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Brussels, 17 March 2022 – The first formal meeting of the Environment Council during the French Presidency took place. At the forefront was the adoptionof the general approach for the Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation. Ministers held a policy debate on the Fit for 55 legislative package, focusing on the ETS Directive and on the proposal for the Deforestation Regulation. During the working lunch ministers exchanged views on the greening of the European Semester.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. Following Sunday's extraordinary meeting on the situation in Ukraine, the ministers continued their discussion on the response to the situation there, which requires constant and close monitoring and an immediate and decisive EU response.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs has attended the extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussles, convened by the French presidency. EU ministers of the interior met to discuss provision of humanitarian support to Ukraine, reception of refugees and the underlying aspects regarding the activation of the directive on temporary protection, management of the external borders, measures on visas and anticipation of hybrid threats.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the two-day informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers in Lille, France. The key topics of the meeting were the reform of Schengen and progress in shaping a common EU migration policy.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended a two-day conference on border management in Vilnius. Participants addressed the issue of the instrumentalisation of migrants for political purposes and discussed common measures to strengthen surveillance at the EU's external borders in the face of increased migration flows. On the margins of the event organised by the Interior Ministers of Austria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland, the participants visited a border surveillance centre and were updated on the situation at the external border.

The 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols took place in Antalya, Turkey. The most important achievement of the meeting is the designation of the entire Mediterranean Sea as an emission control area for sulphur oxides. In addition to adopting the Medium-Term Strategy of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Mediterranean Action Plan for 2022–2027 and the Post-2020 Strategic Action Programme for the Conservation of Biological Diversity, the parties also designated new marine protected areas and adopted the Antalya Ministerial Declaration.

EU ministers of the interior have unanimously concluded that Croatia has fulfilled the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the Schengen acquis.

During the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the 41st session of the Executive Body for the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution took place in Geneva in a hybrid format from 6 to 8 December 2021. At a time when some of the capital cities across the world have once again decided to shut down all activities, this time because of excessive air pollution, the parties are adopting new provisions for cleaner air.

Following the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, a number of bilateral meetings between the EU and other countries and groups of countries, including China, Japan, the USA, Australia, Russia and the group of least developed countries (LDCs), are taking place under the leadership of the Slovenian Presidency. In the following days, several other bilateral meetings will also take place.

During a working lunch in the framework of the EU Home Affairs Council meeting, EU ministers of the interior held an open discussion about the current situation regarding the implementation of interoperability (connectivity of information systems) in the member states, which should be concluded by 2023. So far, we have done a lot of work at EU level and in the member states on this major project for the interconnectivity of justice and home affairs information systems.

A declaration was signed in Brussels today, which declares 23 September as EU Organic Day. The declaration was signed by the Chair of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, together with the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski and Benoit Lutgen, Member of the European Parliament.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the first regular session of the General Affairs Council of the European Union (GAC) as chair.

EU agriculture ministers discussed the role of rural areas in society and rural challenges. They characterised rural areas as spaces where different activities coexist and complement one another. They advocated a new definition of the role of rural areas, which have to be supported in all their diversity.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs has attended a high-level videoconference meeting on countering illicit firearms trafficking in South East (SE) Europe on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which focused on closer regional cooperation in prevention of illicit firearms trafficking.

State Secretary dr. Stanislav Raščan had a courtesy call with General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of the Military Committee of the European Union (EUMC).

One of the flagship events of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the 16th Bled Strategic Forum, started with the opening addresses by its host, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Anže Logar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša and President of the European Council Charles Michel. “It is imperative we identify strategic responses to the challenges facing both our citizens' everyday lives, and those Europe as a continent might yet see. We must identify those policies where the EU is a global example and incorporate the lessons learned from the crises of the past decade,” urged Minister Dr Logar in his opening speech in the Bled Festival Hall.

At the invitation of the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares Bueno, Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting Spain today. He met with the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs of the Spanish Congress of Deputies. Slovenia and Spain have been deepening bilateral relations, coordinating and maintaining a regular dialogue, aiming at a stronger, more resilient European Union, acting in a coordinated manner and speaking with one voice.

Barbara Sušnik, Director-General for EU Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conducted regular consultations with József Magyar, Deputy State Secretary for the Development of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, via a video conference.

Today, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU organised an extraordinary videoconference meeting of interior ministers within the framework of the Council's crisis response mechanism (IPCR), which was chaired by Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs. The ministers expressed solidarity with the affected states - Latvia, Lithuania and Poland - and supported additional assistance to the member states at this section of the external EU border.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers on the latest developments in Afghanistan via video conference. The focus was placed on the EU’s coordination in evacuating European citizens and local Afghan staff who supported member states and the EU during their activities in Afghanistan.