Thank you. Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs, Deputy Bernard Durkan, distinguished Deputies and Senators, members of the joint committee, at the outset I would like to use this opportunity to wish you, on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU, every success and happiness in 2008. Since 2008 is a leap year, our Presidency will last for one day longer than the German Presidency in the first half of 2007.
At the beginning of this year, we all had the pleasant opportunity to congratulate Cyprus and Malta for adopting the euro and joining the euro area on 1 January. At the first regular meeting of the ambassadors of the EU member states on 17 January, I had the honour of informing my colleague that I had received a letter, dated 3 January, from the Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs informing me that the committee will consider the Slovenian EU Presidency's programme at its meeting on 5 February 2008 and that I was invited for an exchange of views on the priorities of the Slovenian EU Presidency. It was the first official letter I had received from the Irish authorities since Slovenia took over the EU Presidency on 1 January. Chairman, I thank you for that great honour.
I agree with the general opinion that the challenge of holding the EU Presidency is much higher for smaller member states than for big ones. I and my deputy, Ms Lea Stancic, consider the Slovenian Presidency a new challenge and welcome opportunity for gaining additional and valuable experience and to prove once again the well known belief that smaller EU member states have always provided successful and smooth Presidencies of the EU. So far, Ireland has done it very efficiently six times. During the past three years of preparation work for the Slovenian Presidency, there were many meetings between representatives of the Slovenian and Irish authorities relating to EU issues, from which Slovenia gained much useful experience about successful Irish Presidencies. Moreover, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs sent, at the request of the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Slovenia, an experienced diplomat to Ljubljana who is working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the term of our Presidency. His secondment in the field of human rights is very valuable.
Since I am convinced that all members of the committee are already familiar with the main priorities of the Slovenian Presidency, I will offer a brief introduction. Some committee members might still remember our common presentation on the 18 month programme of the German, Portuguese and Slovenian Presidencies, the so-called EU Troika, at the meeting of the Joint Committee on European Affairs on 24 January 2007. The central issues of the trio programme was the continuation of the EU reform process, implementation of the Lisbon strategy for growth and employment and further progress towards the completion of the European area of freedom, security and justice. The Slovenian Presidency rounds off the first trio Presidency and implementation of the first 18 month programme. Co-operation with our partners, Germany and Portugal, has been a unique and positive experience. To ensure a smooth transition to the next trio, Slovenia is co-operating closely with France, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
Following the Slovenian Presidency through official EU documents and press reports, one can see that the Presidency has started rather intensively with its programme of main events. I will mention some of the events that took place in Slovenia in January. On 7 January, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister met in Ljubljana with more than 60 journalists accredited to Brussels. There was an article about it in The Irish Times. On 8 January, the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue was formally launched in Ljubljana. As the committee will be aware, 2008 has been designated the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Later there was a meeting between the Slovenian Government and the European Commission and an informal meeting between the director general for European affairs and the political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 15 January, Prime Minister Jansa addressed the European Parliament.
The first General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting held by the President, Dr. Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, took place on 28 January. A meeting relating to the activities of national parliaments was included in the programme of the Slovenian Presidency. On 11 January, for example, a delegation of the Joint Committee on European Affairs and the Committee on European Scrutiny attended an international conference in Ljubljana on the role of national parliaments in the EU decision making process. The delegation of nine members was led by Deputy Bernard Durkan, chairman of the Joint Committee on European Affairs. A delegation of the Irish Parliament will also attend a meeting relating to EU issues in Slovenia in February.
The possible priorities of the Slovenian Presidency were, to a large extent, determined in the 18 month programme of the German, Portuguese and Slovenian Presidencies and in the inherited agenda of the Council of the EU. I will introduce the main topics of the Slovenian Presidency. The first is the successful ratification of the Lisbon treaty. As the committee will be aware, to date there have been five ratifications. Hungary was the first, ratifying the treaty on 17 December last, followed by Slovenia on 29 January, then followed by Malta and now France. Yesterday Romania ratified the treaty. We hope that by the end of the Slovenian Presidency the majority of the ratifications — 20 or so — will be done.
The second issue concerns secure and sustainable energy supply and questions related to the climate changes. Third is the Lisbon strategy relating to stable economic growth and the creation of more and better jobs for the new three-year cycle of the Lisbon strategy, which begins this year. Fourth is enlargement of the EU, strengthening the European perspectives of the western Balkans and the European neighbourhood policy, continuation of the accession negotiation with Croatia and Turkey, introducing the European standard in the western Balkan countries — Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania — and giving them a clear European perspective. Fifth, and last of the main points, is intercultural dialogue. I already mentioned that 2008 was proclaimed the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. We will continue with negotiations about a Schengen enlargement. Already, in March, the border control at EU airports will be abolished.
