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Minister Andrijanič meets with European Commissioners

  • Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Digital Transformation
The Minister for Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, paid a working visit to Brussels from 25 to 27 October, during which he also met with representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament. During his visit to Brussels, Minister Andrijanič presented the tasks of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Digital Transformation and exchanged views on the opportunities in digital transformation for the advancement of the economy and the reduction of the digital divide in society.

On the first day of his visit to Brussels, Minister Andrijanič met with European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton. During their talk, Minister Andrijanič stressed the importance of incentives for European companies and research institutions aimed at the development of key technologies and the production of critical components. He also addressed European technological sovereignty, particularly in the field of semiconductors and cyber security. "It is essential for Europe to mitigate this crisis as soon as possible, which has also hit the automotive industry and its suppliers. Many of them are in Slovenia, so this is a very real problem for Slovenia as well, and that is exactly why we have taken such an intensive approach to resolving this crisis," Minister Andrijanič said. At the end of the meeting, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market welcomed all the efforts towards digital transformation made by the newly established office.

In a discussion with the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, Minister Andrijanič presented the 40 measures undertaken by the Strategic Council for Digitalisation, among which he highlighted those that are key to achieving the targets of the Digital Compass for the EU's Digital Decade. They include a digital voucher for lifelong learning and other measures to digitalise the education system, healthcare sector, public administration and economy. In the debate, the Minister for Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič, and the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, advocated the opportunities that will be created for Europe with the introduction of digital skills and new technologies. "We agreed with the Executive Vice-President and Commissioner Breton that digitalisation should not be something to fear, but instead something that offers fantastic opportunities to improve the quality of life for everyone, both young and old," Minister Andrijanič said.

On the last day of his working visit to Brussels, Minister Andrijanič also met with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, who endorsed the establishment of the Government Office for Digital Transformation and commended the measures set. She also mentioned that by involving leading experts and increasing investment in digitalisation, Slovenia is showing the right path to other European countries.  Their discussion highlighted the importance of strengthening digital skills among all generations and the enthusiasm of young people for ICT and other science skills. In the margins of the meeting, Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager underlined that the European Commission would provide the newly established Government Office for Digital Transformation with its full support in digitising and modernising public administration, healthcare, education and the economy.

During his working visit, Minister Boris Andrijanič stressed the importance of transatlantic relations in technological and other areas, highlighting the progress made at the first meeting of the Transatlantic Technology Council (TTC). The minister also pointed out that Slovenia, as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, strives for the success of the TTC and other transatlantic initiatives.