Slovenia opened its presidency in the Council of the European Union last July by lowering the Portuguese flag that previously presided over this great European institution.
Slovenian diplomat Robert Krmelj described his country’s priorities for the next six months: “The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins in demanding circumstances, due to the pandemic, and its key task will be to strengthen the Union’s resistance to crises, including the question of the strategic autonomy of the EU, and to work on the recovery of the European economy, based on the digital and green transition”.
During this semester (from July 1st to December 31st), regarding the agricultural sector, the Slovenian presidency wants to make progress and promote the issue of sustainable food production, including rural development, organic production, preservation of biodiversity, access to safe and quality food and the improvement of the quality of life of farmers.
In addition, since, in March 2021, the European Commission launched an ecological action plan that, among other issues, set 25% organic production as a goal to be achieved in Europe. After inviting the Member States to implement this roadmap, the Slovenian presidency will be in charge of drawing the conclusions.
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Jože Podgoršek, has ensured that “organic farming is part of the EU’s ecological transition and is crucial to protect Europe’s environment and preserve its biodiversity. The action plan will provide a sustainable future for EU farmers”.
And in relation to the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the presidency ratified the already established objectives: restoring degraded ecosystems and rivers, improving the situation of habitats, protected species and pollinators on agricultural lands, reducing pollution and making cities greener, and so on.