I will now say a few words about all five main topics of the Slovenian Presidency. On the Lisbon treaty, after signing the treaty on 13 December 2007, the main task for the member states in 2008 is to efficiently pursue and complete the ratification process to allow the treaty to enter into force before the election of the European Parliament in 2009. This means that all the instruments of ratification should be deposited by the end of 2008 or, at the latest, in the first three months of 2009.
On the new cycle of the Lisbon strategy, the strategy was renewed in 2005 to focus on higher and stable economic growth and the creation of more and better jobs. It therefore represents a significant contribution to the EU's solid economic performance. In 2008 the second three-year cycle of the renewed Lisbon strategy will commence. We will strive for successful preparation of the spring European Council 2008 and adoption of the integrated guidelines for growth and jobs at the council. It is generally estimated that radical changes of integrated guidelines are not necessary, only changes of the explanatory text in order to include the most recent challenges.
The Presidency believes that the new Lisbon strategy is working and that no radical changes of the strategy or process are needed. The key to success is consistent continuation of the process and implementation of the national reform programmes. Therefore, the Slovenian Presidency will further promote the strategic priorities of the Lisbon strategy in the areas of innovation and creativity, development of competitive businesses, environment, adoption of labour market, as well as energy and climate changes.
On climate change and energy, the European Council, in March 2007, defined basic elements of the EU's new integrated climate and energy policy, and now it is time to take further steps. The European Commission issued the climate and energy package on 23 January 2008. It deals with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the review of emissions trading schemes and renewable energy. This question was widely published in the press of the different countries, and also here in Ireland. It is a big issue and everybody is now preparing how to realise the goals of this document.
The comprehensive and difficult negotiation connected to the climate and energy package has already started during the Slovenian Presidency and will be tackled by the two European Councils in the first half of 2008. We hope that all member states will be ready to provide constructive co-operation. Slovenia would favour an early agreement on the energy climate package, towards the end of 2008 or in the first months of 2009 at the latest, as this would put the European Union in a strong position with its international partners in the debate on post-Kyoto levels of reduction of in-house gas emissions after 2012, particularly in view of the December 2009 conference in Copenhagen.
On the western Balkans and EU enlargement, the Slovenian Presidency supports further EU enlargement in accordance with EU enlargement strategy. At the same time, it emphasises the condition that the candidate must comply consistently with the criteria and standards of the EU acquis. Therefore, during our Presidency, we will continue the intensive accession negotiations with Croatia and Turkey. The stability of the western Balkans is crucial to the security and prosperity of the entire Union. Therefore, development of the European perspective for the western Balkans should remain a central feature of the EU agenda. Slovenia, having endeavoured the reaffirmation of the so-called Thessalonika agenda of 2003, posted the conclusions of the network of stabilisation and association agreements and for strengthening regular co-operation in similar areas.
As this is the European year of intercultural dialogue, the Presidency will endeavour to contribute to intercultural dialogue within the Union. Such dialogue constitutes the foundation of the co-existence of all European citizens. It is important, therefore, to present the value of intercultural dialogue and multilingualism among EU citizens and the European public at large and to incorporate the positive experiences of this year into future policies. We will also promote intercultural dialogue with the western Balkans and worldwide. A special contribution of Slovenia is an initiative for establishing an EU-Mediterranean university in Piran, agreed at the previous EU ministerial meeting.
These are the five main priorities of the Slovenian Presidency I have tried to explain, but there are still some other areas I will mention before completing my presentation. I mentioned already the Schengen enlargement and expansion of the EU area. I would like to draw to the committee's attention the issues relating to increasing the external role of the European Union in the area of security, development and economic relations. Slovenia will try to enhance the external role of the European Union in the field of security, development, economic and trade relations with third countries. The common aim is to strengthen and develop further the particular policies of the European Union which refer to the European neighbourhood policy dialogue with the strategic partners and regions, common European security and defence policy and international development and trade co-operation.
In this context, Slovenia plans to organise a summit with the strategic partners and regions of the European Union, with the USA, the Russian Federation, Japan and a 50 EU, Latin-American and Caribbean countries summit in Peru. Those discussions will focus on the most real issues, such as further political and economic co-operation, trade policy, energy, environment, climate change, sustainable development, the fight against terrorism, organised crime, abolishment of poverty and inequality.
Slovenia will focus on strengthening further the European neighbourhood policy, especially in the Black Sea area. Slovenia must also be active in solving the international security question, particularly in light of the increased expectation of the European Union taking a greater role as a global power. Among the areas covered in this regard are the western Balkans and Kosovo. Other very important regions are the Middle East, Iraq and Iran, etc.
We also hope to play a role in the many activities in the field of development aid and the European security and defence policy. We hope the political agreement with Serbia will be signed on 7 February.
That is our agenda. I thank the committee for its attention.