News

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Agglomeration 10991 Zgornja Vižinga – Municipality Radlje ob Dravi. The project worth a little under EUR 3.4 million will receive nearly EUR 871 thousand of European Regional Development Fund support and will be implemented by the Municipality Radlje ob Dravi in the frame of the Agreement on the Development of the Koroška region.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Wastewater collection and treatment in the Dravinja River basin – Municipality Zreče. The EUR 5 million project will be implemented by Municipality Zreče under the Agreement on the development of the Savinjska region and supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund standing at a good EUR 1.3 million.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the project Measures to reduce flood risk in Kostanjevica na Krki. The project worth EUR 6.75 million will be implemented by the Slovenian Water Agency and will receive support from the Cohesion Fund in the amount of a little under EUR 2 million.

An informal meeting of EU justice ministers will take place in Brdo pri Kranju on 16 July. The central topic of the meeting will be the judicial aspects of the draft act on artificial intelligence and child-friendly justice. The discussions will be chaired by Minister Marjan Dikaučič in the capacity of the President of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.

A political agreement with the European Parliament on the amendment of the Aarhus Regulation was reached as one of the first achievements of the Slovenian Presidency, which would not have been possible without the positive cooperation of the trio presidencies, as Germany reached an agreement at the Council, Portugal started negotiations with the European Parliament (EP) and Slovenia successfully concluded negotiations.

On the sidelines of this year’s United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), Zvone Černač, Minister without Portfolio for Development and EU Cohesion Policy, addressed the participants of an online event by underlining the relevance of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals for faster recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The side event, organised under the auspices of the European Commission and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, was also attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed, European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni, and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen.

At the meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Andrej Vizjak presented the Slovenian Presidency programme and priorities pertaining to the environment and climate change. He highlighted two key priorities – the Fit for 55 legislative package (a 55-percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030) and the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties to be held in Glasgow in November.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency at the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament.

Today the European Commission unveiled the 'Fit for 55' package of climate and energy laws. The Slovenian Presidency welcomes the unveiled project, which is also a priority of the Presidency in the field of the environment and climate change. Given the importance of this legislative package, the first informal political exchange of views of the member states will already take place next week, on 20 July, at an informal meeting of environment ministers in Slovenia.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar inaugurated the flagship cultural and promotional project of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency together with David Sassoli, the President of the European Parliament, and Gitte Zschoch, the Director of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), in the Citizens’ Garden in Brussels. “The Slovenian Presidency is placing culture and creativity high on the European agenda,” declared Minister Logar in his introductory address.

Today, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) sent the second draft of the contract to the Slovenian Press Agency that provides for the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), a public service, as defined by the Slovenian Press Agency Act. Numerous details were coordinated at yesterday’s coordination meeting. Currently, there are two elements that have yet to be coordinated. In the Slovenian Press Agency Act, it is stated that all content created as part of a public service must be freely accessible to all under equal conditions. Irrespective of this legal provision, the STA’s director Bojan Veselinović insists on continuing to sell certain services on the free market that are part of a public service and, in doing so, is in clear violation of the law, because those paying for the service would have different access to these services than those not paying for it.

The 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva comes to an end today. At the initiative of the European Union, the Council discussed the human rights situation in Belarus, Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. As the country presiding the Council of the EU, Slovenia presented the three initiatives that seek to improve the respective human rights situations and call on the authorities to respect their international human rights commitments.

The Government issued the Ordinance amending the Ordinance determining the conditions of entry into the Republic of Slovenia to contain and control the COVID-19 communicable disease and published it in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.

On 13 July, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended via video conferencing the 6th Enlargement Day organised by the European Committee of Regions in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. He presented the Presidency’s key topics and plans to the high-level audience which included Maciej Popowski, Acting Director-General of the DG for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and Nikola Dobroslavić, Rapporteur of the Committee of Regions for the Enlargement Package 2020.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE) via video conference and briefed the attendants on key priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union on international development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Water and gender equality are the main priorities of the Presidency, which are common to both policy areas. He announced Slovenia’s financial contribution of 500,000 euros to the Advanced Market Commitment (COVAX) mechanism, which aims to ensure the distribution of vaccines and address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. He also announced a donation of 48,000 doses of the vaccine to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a donation of 250,000 doses of vaccine to Egypt.

