Today saw the close of the June European Council in Brussels, the last such meeting under the Slovenian Presidency, chaired by the current Council President, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša. The 27 EU Heads of State or Government focused in the main on the outcome of the Irish referendum on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, measures to address the effects of escalating food and oil prices, the Millennium Development Goals and the Western Balkans.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
In the light of the outcome of the recent Irish referendum on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU leaders agreed that the Irish political executive needed time to analyse the resulting situation. Ireland will, in turn, consult the other Member States about the next steps in the ratification process, specified Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša at the press conference at the close of the session. He went on to explain that the analysis of the Irish referendum and possible next steps would be further discussed at the October European Council.
PM Janez Janša reported that, irrespective of the situation that had arisen following the Irish referendum, the European Council had also discussed with the utmost seriousness other problems faced by Europe and the world, such as high food and oil prices. He noted that 16% of EU residents live below the poverty line and that an additional 100 million people have been pushed into poverty throughout the world while oil prices have risen by 500% in the past six months. There are various reasons for the increase in food and oil prices. “European policies can offer part of the solution to these problems. We agreed that the EU must show unity in taking action at home and globally. We can state that we are already actively engaged in resolving these problems,” stressed the Premier.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
The first stage of resolving the problems involves mitigating the consequences of the situation. The European Union will therefore study the appropriateness of applying tax measures to offset the effects of soaring oil prices. At the same time, effective structural adaptations that will have a long-term effect need to be set up. The Premier mentioned measures such as systematic monitoring of market trends, more efficient energy use, bolstering innovation and research into the development of new technologies, setting up sustainability criteria for the production of biofuels and promoting the development of second-generation biofuels. He considered that dialogue should be established between oil-producing countries, oil-consuming countries and oil companies. At the June European Council meeting, the European Union confirmed its commitment to an open trade policy, swift responses to immediate short-term humanitarian needs and the initiative on targeted development aid to revitalise farming in developing countries. The European Council also reinforced the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals since, according to the Slovenian Prime Minister, the European Union is willing to continue to play an active role in this area and to considerably increase development aid.
The European Council also adopted a special annex on the Western Balkan region. “Further stabilisation and progress towards the European Union has been one of the priorities of Slovenia’s EU Presidency. Considerable progress has been made in this area. The European perspective for the Western Balkans is beyond doubt, now that Stabilisation and Association Agreements have been signed with the Western Balkan countries,” announced the Slovenian Prime Minister. In connection with the Western Balkans, the European Council achieved progress on visa policy, agreed a uniform funding framework for the region and took a number of other sectoral initiatives benefiting the citizens of the whole region.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
The 27 Heads of State and Government also confirmed the agreement on the liberalisation of the energy markets. “Given the considerable differences of opinion expressed at the beginning, reaching a compromise was no easy task. In the long run, this solution will benefit consumers since it will ensure lower prices and security of supply in the most effective manner,” said the Slovenian Premier. The EU Heads of State and Government also called for work to be completed on the Working Time Directive and the Temporary Agency Workers Directive. The Slovenian Prime Minister further reported that, at its June meeting, the European Council had strengthened the European Neighbourhood Policy Process and upgraded the Barcelona Process, as well as confirming that Slovakia had met the criteria for joining the eurozone as of 1 January 2009.
“All these are tangible signs that the European Union is functioning and that the deepening process is up and running,” concluded European Council President Janez Janša.
Press Conference by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, President of the European Commission and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia
