The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, today attended the conference of BUSINESSEUROPE in Maribor, which was also attended by the presidents of European employer and industrial associations. The BUSINESSEUROPE Council of Presidents meets every six months in the Member State currently holding the EU Council Presidency.

 

(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

After the conference, Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed his conviction that, without the success of the European economy, there would be no successful European Union – indeed, there would be no European Union at all. “The European Union has grown on the ‘European economic miracle’. All the political decisions that have advanced the European Union are undoubtedly the result of its economic success,” stressed the Prime Minister, going on to add that this would also be the case in the future.

 

President of BUSINESSEUROPE Ernest-Antoine Seillière, Prime Minister Janez Janša and President of the Association of Employers of Slovenia Borut Meh (Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the European Council, Janez Janša, outlined to the BUSINESSEUROPE Council of Presidents the achievements in the field of economy that have taken place during the Slovenian Presidency and the trends identified at the EU summit meetings with Japan, the United States, and Latin America and the Caribbean. He said that one of the key challenges ahead was the transition to low-carbon or carbon-free production and transport. “This transition actually deserves to be called a new industrial revolution,” said the Prime Minister, adding that changes related to it would affect both the economy and the way of life of the citizens of the European Union. He assessed this process as irreversible. Whether, for the European Union and its citizens, this will be a burden or cost affecting the standard of living will depend on the economy’s response to these challenges. “But this can also be a new opportunity to make Europe even more successful by encouraging development and the export of new technologies,” maintained the Slovenian Prime Minister, adding that this was a joint response of the EU-27 to the negative impacts of climate change.