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Prime Minister Pahor discusses proposal for a declaration of policies regarding Slovenia's activities in EU institutions

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today attended the discussion on the proposal for a declaration of policies regarding Slovenia's activities in EU institutions that took place within the regular session of the National Assembly. A strategic document, the declaration aims at transparent and target-oriented activities of Slovenia in EU institutions and at preparing a platform for the adoption of positions on relevant policies relating thereto.

  

(Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA)

   

Outlining the proposal, Mr Pahor said that the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the result of efforts over several years, has enabled the EU to function more efficiently and to adapt to the globalisation and liberalisation of markets with their anticipated major fluctuations. The Treaty represents a compromise for the challenges faced by Europe, which also has to deal with the fundamental issues of our time. Prime Minister Pahor stressed that Slovenia is in favour of a comprehensive and radical reform of the EU budget and the entire funding system. This should facilitate additional budget re-structuring, provide adequate funding for the current and future political goals of the EU and, of course, enable the drawing on European funds, an important aspect of the implementation of the EU budget.

   

Mr Pahor went on to highlight the importance of the new development strategy, i.e. the EU 2010 Strategy. While also focusing on social issues, this new framework of the functioning of the EU in a number of areas ranging from economy to education will provide instruments for overcoming the current crisis.  Prime Minister Pahor further stressed that the EU should feature a more dynamic and competitive economy. Slovenia supports the decision that the EU must succeed in terms of global economic competitiveness in order to remain a society with a high level of social inclusion: "The element burdening the competitiveness of both, the European and Slovenian economy, is the social component of our development. Social cohesion should nevertheless be maintained, or Europe will loose a component that gives it its uniqueness and identity."

     

Prime Minister Pahor closed his address by stating that Slovenia is quite expeditious in solving its problems, both financial and economic, and that we have the possibility to be among those countries, which at the end of the year will stay above the zero level of the economic growth.