10 June 2021 - Policy Dialogue
Speaker: Ambassador Iztok Jarc, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the EU
Moderator: Janis Emmanouilidis, Director of Studies, European Policy Centre
On 1 July 2021, Slovenia will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). In addition to driving forward the EU’s Recovery Plan, and with control of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight due to the vaccine programme, one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency will be to take the lessons learned from the crisis to improve the Union’s crisis management ability. This ambition is not limited to health but covers also other areas such as future cybersecurity, climate, and migration challenges.
The Presidency will also prioritise issues which were on the agenda pre-COVID-19, such as the green agenda with the COP26 due to take place in Glasgow in November. The Conference on the Future of Europe, launched in May, will also take centre stage, opening a new space for debate with citizens to reflect on Europe’s future and how to address Europe's challenges and priorities. Through constructive dialogue, Slovenia will promote a culture of the rule of law and will work towards a better understanding of the different systems in the Member States. In addition, the Slovenian Presidency will support the countries of the Western Balkans on their path towards European integration, also by hosting an EU-Western Balkans Summit in October.
