STA, 30 June 2021 - The government will host the College of European Commissioners for a working visit on Thursday as Slovenia formally takes over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the occasion, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will present an assessment of Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan.
Such working meetings between the entire College of Commissioners and the government of the presiding country are customary whenever a country starts the rotating presidency with the aim being to review priorities for the next six months.
Slovenia's presidency is expected to focus on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery, enhancing resilience for future crises, green and digital transition and the efforts to push ahead with the enlargement process.
The official programme of the visit is not available yet but the visit is expected to take one day. Before the Covid-19 pandemic such visits typically lasted two days.
While the working meeting with the German government was held in a virtual format, and the visit to Lisbon was downsized, the entire College of Commissioners is expected in Slovenia. Working meetings are to be held at Brdo estate north-west of Ljubljana.
The proceedings are to get under way with a meeting between von der Leyen and Prime Minister Janez Janša, followed by meetings between commissioners and ministers by five thematic sections: the European Green Deal, digital transformation, recovery and resilience, foreign relations with the emphasis on the Western Balkans and migration, security, the rule of law and the Conference on the Future of Europe.
After a working lunch, Janša and von der Leyen are to address a joint press conference. In the afternoon, meetings with President Borut Pahor and National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič are planned.
Upon the Commission's visit, it is customary for the presiding country to organise a ceremony to launch the presidency. In the case of Slovenia, the guests are expected to travel to Bled for the premiere of the ballet Water Man, but this part of the programme has not been confirmed yet.
Between Wednesday and Saturday a group of about 50 Brussels-based correspondents will be visiting Slovenia, which too is in keeping with the custom at the start of each presidency.
While in Slovenia, the Commission president is expected to announce the assessment of Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan. The Commission has not yet adopted such an assessment but it appears Slovenia will become the 13th EU country to get a positive mark.
Once the Commission has given its go-ahead, the plan, which will provide the basis to tap into EU recovery funds, also needs to be endorsed by EU member states. First confirmations are expected on 13 July, at the first session of EU finance ministers under Slovenia's guide.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa indicated at the end of last week that confirmations in mid-July can be expected by the twelve countries that were the first to get the positive assessment. Slovenia would thus not be among them.
The Commission has so far endorsed the recovery plans of Portugal, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Belgium and France.
It is not clear yet when the first member states can expect to in fact get recovery funds. The Commission has so far borrowed EUR 20 billion in financial markets by issuing the first ten-year bond. Brussels has been indicating the member states with approved plans could get first funds in July.
Asked by the STA whether von der Leyen will broach issues of media freedom, STA financing and delays in the appointment of Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors in her meeting with PM Janša, the Commission said merely it would be possible to pose questions about the topics of talks at Thursday's press conference.
The European Commission has on several occasions called on Slovenia to appoint its delegated prosecutors as part of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which has recently become operational. It remains the only of the participating countries that has not yet appointed its delegated prosecutors.
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has recently expressed the expectation for Slovenia to meet its obligations by 1 July, that is by the start of its presidency. If not he indicated that legal action could be initiated against Slovenia.
The Commission has also repeatedly expressed concern over the media situation in Slovenia, in particular over the attempts to undermine sustainable financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).
In response to the government decree on the STA a week ago, the Commission said it expected swift solutions to unlock financing that need to fully reserve the agency's independence. I also said that it should be checked at the national level whether the new decree complied with the exiting legislation on the STA.
