NEWS
Slovenian Prime Minister and European Commission President on economic situation in Slovenia and European Union
The Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Janša, and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, met in Brussels today. Their meeting focused on discussions about the economic situation in Slovenia and the European Union. In his statement to the press after the meeting, Prime Minister Janša explained that Slovenia "has no difficulties with the recommendations made by the Commission with regard to fiscal balance measures or the reforms it has to carry out". He also stressed that Slovenia has already adopted some of the recommended measures and that the Slovenian Parliament adopted legislation a few weeks ago which will enable Slovenia to halve the budget deficit this year.
Prime Minister Janša also informed President Barroso of the strong legislative package for growth that was adopted by the Government today. Owing to these legislative amendments, business operations in Slovenia will be much simpler, there will be considerably fewer obstacles for the economy, and the economic environment will be even more favourable for small- and medium-sized enterprises and foreign investment, which Slovenia urgently requires at this time.
Prime Minister Janša and President Barroso are also in agreement about the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework. "We are convinced that the cohesion policy and the financing of cohesion projects within this framework, in particular, can significantly contribute to boosting growth in the European Union over the next seven years," Prime Minister Janša said. He added that the Multiannual Financial Framework is an instrument of utmost importance for Slovenia. In his view, financing rural development and an increase in competitiveness are equally important for Slovenia.
Prime Minister Janša also spoke about the resolution of current pressing issues in the euro zone, on which he and President Barroso agreed that "some policies need to be unified".
"It is a fact that, in this time of economic and financial crisis, it is an advantage for Slovenia to have a single currency, even though it is a young euro zone member and has been using the single European currency for a relatively short time. It is in our national interest to maintain the single European currency, and the measures recommended by the Commission are necessary to unify certain policies," Prime Minister Janša explained before stressing that the European Union needs stronger, more centralised control over financial institutions.
"President Barroso and I agree that the European Council meeting ahead of us will need to focus not only on long-term measures which will yield results after years or decades, but also on specific measures that will solve the current pressing issues in EU Member States," Prime Minister Janša added.
President Barroso congratulated Slovenia for its successful passage through its twenty-one years of independence. He welcomed the Government's strategy for fiscal consolidation and economic growth, as, in his words, the European Union needs both at present. He pointed out the importance of the investments that Member States need for further economic growth. In President Barroso's view, the Multiannual Financial Framework, which will be discussed at the European Council tomorrow, will play an important role in this regard. "A stable fiscal policy will induce growth," President Barroso added, before congratulating the Slovenian Government for tackling the difficulties and challenges facing Slovenia in an appropriate way.