European Economic
and Social Committee
On 1 July 2021 Slovenia took on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, at a time when Europe is looking to recover, build back better and emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slovenia's second presidency since its accession to the EU in 2004 will run under the slogan "Together. Resilient. Europe.", three words symbolising its main priorities. In the words of the Slovenian presidency itself: "Working together, supporting each other and acting in solidarity for the good of each and every European citizen will be key to strengthening the EU’s resilience."
The Slovenian presidency's programme focuses on four priorities:
- enhancing the EU`s resilience to various forms of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and continuing the work of the preceding German and Portuguese presidencies on strengthening the EU's cyber resilience;
- managing economic and social recovery after the pandemic while facilitating the transition to more technologically-advanced and environmentally-friendlier forms of economy;
- promoting the Conference on the Future of Europe, which will be the central topic of the Bled Strategic Forum in early September, expected to be attended by a huge range of participants from various European institutions.
- securing and strengthening the European way of life, including respect for the rule of law.
By pursuing these priorities, Slovenia will strive for a credible and secure European Union, capable of ensuring security and stability in its neighbourhood. Special attention will be devoted to the Western Balkans and credibly pursuing their EU enlargement process. In October 2021 Slovenia plans to host the informal EU–Western Balkans Summit. The EESC's Western Balkans Civil Society Forum, to be organised at the end of September, will contribute to the Summit with specific recommendations from organised civil society.
The EESC will ensure that the voice of organised civil society is heard through five exploratory opinions, requested by the Slovenian presidency, on topics ranging from adult learning to fair food supply chains. These exploratory opinions are:
- Adult learning;
- Key components of sustainable quality work during and after recovery;
- Exploiting the economic and social opportunities of digitalisation and improving the digital transformation of the economy, especially SMEs, focusing on human-centered artificial intelligence and data;
- Upgrading inclusive, secure and trustworthy digitalisation for all;
- Towards a Fair Food Supply Chain.
The EESC is looking forward to working with the Slovenian government on joint initiatives and events, and to supporting the Slovenian presidency through its extended network of European organised civil society. The Committee is delighted to see that it has already been invited to the Conference on the Future of Europe Round Tables planned in Slovenia, and to the Bled Strategic Forum.
More info about Slovenian presidency is available here: