’s key priorities. “The EU Council remains committed to protecting European democracies and respecting the rule of law. As the presidency holder, we will continue to work for digital resilience and improved cyber security,” stressed the Minister. He also joined the discussion on media freedom and the rule of law in Poland.

Minister Logar presented the Gold Ribbon project to the MEPs before the start of the European Parliament plenary session to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month that runs through September. Last week, the Minister was presented with gold ribbons by a group of children and young people who have survived cancer or are still being treated for it, thus raising awareness about the disease and providing support. The Minister handed these awareness symbols to the leaders of the Parliament’s political groups.

On the margins of the plenary session, Minister Logar met with MEP and rapporteur for Serbia Vladimír Bilčík as well as MEP and rapporteur for North Macedonia Ilhan Kyuchyuk, discussing EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, which is also one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency. 

At the conclusion of the session, Minister Logar signed the Regulation establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III), which marks one of the achievements during the Slovenian Presidency and constitutes a legal basis for further support to the Western Balkan countries in their EU integration.