Slovenia presents its programme for its Council Presidency.

Under the motto "Together.Resilient.Europe", Slovenia will assume the Presidency of the EU Council for six months as of 1 July 2021. As part of the triple-presidency with Germany and Portugal, Slovenia will be assuming this office for the second time after having held it in 2008.

A programme for a strong Europe

The official website for the Slovenian Presidency presented the ambitious programme for their Council Presidency. It focuses on four main areas:

• resilience, recovery and the strategic autonomy of the EU,
   
  
• the future of Europe,
   
  
• strengthening the rule of law and European values as well as
   
  

• security and stability in the European proximity.
   

What are the objectives for the healthcare sector?

Building a European Health Union is high on the agenda of the Slovenian Council Presidency. The EU should be given effective instruments for protecting the health of its citizens. Expanding the capacities for ensuring the availability of medicines and medical products is also high on the agenda. Research, development and production should all be accelerated for this. In addition, the initiative for establishing a new European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Agency (HERA) will be brought forward.

Digitisation

The programme also includes common solutions and regulations covering the impact of digitisation on daily life, in the workplace and on the economy as well as a commitment to the ethical use and development of AI.

Europe's future

The Slovenian Presidency will have the task of following up the Conference on the future of Europe, which was launched on 9 May during the second half of the year. The previously initiated pan-European dialogue on the future structuring of the EU will be actively supervised by the Slovenian Council Presidency until the end of the year. This dialogue will take the form of plenary sessions and citizens' forums and will continue under the French Council Presidency until spring 2022.

Rule of law and equal standards for all

Under the Slovenian Council Presidency, the rule of law will be strengthened as a common European value and the rule of law culture will be promoted throughout the EU. Focus will also be on the need to address the negative impact of demographic trends within the EU.