State Secretary Štucin at the EU General Affairs Council
EU General Affairs Council meeting | Author Council of EU
During its Council Presidency, Poland will prioritise security in various domains - external, internal, information, economic, energy, food and health - which Slovenia welcomes. Slovenia particularly supports the Polish Presidency's priority areas, including the rule of law, EU enlargement, internal reforms, work on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework and cohesion policy as one of the EU's key investment policies.
As part of the annual rule of law dialogue, EU ministers and state secretaries for European affairs held an in-depth exchange of views on the rule of law situation in Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. State Secretary Štucin emphasised that the rule of law dialogue serves as a mechanism for strengthening the rule of law and safeguarding the EU's fundamental values. He welcomed the open and constructive discussions based on the Commission's fifth annual report of July 2024, and provided an overview of the current state of play in Slovenia, along with measures already implemented or underway in response to the Commission's recommendations. In its report last year, the Commission acknowledged Slovenia's progress in all the areas under review: the judicial system, the anti-corruption framework, media pluralism and freedom and the system of checks and balances. State Secretary Štucin also responded to member states' questions on judicial reform and the anti-corruption strategy.
Under Any other business, France raised the issue of the integrity of electoral processes in Europe, particularly in the context of a growing threat of foreign interference, for which Slovenia, along with several other member states, expressed support. Additionally, the General Affairs Council took note of a proposal by the Czech Republic on the gradual integration of Ukraine and Moldova in the EU's single market, which Slovenia endorsed. The State Secretary underlined the need to accelerate the EU accession process for candidate countries, including those in the Western Balkans.