Slovenian Prime Minister and European Council President Janez Jansa, chaired on 19 and 20 June the second and last EU Summit during Slovenia's EU presidency. In Brussels, the 27 EU Heads of State or Government focused in the main on the outcome of the Irish referendum on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, measures to address the effects of escalating food and oil prices, the Millennium Development Goals and the Western Balkans.
In the light of the outcome of the recent Irish referendum on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU leaders agreed that the Irish political executive needed time to analyse the resulting situation.
PM Janez Jansa reported that, irrespective of the situation that had arisen following the Irish referendum, the European Council had also discussed with the utmost seriousness other problems faced by Europe and the world, such as high food and oil prices. He noted that 16% of EU residents live below the poverty line and that an additional 100 million people have been pushed into poverty throughout the world while oil prices have risen by 500% in the past six months. There are various reasons for the increase in food and oil prices. “European policies can offer part of the solution to these problems. We agreed that the EU must show unity in taking action at home and globally. We can state that we are already actively engaged in resolving these problems,” stressed the Slovenian Prime Minister.
The Labour, Family and Social Affairs Ministry and the Labour Inspectorate are to join the Europe-wide two-year campaign of European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (OSHA) promoting risk assessments as means for a healthy workplace. More »
The government adopted Wednesday a EUR 9.9m education programme for the unemployed in the 2007-2008 academic year. The document aims at integration of the unemployed in formal education ranging from primary to lower-tertiary levels. It is to include over 3,500 individuals, with an emphasis on the young under 26. More »
Austria's Wiener Boerse can acquire a 81.01% stake in the company that operates the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) as the highest bidder in the last round of bidding for Ljubljanska borza, representatives of its owners said on Friday. More »
Euroshareholders, a confederation of European shareholders associations, began its two-day general assembly on Friday, focusing on single- and two-tier governance. More »
Home appliance maker Gorenje became the first Slovenian company with the status of an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO). The head of the Slovenian Customs Administration, Rajko Skubic, bestowed the certificate on the company on Tuesday. More »
The government adopted on Wednesday a strategy on the adaptation of Slovenia's agriculture and forestry to climate change. Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc told the press that the aim was to mitigate the damaging effects of climate change in a cost-effective manner. More »
Slovenian Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc said on Monday that there were no quick fixes to alleviate the situation in the fisheries sector as the price of oil continues to rise. Long-term structural changes are needed instead, Jarc said in Luxembourg ahead of a two-day Fisheries Council, which starts today. More »
Slovenian Prime Minister and European Council President Janez Jansa, chaired on 19 and 20 June the second and last EU Summit during Slovenia's EU presidency. The 27 EU Heads of State or Government focused in the main on the outcome of the Irish referendum on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, measures to address the effects of escalating food and oil prices, the Millennium Development Goals and the Western Balkans. More »
Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti focused on the achievements of the Slovenian EU presidency in intercultural dialogue as he outlined the achievements of the country's six-month stint in Brussels on Monday. More »
The first ministerial of defence ministers from SE Europe was launched on Friday. Slovenia's Karl Erjavec, who is chairing the meeting, said Slovenia was placing special attention on regional cooperation in defence, the topic that is in the focus of the two-day talks. More »
Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav and his German and Portuguese counterparts outlined in Brussels on Tuesday the EU presiding trio's achievements in transport. Zerjav pointed out that talks on the transport agreement with the Western Balkans, which was one of the trio's priorities, will kick off today. More »
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa has told the European Parliament that synergy between Slovenia's presidency of the EU, the European Commission and European Parliament enabled the bloc to make headway. More »
The national motorway company, DARS, opened on Monday a 5.5-kilometre motorway section between Lesnica and Kronovo, a part of E-70 link between Fernetici (Italian border), Ljubljana and Obrezje (Croatian border). The EUR 69.9m section features 19 structures, including three viaducts spanning 747 metres in total. More »