A retrospective exhibition of works from the rich oeuvre by Slovenian costume designer Alan Hranitelj who has been working in the field of opera, theatre and film for over 30 years, opened today, 13 July 2021, in the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels.

Zvone Černač, Minister without Portfolio for Development and EU Cohesion Policy, attended the European Parliament Committee on Regional Development meeting. He presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the field of Cohesion Policy. Slovenian Presidency will continue with the discussions and activities for building a resilient European Union.

As the current holder of presidency of the EU Council of Home Affairs Ministers, Slovenian Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs took part in the online Seminar on the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security organised by the European Commission and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator. Participants of the seminar examined and discussed how to take better advantage of the existing research and using it to drive innovation and improve EU’s internal security. They also exchanged views on the Innovation Hub, which will facilitate synergies and cooperation in the framework of EU’s internal security and discussed the potential for increasing EU’s testing capacities and their guidance.

The Slovenian contemporary fine art exhibition entitled We Live in Interesting Times opened yesterday, 12 July 2021, at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Today's press conference was attended by deputy head of the Communicable Disease Centre at the National Institute of Public Health Ms Nuška Čakš Jager. Ms Maja Bratuša presented the current epidemiological situation.

On behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek participated today in a 2-day high level event, a video conference of the EU promotion policy stakeholders. The conference addresses the question of such policy as a possibility of transition to a more sustainable EU food system, of improving the healthy alimentary habits, and of fostering the competitiveness of this sector in the global markets. The organiser of the conference is the European Commission (General Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Development). In the opening part, the participants were addressed by the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Janusz Wojciechowski.

Today, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Resolution on Long-Term Climate Strategy until 2050. A clear goal of Slovenia’s climate strategy is to transition to net-zero emissions and become climate neutral by 2050.

Today the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation on establishing the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC). The regulation paves the way for the development within Europe of the next generation of supercomputers.

New rules of entry to Slovenia will apply as of July 15 2021.

On Thursday, 8 July, Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Major General Robert Glavaš, hosted a reception at the beginning of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Pursuant to paragraph one of Article 112 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and Articles 229 and 234 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša today submitted to the National Assembly a proposal for a minister without portfolio. In accordance with paragraph three of Article 8 of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia Act, the Government may have a minister without portfolio to assist the Prime Minister in coordinating work and performing the duties of their office within the given powers.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar today attended the regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, which focused on the geopolitics of new technologies, the Strategic Compass and Ethiopia.

Mr Boštjan Koritnik, Minister of Public Administration, will present the Slovenian Presidency’s sectoral programme and priorities in the areas of digitalisation, cybersecurity and better regulation at the July meetings of the European Parliament’s committees. Today he appeared before the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) to present priorities in the areas of artificial intelligence and digital services.

The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia Vasko Simoniti opened an exhibition of contemporary Slovenian fine art, titled "We are living in exciting times" in the European Parliament in Brussels. The Slovene curator of the exhibition Marko Košan has prepared a selection of works by thirteen Slovene artists who, in the midst of a modern flood of visual images propagated through mass media, are looking for new ways of painting, sculptural and photographic expression aimed at new utopias. In addition to the Minister of Culture Vasko Simoniti the attendees were also addressed by Chair of the Artistic Committee of the European Parliament, Prof. Karol Karski.

In a telephone conversation, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan briefed the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Olta Xhaçka, on the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. He assured her of efforts to keep the Western Balkans high on the Union’s agenda, with the EU-Western Balkans Summit contributing to this as well. At the same time, State Secretary Dovžan expressed strong support for Albania's approximation to the European Union as it implements the necessary commitments and reforms.

A Japanese translation of the "Our Rights" project material was presented in Tokyo today, serving as a teaching resource for teachers and children and aimed at educating children about their rights. It is a project conceived by Slovenian experts based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2005, when the World Programme for Human Rights Education was established.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, in Brussels ahead of Monday's session of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council.

