Minister Dr Ivan Žagar presented the Slovenian EU Council Presidency priorities to the participants of the Committee of the Regions plenary session. He drew attention to the events proposed by the Slovenian Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy within the framework of the Slovenian Presidency Programme, which are also related to the activities of the Committee of the Regions (Lisbon Monitoring Platform) and which enable dealings with various aspects of cohesion policy – mainly the role of local and regional communities in achieving the Lisbon Strategy objectives.
Minister Žagar underlined the fact that the Slovenian Presidency considers relations with the Committee of the Regions to be of great importance. “This is to be attributed not only to the significant role of the Committee of the Regions in the EU decision-making process, but also to the concrete conceptual issues we will all face in the field of cohesion policy in the months and years to come.” He said that the issue of future policy-making as regards development is closely intertwined with the EU vision, where the Committee of the Regions, bringing together the representatives of various EU areas, undoubtedly assumes a vital role.
He emphasised that the Slovenian Presidency will continue the debate launched during the Portuguese Presidency which is in the early phase of the 2007–2013 financial perspective focused mainly on the content contributing to the improvement of cohesion policy impact. Slovenia is one of the Member States which, even though new, already has considerable experience in the field of cohesion policy; this is why we attribute great importance to it and its smooth implementation.
The minister underlined the need to focus on the conceptual issues in the new 2007–2013 financial perspective which will promote the effectiveness and efficiency of cohesion policy. This is why, the minister said, the Slovenian Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy will hold a Conference on the Future Cohesion Policy on 7 and 8 April 2008 in Maribor, Slovenia. Indeed, it is the ambition of the Slovenian Presidency to take forward the debate launched by the Commission within the framework of the Fourth Cohesion Forum in September last year and which was continued at the informal ministerial Azores meeting in November. Treating the more specific issues at hand is a priority of the Slovenian Presidency. After public discussion, initiated by the European Commission and closed at the end of January 2008, we will acquaint the Member States and other stakeholders with the concrete questions on which we wish to exchange views.
In this respect, the minister underlined the role of regional and local levels as crucial and also underlined the importance of cooperating with the Committee of the Regions. This is why on 4 March 2008, Slovenia will host the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions and the international conference Territorial Dialogue 2008, i.e. the annual conference of local and regional authorities' stakeholders. “In doing so, together with the Committee of the Regions, we will provide an overview of the inclusion of these authorities in the preparation of various provisions in the implementation of the Lisbon objectives, supported by cohesion policy provisions,” Minister Žagar also asserted.
He also mentioned the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), the instrument that will facilitate and promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation with the objective of strengthening social, economic and territorial cohesion. He presented the Conference on the European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation, a debate on the state of play and the possibilities of effective enforcement of this new instrument. The conference took place at Brdo pri Kranju on 17 January 2008.
The minister also spoke about the integration of third countries on the basis of the above-mentioned instrument, which may make a contribution to stability in the Western Balkans, the latter being of great importance for the security and prosperity of the Union. The Presidency therefore considers that the EU-oriented vision of the Western Balkan countries should remain a key item on the EU agenda. On 2 and 3 June 2008 the Slovenian Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy will, in cooperation with the Committee of the Regions, hold a RELEX conference on European Neighbourhood Policy. The conference will focus mainly on the issue of the Western Balkans, which in fact constitutes one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