Writer Boris Pahor, a member of the Slovenian minority in Italy, won a prestigious Italian literary prize, the Premio Internazionale Viareggio-Versilia. More »
Ljubljana was designated World Book Capital City 2010 by the UNESCO selection committee in Paris on Wednesday. The Slovenian capital will become the tenth World Book Capital City, an acknowledgment of the best programme dedicated to books and reading, according to the UNESCO website. More »
Stefan Kardos is the winner of the most prestigious Slovenian book award, the Kresnik, given to the author of the best novel of the previous year around Midsummer Eve at Roznik, a hill above Ljubljana. More »
The European Commission named the Ljubljana-based Slovensko Mladinsko gledalisce (SMG) theatre company, known for its numerous tours abroad, the European Ambassador of Culture for 2008. The money from the award will be allocated exclusively to tours by the outfit. More »
The Slovenian community in Cleveland, the biggest in the US, opened on Sunday the Slovenian Museum and Archives, which will tell the story of Slovenians who came to work in the US and their community. More »
Slovenian cyclist Jure Robic has finished first in the Race Across America (RAAM) again, becoming the first person ever to win this tough endurance cycling test four times. More »
Speaking to the press later on 13 June, Prime Minister Janez Jansa expressed deep regret over Irish rejection of Lisbon Treaty. The Slovenian PM pointed out that the Lisbon Treaty has already been ratified by two thirds of EU member states and that the treaty was necessary to make Europe more efficient, more democratic and transparent.
"There is a lot of determination to continue, to search for a way out of this situation within the framework set forth by the Lisbon Reform Treaty," he added. He also stressed that the EU had already experienced such moments in the past, which is why he does "not think it is appropriate to speak about a big catastrophe or a very serious crisis".
Preferring to describe the situation as a standstill, Jansa added that a part of the efforts and energy will need to be devoted to ending it.
The European Council President stressed that in the last few weeks, Slovenia had put a great deal of effort into formulating effective and good European Council conclusions that would respond to the current challenges. “The agenda has been set. But the outcome of Ireland’s referendum will change the European Council agenda to some extent. We need productive time to discuss the situation and look for ways to move forward. Despite this, the June European Council priorities with regard to addressing challenges facing the European Union remain the same,” emphasised the Slovenian Prime Minister.
“There is firm resolve to proceed, to seek a way out of this situation within the framework as set by the Lisbon Reform Treaty,” said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Union, Janez Jansa, in response to the publication of the official outcome of the referendum on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, held yesterday in Ireland. The Prime Minister went on to add that the Heads of State and Government of the European Union Member States would hold a meeting next week in Brussels, and the Irish Prime Minister, Mr Brian Cowen, would be invited to explain the reasons for this outcome of the referendum. More »
President Danilo Tuerk singed on Monday a decree on the 2008 general election, setting 21 September as the date of the election. The election will officially be called on 30 June, which will also be the date launching the preparations for the vote, Tuerk said today. More »
The government adopted Thursday amendments to two laws in a move that it says will strengthen the independence of the Securities Market Agency and the Insurance Supervision Agency. Even more far-reaching steps may follow soon. More »
Slovenia is the best EU newcomer regarding life expectancy and several other indicators of health, according to the results of a study on eliminating inequalities in health in the EU that was presented in Ljubljana on Monday. Slovenia achieved the best results among the ten 2004 newcomers, but still lags behind the EU15. More »
A team of Italian nuclear experts visited Slovenia on Thursday to discuss the recent leak of a coolant at the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK). The Italian team commended Slovenia for rapid sharing of information about the leak that prompted a Europe-wide scare. More »
For electronic services to become fully-incorporated into the society, scientific institutions, services providers, governments and economists need to collaborate, while innovation must be initiated by the users, participants of the 21st Bled E-Conference that started on Monday agreed. More »