Srebrenica Memorial Day on 11 July is a day to remember and preserve the memory of the victims of the massacre in Srebrenica and the horrors that took place during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will not and must not ever forget Srebrenica – reconciliation is only possible if we remember and acknowledge the suffering and pain of the people. Any denial or relativisation of these tragic events is unacceptable. The Western Balkans region is still heavily burdened with these memories and the painful historical experience. The processes of reconciliation must be accelerated, since this is the only way for all generations to realise their potential and contribute to the region’s well-being, stability and security.

At the invitation of the Croatian Foreign Minister, Gordan Grlić-Radman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar attended the traditional Dubrovnik Forum held on 9–10 July 2021. Attended by numerous eminent guests, this year’s Forum focused on the future of geopolitics in a world transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on the geopolitical situation of the Western Balkans.

The Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs attended the High-Level Resettlement Forum today. The event was organised by the European Commission to discuss ways of resuming global resettlement efforts disrupted by the Covid 19 pandemic.

In BTC City Ljubljana, the Slovenian Digital Center – Technology for the people, a juncture of Slovenian progress and economic advancement, officially opened its doors. By the end of this year, the broader public will be provided with access to the most advanced technologies, products, services and educational programmes from the field of new technologies. The central economic event of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU is a unique European example of encouraging economy during the entire period of the presidency.

For healthy drinking water, greater environmental protection and improved flood safety. Water must be treated with respect in every part of the water cycle. That is why the amended Water Act, which will unfortunately be the subject of a referendum, limits activities affecting waterside land and completely prohibits the construction of private and potentially dangerous buildings near water. Contrary to certain interpretations, the Act's stricter rules provide greater protection of waterside land and ensure the necessary funds for watercourse maintenance and flood control.

Today, the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4) were on a working visit to Slovenia as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. On this occasion, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša in Ljubljana. The main topics of the plenary session of the Visegrad Four with the Prime Minister of Slovenia were the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Conference on the Future of Europe, the situation in Western Balkans and other current European topics.

Minister Jože Podgoršek has attended the high-level video conference of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) entitled A new vision for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today spoke with the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bakir Sadović, via video conference. He briefed his counterpart on the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with a special emphasis on the Western Balkans. He also updated him on the planned EU-Western Balkans Summit scheduled for October this year.

The Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Andrej Vizjak, addressed the participants of the two-day informal online meeting of the Climate Change Working Group. The purpose of the event was to present the work programme of the Working Group on International Environmental Issues in the area of climate change in the second half of 2021. Important items on the agenda included climate change adaptation, strengthening climate finance and finalising the Paris Rulebook.

The press conference was attended by the Director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek, and the head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Mateja Logar. Ms Maja Bratuša presented the current epidemiological situation as well as the latest Government decisions.

State Secretary Raščan addressed, via a video conference, the participants of the 4th international Ukraine Reform Conference that was held in Vilnius this year.

In his capacity as High Representative representing the Council of the European Union in relations with the European Parliament, Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the Plenary Session of the European Parliament, which took place in Strasbourg from 5 to 8 July 2021.

Today, the Ministry of Public Administration organised a conference of senior officials from the Member States of the European Union and the candidate countries of the Western Balkans entitled ‘The European Union as a community of people’. It is the first in a series of events organised by the Ministry under the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Boštjan Koritnik, Minister of Public Administration, initially addressed the participants.

Today, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs took part in online colloquium on EU's achievements and challenges in combating terrorism twenty years after the terrorist attacks in the United States, which united top counter-terrorism experts, who discussed and analysed the most serious challenges we are currently facing in fight against terrorism.

Jože Senica, Assistant Director-General of the Police and Slovenia’s national COSI delegate, hosted an informal meeting of COSI (Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation) in Portorož on 7 and 8 July 2021.

As current holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, Slovenia hosted an informal meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) on 7 and 8 July 2021 in Portorož. The main topics of the meeting chaired by Matej Torkar, the Internal Affairs Adviser at the Permanent Representation to the European Union Brussels and national delegate to SCIFA, were a proposal on the asylum procedures regulation and the role of EU agencies in the management of external EU borders, and assistance they are able to provide to EU Member States in this field.

