"Slovenia's EU presidency in the first half of 2008 will bring about a thorough reorganisation of public administration", Public Administration Minister Gregor Virant said Wednesday at Slovenian Administration Days conference in Portoroz (SW).
With the presidency creating numerous working groups, to be led by 52 general directors and having 252 presiding persons, public administration will require new staff, explained Virant.
Slovenia's stint as EU chair, while relying on experienced staff, will also require several hundred new temporary employees. According to preliminary estimates, these will cost SIT 6bn (EUR 25m).
"We must not economise with our EU presidency as this is a unique project which is very important for Slovenia's promotion", stressed Janez Lenarcic, state secretary for European affairs at the Government Office for European Affairs.
During its stint, Slovenia will host some informal ministerial sessions as well as several thousand meetings in Brussels and Ljubljana within the framework of over 200 working groups.
Lenarcic divided Slovenia's presidential tasks into three groups. Presidency of the European Council, representing the European Council at the European Commission and in the European parliament, and representing the EU abroad.
Lenarcic assured that 90% of matters which Slovenia will be dealing with during its presidency will not be new, while 10% will come as surprises.
The priorities of Slovenia's presidency include institutional reform, EU enlargement, the Western Balkans and the Lisbon strategy, Lenarcic added.
An 18-month presidency plan, drafted by Germany, Poland and Slovenia, the EU's next chairs, is also nearing completion, he added.
The head of human resources at the Ministry for Public Administration Judita Bagon, said 42 new employees out of a possible total of 310 had already been recruited. 95 staff would be sent to Slovenia's permanent representation to the EU this year and a further 75 by June 2007.
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