A European Innovation Forum entitled Innovation for Growth and Employment in Europe, organised by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) and the Association of Informatics and Telecommunications at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, is taking place in Ljubljana on Monday. More »
Now is the time for analysis, consultations and reflection, Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on Monday in a response to the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty and added that all ears will be on his Irish counterpart Michael Martin, who will speak to the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg. More »
Education Minister Milan Zver emphasised on Friday the importance of mobility in education. "The greater the mobility in education, the more there is of quality," Zver said at the sidelines of the "Quality in Mobility within the Lifelong Learning Programme" conference. More »
Prime Minister Janez Jansa has sent an invitation to EU heads of state and government for the upcoming EU Summit. "After the Irish NO to the Lisbon Treaty it is important to show that the EU is moving forward and that it will remain on the path of development," Jansa said in the invitation. More »
Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav and Interior Minister Dragutin Mate told the press on Wednesday that the new road safety act, which introduced much stiffer fines, achieved its goal - a reduction in the number of traffic accidents. More »
Maribor Airport will from Saturday on be officially known as the Edvard Rusjan Airport as Slovenia's second largest airport was renamed today. The airport got its new name after the first Slovenian aviator. More »
The national motorway company, DARS, is to deliver on Monday to authorised sellers 450,000 motorway toll stickers, while an additional 50,000 vignettes will be delivered by Wednesday to tolling stations across Slovenia. Vignettes will be put on sale on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, according to DARS. More »
Taras Kermauner, renowned Slovenian literary historian and philosopher, died on Wednesday at the age of 78. Kermauner, who was born on 13 April 1930 in Ljubljana, was considered the authority on Slovenian drama. More »
Franja, a WWII hospital in a gorge near Cerkno which was almost completely destroyed in flash flooding in September, is undergoing extensive repair and restoration works. Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti was confident Friday that the hospital would open to visitors by 2010. More »
British monthly film magazine Sight and Sound, published by the British Film Institute (BFI), included Slovenian film "Rezervni deli" (Spare Parts) by Damjan Kozole on its top ten list of films from New Europe or countries of Eastern Europe with communist past. More »
A concert entitled "Sounds of Slovenia" will be held in Brussels on Tuesday to mark the Year of Intercultural Dialogue and the conclusion of Slovenia's EU presidency. A group of 24 acclaimed musicians from various Slovenian bands is to present the tradition of Slovenian folks songs in contemporary arrangements. More »
This year's 6th traditional Museum Summer Night with museums and galleries open free of charge late into the night will mark the beginning of summer on 21 June. Over 200 events will be organised in 25 towns across Slovenia. More »
Slovenian hammer thrower Primoz Kozmus won the Josef Odlodil Memorial in Prague on Monday, a crucial win considering that he was up against the best competitors in this event in the world. More »
Slovenia and other countries of the Western Balkans are too small as independent tourist markets, which is why they have to present themselves to potential foreign investors as a region, stressed the speakers opening the Investment Conference 2008 in Nova Gorica on Monday. More »
The group of Slovenian and Croatian international law experts the governments appointed to find common grounds over the border dispute met in Bled on Wednesday, discussing Slovenia's proposal for an agreement the countries need to sign before seeking the assistance of a third party. More »
The EU - USA Summit has been held by the Slovenian EU Presidency on 10 June. The summit, held at Brdo pri Kranju congress centre, has been attended by the US President George W. Bush.
The key international issues on the summit agenda included climate change, trade, the fight on terrorism and global crisis spots.
Diversification of energy sources presented an important topic of the talks, as the EU continues to strive to reduce its dependence on crude oil and gas from Russia and look for new sources, including from the Caspian Basin and as far away as Iraq.
The summit, billed as one of the biggest events during Slovenia's six-month stint as EU president, marked the start of Bush's five-country European tour that will also see him visit Berlin, Paris, Rome and London.
The US president, who arrived in Slovenia late on Monday, met Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk and his host, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, on Tuesday morning, before the start of the summit at around noon.