In his role of high representative in relations with the European Parliament, Minister Logar presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency during the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee held in July 2021. “The European Union’s resilience, economic recovery and the Conference on the Future of Europe will be the focus of our Presidency. Only the constructive cooperation of all stakeholders can lead to progress in these areas,” stressed Minister Logar.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the Holy Mass in St. Nicholas' Cathedral in Ljubljana today marking the end of armed conflicts and the victory in the war for Slovenia.

Today, the Lighthouse Park in Izola saw the opening of the “My Reading Room” art installation, through which Slovenia participates in the Europe Readr project. “Europe Readr invites us to read the European Union in all its diversity and interconnectedness. It is also an invitation to encourage reading as a way to improve our understanding of who we are, where we come from and where we are headed, while facing various social changes,” underlined Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU at a virtual event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union. The Brussels-based business association traditionally organises such events when an EU member state assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

During today's video conference call, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Nikola Dimitrov assessed the development of bilateral relations as very positive. Against the backdrop of the recent Slovenian EU Council Presidency take-over, the pair discussed the European perspective of North Macedonia.

Acting Director-General Igor Jukič held consultations with the French Director-General for Global Affairs, Culture, Education and International Development, Michel Miraillet, via video conference.

Prime Minister Janša met today in Brdo pri Kranju with mayors of Slovenian municipalities. During the working consultation, they discussed measures to control the spread of COVID-19 in the coming months and public finance and development issues with the ministers.

Representatives of Member States of European union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission (EC),the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Executive of ESA met at the European Space Traffic Management Conference »Fostering a European approach on Space Traffic Management« on July 7, 2021.

Today, State Secretary Uroš Lampret was the keynote speaker at the webinar titled The Strategic Compass and the Western Balkans: Towards a tailor-made and strategic approach to partnerships?

Today in the European Parliament, Prime Minister Janez Janša presented the six-month programme and the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2021. This traditional presentation of priorities is held at the beginning of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The presentation took place at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg after which the Slovenian Prime Minister attended a press conference together with President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz held a video conference meeting. They assessed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Kosovo from the perspective of the second Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, stressing the importance of maintaining a credible European perspective for the Western Balkan countries, thereby further contributing to the stabilisation of the region.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan today held talks via a video conference with Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović. They gave a positive assessment of the development of bilateral relations, focusing on further EU enlargement, which is one of the key priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

Today in the European Parliament, Prime Minister Janez Janša presented the six-month programme and the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2021. The presentation of priorities is customary and takes place at the start of every presidency of the Council of the European Union. Prime Minister Janša presented the Slovenian Presidency’s priorities at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. After the presentation, he attended a press conference together with President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Prime Minister Janez Janša addressed the European Parliament and presented the six-month programme of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union including the Presidency’s priorities in the second part of 2021. It was a traditional presentation of priorities at the beginning of the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The presentation took place at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the high-level event "Development in Transition: Dialogues to chart new paths for Latin America and the Caribbean", via video conference, where participants discussed possibilities for creating new models for sustainable and inclusive recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Friday, 2 July 2021, the Commission approved the proposed amendment to the Operational Programme (OP), version 6.0. The amended OP now accommodates the thematic areas or contents that will be the first to receive support from the React-EU initiative.

At today's 24th regular session of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša answered questions raised by the deputies Jerca Korče (LMŠ), Jani Prednik (SD) and Anja Bah Žibert (SDS) on the epidemiological situation following the announcement of the end of the COVID-19 epidemic and future measures, the anticipated new wave of the COVID-19 epidemic and the budget deficit.

State Secretary Dovžan outlined the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Đorđe Radulović at a video conference meeting. They also focused on resilience, the discussion on the future of Europe, and enlargement of the Union.

Today, at the webinar organized by the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Belgium, Minister of Defence Matej Tonin, MSc, presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council in the defence and security sector.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the meeting of the Committee on European Affairs at the invitation of the presiding Lithuanian Committee on European Affairs and the Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Arnoldas Pranckevičius, presenting the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency and devoting particular attention to post-pandemic resilience and recovery.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended a commemoration in Ivančna Gorica to mark both the first mass for Slovenian soldiers and the 30th anniversary of the independent and democratic Republic of Slovenia. On this occasion, the Prime Minister attended the Mass for the Homeland, co-led by the Ljubljana Archbishop and Metropolitan, Msgr Stanislav Zore, and delivered a speech at the commemoration.

