The five priorities

“In order to set a good example to the other Member States, Slovenia is committed to ratifying the Lisbon Treaty at the beginning of 2008”. This is one of the five priorities that the shifting Presidency of the EU Council now chaired by Lubiana’s government, identified in its working programme. Slovenia will be guiding the European Union during this year’s first semester. The schedule set by Premier Janez Jansa and by Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel (17 pages in the original Slovenian version) was agreed with the previous German and Portuguese Presidencies with reference to the French one which will be established by Paris in this year’s second semester. A young Republic bound to the EU. The young republic, born in 1991 on the ashes of ex- Yugoslavia, is the first of the Countries who joined in 2004 to guide the “common home”. With approximately 2 million inhabitants and a growing economy, Slovenia didn’t miss any of the opportunities offered by its adhesion to create development and join Europe: it established the euro as its official currency and agreed to the Schengen-area as relates to the free circulation of people. It is represented in Strasbourg by seven MEPs (4 from the popular party, two liberal-democrats and a Socialist), it sent to Brussels, as member of the Commission, Janez Potocnik, who is also delegate representative of science and research sectors. Common solutions for the “European Family”. On various occasions, the Slovenian government declared its determination to guide the EU in this period, which corresponds to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. The head of diplomacy, Dimitrij Rupel , recalled that his Country will be “at the centre of attention during the forthcoming months”, as it happened “when it took on the OSCE presidency and when it became a member of the UN Security Council”. Premier Jansa at the end of November had anticipated some of the semester’s guidelines during an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. An innovative logo was chosen which depicts the five elements: fire, earth, air, water and ether. These symbols “are meant to describe the Country and the decisive traits of the Slovenian people”. Ether, in particular, “represents immaterial elements such as freedom and spiritual values”. Igor Sencar , permanent representative at the EU, explained that for Slovenia holding semestral presidency “is an honour and a challenge”. “To encourage the quest for common solutions to the challenges faced by the family of European Nations is a duty and a responsibility”. Lubiana, Brdo, Strasbourg and Brussels. As customary, the Presidency will be following a very busy schedule. On January 7-8 an International Conference was scheduled in Lubiana to inaugurate the year 2008 as European Year of International Dialogue. Also on the 8th, at the Brdo castle, near the capital city, the National government had agreed a meeting with the Barroso Commission for the presentation of the programme and to exchange views on urgent issues of the Twenty-Seven States. On January 16 Jansa and Rupel will be in Strasbourg to illustrate the program of the European Parliament. Among the 150 meetings on the agenda (ministry reunions, diplomatic meetings, summit with non-EC Countries), figure the two European Councils, which will be held in Brussels on March 13-14 and June 19-20. All the information on the current presidency, its activities and conferences along with documents and legislation, will be published on the website www.eu2008.si, available in the Slovenian, English and French languages.A spotlight on the Western Balkans. As relates to programmatic priorities, after the ratification of the new Treaty, premier Janez Jansa announced the “launch of the new cycle of the Lisbon Strategy”, scheduled for the mid-March summit. With the purpose of supporting development and employment, the presidency urges for “the rigorous application of the National reform programs”. Mr. Jansa affirmed that “the major sectors of the strategy which best respond to the challenges that Europe is called to meet are research, education and innovation, the development of competitive business sectors, the adjustments of the job market and responses to demographic dynamics”. “To put forward feasible proposals to solve the energy and climate problems” it the presidency’s third commitment, while the fourth is focused on the “prospects of Western Balkans”, whose stability “is of crucial importance for the security and the prosperity of the entire EU”. Among Slovenia’s objectives, a specific emphasis was placed on the future of Kosovo, to be viewed in connection with Serbia’s rapprochement towards the Union. The fifth priority is centered on the “dialogue between different cultures, religious faiths and traditions in the context of the European Year of intercultural dialogue”, which Jansa declared to feel strongly involved in.