The Prime Minister Janez Janša briefly presented the government's comprehensive programme of work for 2006, which the government has been implementing, and which is harmonised with its medium-term objectives for the current term of office.
The programme comprises seven hundred and seventy-three acts, of which just over two hundred are regulations falling within the competence of the National Assembly, while the remainder fall directly within the competence of the government, comprising mainly decrees and acts falling within the competence of ministries and making up one half of all the acts. He also said that these were important regulations stipulating in detail the implementation of individual laws and also implementing legislation enacted in 2005.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the main priority of the programme would be the realisation of the Framework of Economic and Social Reforms, which sets the time frame for the implementation of the said reforms. He emphasised that the government would like all the key legislation related to the proposed economic and social reforms to be passed this year.
He also said that in order for the reforms to gain a broad consensus in the National Assembly, intensive negotiations with social partners have been under way within the Economic and Social Council, within which the government strives to achieve an agreement on the key proposals that would enable the signing of a social agreement also for the following medium-term period.
The Prime Minister also stressed that the entire year would be dedicated to meeting the conditions for the adoption of the euro. The government's fiscal policy will be austere particularly in the first half of the year, so that by the end of Slovenia's two-year membership in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) in June the country would fulfil all the criteria to enter the Eurozone. The final report on Slovenia's meeting the criteria to enter the Eurozone will be issued by the European Commission. The Prime Minister said he was convinced that Slovenia would not face any difficulties regarding the introduction of the euro, as the preparations for the changeover were already under way.
He also expressed optimism with regard to the process of ratification of the European Constitution. In his view, successful ratification in Belgium and expected ratification in Estonia are indicative of the rising belief within the European Union that the EU should have a set of rules for the future.
Following his presentation of Slovenia's Development Strategy, the Prime Minister announced the visit of the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso in Slovenia, on 1 March.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|