Slovenia News 18 March 2008

The agenda of the first of two EU summits under Slovenia's presidency has been dominated by economic and development issues. The EU leaders, who met in Brussels on 13 and 14 March, paid particular attention to the launch of the second cycle of the renewed Lisbon Strategy (2008-2010), climate change and energy, and the stability of financial markets. Heads of State and Government approved the integrated guidelines for growth and jobs and, at the same time, issued some important guidelines on the next cycle of the Lisbon Strategy. They also devoted special attention to the concept of flexicurity within the social dimension of the Lisbon Strategy. In this issue we also write about the EU-US troika meeting on justice and home affairs. In Brdo pri Kranju the two sides agreed a common approach to talks on the US visa waiver system, determining that matters falling within national responsibilities would be discussed by national authorities while those that fall in the scope of EU powers will be negotiated at the EU level. The Environment Ministry presented on Tuesday its activities related to the floods that hit parts of Slovenia in September last year, highlighting a draft damage repair programme which is expected to be adopted by the government next week. More » Slovenian Parliament Speaker France Cukjati and his visiting Norwegian counterpart Thorbjorn Jagland agreed on Thursday that the two countries held similar views on Western Balkans, Middle East and energy policy. More » Slovenian Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Albin Gutman and visiting French counterpart, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, discussed in Ljubljana on Wednesday cooperation in peacekeeping operations and bilateral cooperation. More » Slovenia's exports totalled EUR 1.59bn in January, up 9.5% from the same period last year. Imports soared by 15.4% to EUR 1.8bn, the Statistics Office said on Tuesday. More » The Agriculture Ministry is to tender out EUR 55m for the development of small and medium companies (SMEs) in the next seven years and the Slovene Enterprise Fund has so far in 2008 earmarked EUR 10m for companies with up to nine employees, Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc told the press in Ljubljana on Thursday. More » Slovenia's registered unemployment rate edged 0.1 percentage points higher to 7.4% in January, which brings it back to the level recorded in October 2007, the Statistical Office said on Tuesday. More » “The conclusions confirm the tasks we have set ourselves in three key areas. With them we have given the European Union the wherewithal to continue to tackle the most pressing challenges we face at the moment,” said Janez Jansa, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, at the press conference at the end of the spring European Council meeting in Brussels. The new three-year Lisbon Strategy cycle has been launched, fundamental principles for the adoption of the energy and climate change package have been confirmed and responses to current challenges relating to increasing the stability of the financial markets have been agreed. More » The EU and US agreed on Thursday a common approach to talks on the US visa waiver system, determining that matters falling within national responsibilities would be discussed by national authorities while those that fall in the scope of EU powers will be negotiated at the EU level. More » EU interior ministers have expressed support for an integrated strategic approach to the management of the EU's external borders, Commissioner Franco Frattini said after Wednesday's meeting in Brdo. According to Slovenia's Dragutin Mate, the ministers are also favourably inclined towards the Eurosur system of joint border surveillance. More » A four-day conference of the Parliamentary Assembly ACP-EU kicked off in Ljubljana on Monday, with the signing of Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and five regions in the club of African, Caribbean and Pacific nations topping the agenda. More » A joint informal meeting of EU sports ministers and chairs of national Olympic committees (NOC) closed at Brdo pri Kranju on Monday with the adoption of the "Ljubljana Declaration", which presents the basis for a joint EU policy for cooperation between the civil society and government bodies in the field of sports. More » The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra marked its centenary with a gala concert in Brussels on Wednesday evening in a ceremony that the Slovenian presidency staged as a prelude to the spring EU summit, to be chaired by Prime Minister Janez Jansa on Thursday and Friday. More » The legendary Slovenian gospel outfit New Swing Quartet, which has recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, was conferred the Viktor award for life-time achievements as Slovenia's biggest media industry awards were handed out in Ljubljana late on Saturday. More » Education and Sport Minister Milan Zver signed a letter of intent with Kranjska gora Mayor Jure Zerjav on the sidelines of Saturday's World Cup ski flying event at Planica which is a step towards a modern nordic centre that is to be built there. More » Slovenian freestyle snowboarder Matevz Petek finished fourth in the final Big Air World Cup event of the season in Valmalenzo on Friday, which was enough to secure him third place finish in the overall Big Air rankings for this season. More » Slovenian skier Ales Gorza finished third in the last men's Super-G race of the season in Italy's Bormio on Thursday, clinching 13th spot in the World Cup standings in the discipline. More » Norway won Saturday's World Cup ski flying team event on the giant hill at Planica with 1,715.1 points, ahead of Finland (1,615.1) and Austria (1,482.1). Slovenia, who were third after the first round, placed fourth. More » The European Commission has endorsed a programme of cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia for 2007-2013. The available pre-accession funds for the period until 2009 amount to EUR 15.72m, the Government Office for Local Government and Regional Development said on Tuesday. More » Calendar of Events for 18 - 23 March More »

Archive

year month 2008 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2007 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2006 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2005 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12 2004 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12

© Government Communication Office

To receive our weekly newsletter by e-mail subscribe here.