At the 15th Accession Conference, which took place in Brussels on 28 November 2001, Slovenia additionally closed the chapters on competition and state aids, which, with twenty two chapters closed, ranks it in third place with the Czech Republic among candidates according to the number of chapters closed. Slovenia is most likely to close four more chapters in the framework of the last Accession Conference of this year, on 10 and 11 December - the justice and home affairs chapter first, followed by taxation, transport and the freedom of movement of persons. In the first half of next year, when Spain takes over the EU presidency, Slovenia is to negotiate on the final package of three chapters related to finance and budget, agriculture, and structural policy. Slovenia is counting on negotiations being completed by the end of 2002, and that after the signing and ratification of all the accession documents, she will become a member of the EU in 2004.
For the realisation of Slovenia's forecasts, some impetus will have to be given by EU member states, too. EU member states have not yet adopted joint negotiating positions on the transport chapter. This is mainly a result of Austria's conditioning of an agreement for candidate countries on the extension of its more environmentally friendly transport policies until the joint transport policies are implemented. Concerning free movement of persons, Slovenia maintains the position that a transitional period on the free movement of labour is unwarranted, since there is no objective measure by which the free movement of labour from Slovenia could be justified. The per capita gross domestic product is close to 75% of the average in the EU, unemployment is significantly lower than the average in the Union, differences in pay rates are not great, and various studies indicate a low mobility of the Slovene working population. In view of the fact that there is no possibility of a change in the Joint Negotiating Position of the EU, and in the interest of closing a further chapter, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, at a session held on 6th December, adopted a resolution on the acceptance of a transitional period for the free movement of labour, but on the basis of reciprocity.
For Slovenia, the protection of the external Schengen border is one of the most pressing aspects in the chapter on justice and home affairs. However, it is expected that controls on the borders with other EU members will be dropped in 2005, which would make the country fully integrated into the Schengen regime. Slovenia plans the construction and enlargement of border crossings on the border with Croatia. By the end of 2002, the country plans to upgrade six border crossings so that they would not only be used for passengers and cargo, but also as veterinary and phytosanitary control points. Slovenia is involved in the network of co-operation of police and customs bodies, on both European and regional levels. In September, the country hosted the exercise, High Impact Operation, involving 35 countries and several thousand police officers from Finland to Greece, the main purpose of which was precisely strengthening the future Schengen border. Slovenia co-operates closely with the neighbouring states of Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia in the area of the exchange of information, in the early warning system and in the area of cooperation between police forces and asylum bodies of the countries. Not least, Slovenia was the first state candidate to have signed the Agreement on Cooperation with Europol, in September 2001.
Slovenia's efforts towards membership of the EU were also confirmed by the most recent report of the European Commission on the progress of candidate states. Slovene Minister for European Affairs Igor Bavcar is pleased that this year Slovenia has managed to avoid being criticised for court backlogs, and reform of public administration, an area in which Slovenia was credited with effort, as well as for the duty free-shops at the border with the EU, which were transformed into ordinary shops in September.