In line with the tradition of the presiding countries, Slovenia has hosted correspondents from Brussels accredited at the EU institutions at the beginning of its presidency. The correspondents spoke to the highest representatives of the Government about the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency, and had an opportunity to experience Slovenia as a boutique, sustainable and safe tourist destination.

Minister for Development and EU Cohesion Policy Zvone Černač attended the ceremony marking the start of the construction works for the Prapretno solar power plant. Minister Černač together with the Minister responsible for infrastructure Jernej Vrtovec, the CEO of the Holding slovenske elektrarne Viktor Vračar, Ph. D. and the mayor of the municipality Hrastnik Marko Funkl pressed the button that marked the start of the construction works. ‘Pressing the button has a simple and yet a strong message: Green future is in our hands,’ stressed Minister Černač.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs attended the main ceremony to mark the municipal holiday of Benedikt and addressed the residents of the municipality. She congratulated them on this occasion and underlined that the Government will continue to focus the available EU funding on reducing development disparities between Slovenia’s regions.

State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs attended the presentation of the project My Europe, My Future at Brdo pri Kranju, where a documentary-feature film on the topic of a Healthy, Green and Sustainable Europe was premiered.

The launch of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency is accompanied by the opening of the Europe Readr digital platform, its leading cultural and promotional project. The selection of books in the virtual library that will be available free of charge will bring readers closer to the current social issues and encourage them to reflect on, and discuss, the world we want to live in. A number of accompanying events will be organised around the world, along with the creation of public spaces for reading and exchanging ideas, all the way from Paris and Helsinki to Washington and Bangkok. The formal opening of the platform will take place on 7 July in the Lighthouse Park in Izola.

To ensure a safety distance (at least 1 meter), the archive reading room can be visited by up to 10 users at a time.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the projects Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Markovci-Gorišnica, Agreement on the development of region Ptuj-Juršinci, Development of cycling infrastructure in Trbovlje, Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Novo mesto-Straža, Agreement on the development of region Destrnik-Ptuj, Cycling connection between Radlje ob Dravi and Vas, Agreement on the development of region Kungota-Maribor and Agreement on the development of region Regional cycling route Črnomelj-Kanižarica. The total value of all projects amounts to EUR 17.7 million. The projects will be supported by the EU, with EUR 8.3 million coming from the European Regional Development Fund.

The premiere of the Waterman ballet marked the start of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The ballet staged on Bled Island and choreographed by internationally renowned choreographer Edward Clug was attended by representatives of the Slovenian Government and members of the College of Commissioners.

The premiere of the Waterman ballet on July 1 2021, marked the beginning of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The ballet performance on Bled Island, choreographed by the internationally renowned choreographer Edward Clug, was seen by representatives of the Slovenian Government and members of the European Commission. The gathering was addressed by the Slovenian Minister of Culture dr. Vasko Simoniti and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended the ceremony marking the start of Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU – the ballet performance Water Man (Povodni mož), choreographed by Edward Clug, on Bled Island.

The European Commission gave the green light to Slovenia's plan for resilience and recovery. This was message brought by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the College of European Commissioners to today's meeting with the Slovenian Government, which is taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time.

Slovenia today assumes the Presidency of the EU Council for the second time. The European Commission, headed by President Ursula von der Leyen, is visiting our country to mark this occasion. After a morning visit to the Pediatric Clinic in Ljubljana, Prime Minister Janša and the President of the European Commission met for a bilateral meeting at Brdo, followed by a working lunch of the entire Government and the European Commission. After that, a press conference was held for Slovenian and foreign media.

Today, Slovenia is taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time. On this occasion, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the College of Commissioners arrived to Ljubljana and will meet with the Slovenian Government today.

In the context of the visit of the College of European Commissioners, Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen. He presented the priorities in the field of foreign policy during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, stressing that Slovenia would strive to strengthen the Union's resilience and to achieve a stronger role of the Union in global relations.

At the invitation of the German Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the Water Dialogues for Results virtual conference in Bonn. The conference is part of a formal preparatory event for the United Nations (UN) Conference on the Water Action Decade scheduled for March 2023 in New York. This will be only the second conference in the history of the UN dedicated exclusively to water.

