State Secretary Weingerl Požar at the General Affairs Council on the next Multiannual Financial Framework

State Secretary Tamara Weingerl Požar was pleased to note: “The revised MFF negotiating box for the period 2028–2034 retains the revised national envelopes for cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy”, as opposed to the original proposal put forward by the European Commission. Maintaining the national envelopes is a key priority in the ongoing negotiations, and Slovenia is working towards this goal within the Friends of Cohesion group.

“Slovenia regrets the budget cuts proposed by the Presidency. It is important that the future budget continues to address the EU’s new priorities, particularly those aimed at enhancing competitiveness, while ensuring sufficient funding for instruments such as Horizon Europe and the Connecting Europe Facility,” the State Secretary emphasised. In the next stages of the negotiations, Slovenia will prioritise the proposed package of new revenue sources for the EU budget and also strive to ensure that the package is fair and does not disadvantage less developed Member States. Slovenia remains firmly opposed to reducing the costs of collecting customs duties, a position that is also reflected in the current negotiating framework.

Regarding the preparations for the European Council meeting on 15 and 16 October, State Secretary Weingerl Požar highlighted the importance of the leaders’ discussion on competitiveness. She expressed support for further deepening the Single Market, particularly by reducing the administrative burden of service provision, and for implementing the ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap. “For Slovenia, efforts to simplify legislation are key to strengthening European competitiveness, with a view to ensuring that the process yields tangible results, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, citizens and public administrations.”

As regards the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), Slovenia favours an approach that builds the European dimension by mobilising and pooling capacities across the entire Single Market. This will encourage cooperation and ensure that all Member States benefit, while preventing excessive funding concentration in just a few countries. The State Secretary emphasised the importance of leaders providing a coordinated response to the current pressures on the energy market. This includes ensuring that energy remains affordable and its supply secure, while preserving the integrity of the Single Market.

State Secretary Weingerl Požar highlighted the need to continue providing unified support to Ukraine in light of the intensifying Russian attacks and the approaching winter. In the context of the upcoming strategic debate among leaders on migration, she outlined that Slovenia’s focus will be on external borders, the effective implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, returns and cooperation with third countries. Particular attention must be devoted to effective external border procedures, as secondary movements within the EU present a particular challenge for Slovenia. 

Slovenia is calling for a debate on enlargement and internal reforms. State Secretary Weingerl Požar said: “It is vital for leaders to confirm that the enlargement process remains credible, fair and merit-based. The Western Balkans must remain high on the EU’s enlargement agenda, and Montenegro’s progress demonstrates that credible reforms yield tangible results on the path to EU membership.” In addition to progress on enlargement, Slovenia also supports a debate on the EU’s internal reforms to prepare the Union for enlargement.

The General Affairs Council approved the Council conclusions on inclusive democratic participation and community resilience. As part of the procedure taking place within the Council of the EU in accordance with Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), Ministers and State Secretaries for European Affairs took note of the current situation regarding respect for the Union’s values in Hungary and commended the progress made. The Presidency presented updates on legislative packages aimed at simplification.

During an informal lunch, they discussed the recent pre-enlargement reviews of EU policies presented by the European Commission. Over a working breakfast, they welcomed the participation of candidate and potential candidate countries in the European Centre for Democratic Resilience.

On the sidelines of the General Affairs Council, the State Secretary took part in an intergovernmental conference with Albania. Representing Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia, she congratulated Albania on provisionally closing Chapter 20 on enterprise and industrial policy, and encouraged the country to continue its reform efforts on the path towards European integration.