The Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, has attended a meeting of the European Council in Brussels which focused on the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, and better regulatory environment, energy and climate protection. As Mr Janša said after the meeting, some of the decisions taken at this Council would be continued and implemented during Slovenia's presidency of the EU.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and President of the European Comission Jose Manuel Barroso (Photo: Kristina Kosec/BOBO)

At the press conference after the meeting the Slovenian PM said that one of the issues discussed was the so-called Berlin Declaration, which the European Council is to adopt on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, which grew into the European Union. According to the PM, the Declaration is to have an integrating role, marking the 50th anniversary of a project which has proved to be strategically successful for the European continent. Mr Janša also said, "The celebration is to take place at a time when Europe is again almost fully integrated, when there are no more walls, and no more divisions into blocs, when practically all the citizens of Europe enjoy political freedom and economic progress, and when, particularly after the latest enlargement of the EU, the whole of the EU is becoming politically integrated."  According to the PM, the fact that this European Council focused on climate change and protection of the environment proves that the EU is aware of the challenges of the future, is preparing for them, and is capable of taking the right decisions.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and President of France Jacques Chirac (Photo: Kristina Kosec/BOBO)

The Slovenian PM welcomed the commitments made by the EU – both with reference to increasing the share of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Slovenia drew attention to the fact that it is necessary to offer incentives to the research and business sectors and to appeal to the environmental awareness of citizens to reduce the consumption of energy. Mr Janša also expressed satisfaction over the conclusions of the meeting with reference to nuclear energy. "It is becoming more and more clear that commitments regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions cannot be fulfilled without considering the contribution of nuclear energy," said the PM. Despite the fact that nuclear energy is not a renewable resource, it does not release greenhouse gasses and contributes a considerable share of energy production in some member states. "Realistically speaking, without considering this fact, commitments cannot be fulfilled," said the PM. This is also important to Slovenia, as it has not ruled out the possibility of building a second unit of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. "No decision has been taken yet. We will decide about this sometime after 2011 or 2012, when issues relating to the sufficient supply of energy will need to be resolved," explained the PM.

The Slovenian delegation also agreed to the commitments regarding renewables by 2020. According to the PM, we were able to do this without major problems, partly due to the fact that in Slovenia, discussion on this issue concluded last year and was outlined in the renewables project, part of the Resolution on National Development Projects – almost 4 billion euros is to be earmarked for research and the implementation of renewables, including research on hydrogen technology.

Prime Minister Janez Janša, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European Comission Jose Manuel Barroso (Photo: Kristina Kosec/BOBO)

The PM also summarised the discussion at the Tripartite Social Summit, which the Slovenian delegation attended as the representative of future presiding countries, before participating at the European Council meeting. With regard to proposals that the Lisbon Strategy should include a social dimension, opinions did not differ much. The discussion at the Summit focused on the issues on the agenda of the European Council, in particular the commitments regarding greenhouse gas reduction. The PM said that the prevailing opinion was that measures needed to be taken as, due to climate change, this was the only possibility, adding that the social aspect had to be considered.