Today, as part of her visit to Slovenia, Minister of Health Janez Poklukar received President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Janša.

Members of the Slovenian Government today paid a day-long visit to the Podravje region. They first met for a working consultation at Ptuj Castle, followed by separate programmes of the Prime Minister and ministers. During the visit, the Prime Minister and ministers met with representatives of businesses, institutions, municipalities and other stakeholders in the region. The visit to the region concluded with a public debate on the development and prospects of the Podravje region.

Prime Minister Janša made a guest appearance on Radio City in Maribor today during the Government visit to the Podravje region. In conversation with radio talk show host Dejan Vedlin, he talked about the epidemic, the importance of vaccination, the spread of the delta variant, the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Government's plans for the Podravje region.

Minister Zvone Černač today visited University Medical Centre Maribor as part of the government visit to the Podravje region. The Minister paid a visit to the Slivniško Pohorje-based Department of pulmonary disease that will be relocated to new premises thanks to EU funding. In Maribor, the Minister made a visit to the neighbourhood Pod Pekrsko gorco, and met with the Mayor of Selnica ob Dravi dr. Vlasta Krmelj and her colleagues. State Secretary mag. Monika Kirbiš Rojs also participated in the government visit, meeting Mayors of Poljčane and Hoče-Slivnica and paying a site visit to the Business Zone Tezno.

On the eve of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in a meeting of the co-chairs of the Conference on the Future of Europe. He will co-chair the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe during the Slovenian Presidency.

The statements made by CNVOS and summed up by the media that the conditions of the EEA and Norway Grants call for proposals discriminate against non-governmental organisations are not true. The conditions for non-governmental organisations are set in order to guarantee that only the best project proposals are selected. Slovenia being accountable to the Donor States expects the available grants to be spent efficiently by generating the highest possible added value.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Revitalization of the Old glass workshop and Vrazov trg square with adjacent streets (Ptuj). The EUR 4.9 million redevelopment project will be implemented by Urban Municipality Ptuj under the Vision and Strategy of Urban Municipality Ptuj 2015-2025 and supported by the EU, with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to nearly EUR 2.2. million.

The Slovenian Prime Minister started a regional visit to Podravje today. He visited the Archdiocese of Maribor and met with Msgr Alojzij Cvikl, Archbishop of Maribor and Metropolitan.

The newly appointed Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Anita Pipan, presented her credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.

Today in Brdo pri Kranju, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended a working lunch with ambassadors of the EU Member States, which was organised by the Portuguese chargée d’affaires as a representative of the member state currently holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Today, EU agriculture and fisheries ministers finished a two-day meeting where they focused on confirming the deal on the reform of the common agricultural policy. As part of fisheries items, the ministers discussed the Communication on the state of play of the common fisheries policy and consultation on the fishing opportunities for 2020. As part of phytosanitary items, the ministers adopted a Council Decision requesting the Commission to submit a study on biological control agents (macroorganisms) of plant pests. They also discussed setting a protection goal for honey bees. Minister Jože Podgoršek attended the meeting on behalf of Slovenia. The Portuguese ministers responsible for agriculture and fisheries symbolically handed over the Presidency of the AGRIFISH Council to Minister Podgoršek. Agriculture minister also held several bilateral meetings with ministers of other EU member states.

State Secretary Gašper Dovžan attended the meeting of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions before the beginning of Slovenia’s EU Council Presidency.

Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs took part in the videoconference of the Berlin process ministers of the interior. Ministers were examining options for further cooperation in fight against organised crime and corruption in the Western Balkan countries and talked about EU's support to Western Balkan countries in managing migrations.

Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the opening ceremony of the new gas unit of the Brestanica Thermal Power Plant, where he was the keynote speaker. Prior to the ceremony, he visited the new gas unit, the gas tanks and the first gas units accompanied by the director of the Brestanica Thermal Power Plant Tomislav Malgai and the CEO of GEN energija Martin Novšak.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS, which was established in 2014. The meeting was hosted by Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi di Maio and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended the international conference of the Africa Europe Foundation Forum via video conference. He participated in a panel entitled The Health Alliance of Africa and Europe: Pandemic Resilience and the Future of Healthcare. The participants discussed the health alliance in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.