Joseph Daul, the head of the European People's Party (EPP-ED) deputy group in the European Parliament, told the press on Friday that one of the main topics of the party's two-day meeting was the increase in living expenses, which he believes should be of priority concern for the EU.
"Living expenses are increasing in all countries, including the poorest ones, and this will have a major impact on the poorest families and countries," Daul said in Portoroz, adding that the MEPs discussed inflation also with the Slovenian government.
Daul said he had told Slovenian Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc, who is currently the chair of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council, to "take the issue of inflation seriously and maintain the pace with which the EU is trying to solve this problem".
According to Daul, the meeting also discussed Kosovo and funding of the Galileo satellite radio navigation programme. He is convinced that the presidency would make a major progress regarding climate change and energy by July.
Regarding climate change, Daul called on the EU to remain a leader in implementing international goals, and to make sure that major polluters respect their commitments. He believes that it is important to find funds for reducing CO2 emissions and providing adequate food supply.
Daul also praised Slovenia's ongoing EU presidency, expressing his satisfaction with the way Slovenia was managing its stint.
The meeting featured 50 MEPs, European Commissioner for Education, Training and Culture Jan Figel, Prime Minister Janez Jansa, six Slovenian ministers and more than 150 guests from other countries. Its main topics were the EU values, intercultural dialogue and climate change.
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