Apart from Jansa, the EU has been represented at the summit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
US President George W. Bush praised Slovenia's economic and political achievements as he held talks Tuesday with Prime Minister Janez Jansa, in what has been described as a "relaxed and friendly meeting". More »
EU membership is a key priority for Ukraine, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said after a meeting his Slovenian counterpart Danilo Tuerk on Wednesday. Slovenia supports Ukraine's efforts to join the bloc, Tuerk said. More »
The Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK), which was brought to a shutdown last Wednesday due to a leak in the primary cooling system, was brought back online and reconnected to the power grid just before 4 PM on Monday, two days earlier than planned, the power plant operator said. More »
Slovenia's economy expanded at an annual rate of 5.4% in the first quarter of this year, boosted by rising investment in construction, the Statistics Office said on Monday. More »
The Surveying and Mapping Authority has set up a property register, a public record of real estate on Slovenian territory that will be accessible to all users free of charge. The data has been collected through a property census, land registry and other public databases. More »
Slovenia exported in April EUR 1.83bn worth of goods, while the imports amounted to EUR 1.99bn. The trade gap amounted to EUR 163.3m, which was some 20% less than the month before, the Statistics Office said on Monday. More »
The US State Department released on Wednesday the "2008 Trafficking in Persons Report" which places Slovenia among the 29 most successful countries world-wide in fighting human trafficking. More »
The Euro-Mediterranean University, a network of universities initiated by Slovenia, was founded in the seaside resort of Portoroz on Monday. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa and Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa stressed the importance of the institution in peace, stability and cooperation efforts. More »
EUREKA, an international industrial research and development network, held a ministerial meeting in Ljubljana on Friday, adopting an overhauled strategic programme and welcoming Macedonia as its 39th member country. The ministers also gave the green light to Eurogia+, an energy initiative worth EUR 1bn over the next five years. More »
Europe should invest more in research and development and make better use of the public-private partnership, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Huebner said at the European Regional Economy Forum meeting in the border town of Nova Gorica on Friday. More »
The leaders of the EU and US reaffirmed the global importance of the transatlantic partnership in terms of values as well as the economy, and called for further liberalisation of world trade as they met in Slovenia on Tuesday. More »
Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa told a panel held in Ljubljana on Wednesday that the main challenges facing the EU were international rather than home-grown. More »
Relations between the EU and South Africa and the assessment of the situation in Africa topped the EU Troika-South Africa meeting at Brdo pri Kranju on Tuesday, the chair of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told the press after the meeting. More »
EU and Brazil are upbeat about plans to boost cooperation. The two sides will hopefully pen a joint action plan at a summit in December, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said after a meeting with the EU Troika on Friday. More »
An EU Troika-China meeting discussed in Ljubljana on Monday bilateral relations, progress in the negotiations on the partnership and cooperation agreement, situation in the Taiwan Strait, human rights, climate change and the North Korean nuclear issue. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel labelled the relations between the sides as good. More »
Senior state officials and other prominent guests and ordinary people gathered in the southeastern village of Rasica on the eve of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Primoz Trubar to pay homage to this Protestant reformer who wrote and published the first Slovenian book in 1550. More »
Vladimir Urbanc, a Canadian of Slovenian descend, has donated a painting by Slovenian impressionist Matija Jama (1872-1947) "Belokranjka" (Woman from Bela krajina) to the Slovenian National Gallery. More »
The Ljubljana basketball club Union Olimpija has beaten defending champion Helios of Domzale 3:1 in the finals series of the Slovenian basketball league to take the national title for the 14th time. More »
Spanish budget carrier Clickair will launch scheduled flights between Ljubljana and Barcelona on 4 July. Clickair will fly between Barcelona's El Prat and the Joze Pucnik Ljubljana Airport on Mondays and Fridays until 15 September. More »
Prime Minister Jansa and Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk attended the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the European Central Bank and the European System of Central Banks, held in Frankfurt on 2 June.
In his address, Prime Minister Jansa observed that far-sighted politicians and economists had recognised the need for political and economic integration in Europe, and he qualified the introduction of the common European currency as both a political and an economic success.
"The adoption of the single currency has intensified the integration of the European Union, and represents one of the most tangible symbols of the European Union. In economic terms, it has provided the eurozone members with a far greater stability and capacity to respond to global economic developments,” the Slovenian Prime Minister said.
Later that day, Finance Minister Bajuk also attended a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg. Minister Bajuk highlighted the EIB as the "vivid testimony to the power and success of the European ideal," as he addressed the ceremony.
The President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Stockholm on the margins of the review conference on Iraq. More »
Speaking to the press during Wednesday's government visit to Notranjsko-krasko, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said data were showing "that the region is reducing the gap to the remaining regions and in some areas it is developing faster than the Slovenian average". More »
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), Slovenia's largest chamber, was awarded on Tuesday representative status. The GZS became the first Slovenian chamber to be given the status that is required under the 2007 Chamber of Commerce and Industry act. More »
Home appliance group Gorenje reported on Tuesday EUR 5.35m in net profit in Q1 2008, a 21.5% increase year-on-year. Sales revenues summed up to EUR 303.7m, which is 3% lower on year-to-year basis. More »
In his first public appearance in Slovenia, the new US ambassador has said that one of his main aims will be to foster business ties between the countries. More »
Inflation in Slovenia dropped 0.1 of a percentage point over the previous month to 6.4% in May, despite a monthly rise of 1.1% due largely to soaring prices of petrol, the national Statistics Office said on Tuesday. More »
EU ministers responsible for science formally launched in Brussels on Friday the Ljubljana Process, which is aimed at forming a single and efficient European Research Area (ERA). More »
As part of the government's visit to the Notranjsko-Kraska region, the representatives of the Slovenian government and the European Space Agency's (ESA) signed on Wednesday at the Sneznik castle an agreement on cooperation between the government and the agency. More »
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Janez Jansa, today attended celebrations in Frankfurt marking the 10th anniversary of the European Central Bank and the European System of Central Banks. On 10 May 1998, the European Council adopted a formal decision introducing the euro and establishing the European Central Bank, which started to operate on 1 June 1998. More »
Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk and European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia are disinclined to use tax policies in response to high prices. Arriving for a ministerial in Luxembourg on Tuesday, the pair said this would go against what EU finance ministers agreed on in Manchester in 2005. More »
The chair of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Dimitrij Rupel and Enlargement Commissioner Oli Rehn stressed at the end of Tuesday's EU-Turkey Association Council meeting in Brussels that Turkey's EU integration progress depended above all on the country itself. They also highlighted some of the problem areas. More »
Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk highlighted the European Investment Bank (EIB) as the "vivid testimony to the power and success of the European ideal" as he addressed Monday's ceremony in Luxembourg celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bank. More »
Motorway company DARS on Friday opened an 11-kilometre motorway section between Pesnica and Lenart in NE Slovenia. Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav said at the opening that the section was an important step towards completing the motorway network in the region. More »
A traditional remembrance ceremony was held on Sunday at the site of a mass grave in Kocevski Rog where the bodies of victims of Communist executions were buried at the end of WWII. Justin Stanovnik, the keynote speaker, stressed that those responsible need to confess their crimes so that they can be freed from their guilt. More »
An exhibition entitled "Neolithic Art in the Area of the Republic of Macedonia" will open at the National Museum on Wednesday. It provides a comprehensive insight into the most important figural monuments of Neolithic art in Macedonia, featuring the country's most beautifully shaped and decorated Neolithic ceramic vessels. More »
The Cambridge-based publisher Salt Publishing has issued a selection of poems by Srecko Kosovel, a 20th century Slovenian avantgarde poet, in English translation. More »
Maribor has won its bid for the 2013 Winter Universiade as the University Sports Federation (FISU) confirmed on Saturday the candidacy of Slovenia's second-largest city, which also hosts the Golden Fox world cup skiing competition. More »
Slovenian track and field athlete Marija Sestak managed a season's best of 14.85 metres in the triple jump at the Ljubljana Grand Prix late on Sunday, beating the previous best mark of the season by Francoise Mbango Etone of Kemerun by nine centimetres. More »
A number of Slovenian organisations hosted a tourism workshop in New York on Friday as part of a promotional campaign aimed at attracting American tourists. The campaign includes a series of concerts in the heart of New York. More »
Dr. Andrej Marusic, a leading Slovenian psychiatrist and psychologist, died Sunday morning at the age of 43 after a severe illness. Marusic was one of the top experts active in suicide prevention. More »
Over the past eleven years, Slovenia has received almost EUR 120m from the Schengen facility, an amount which covered around 45% of all costs related to setting up the Schengen border, European Affairs State Secretary Janez Lenarcic explained on Wednesday as he unveiled the project's final report. More »