General Affairs Council on strengthening the EU’s resilience, independence and unity

State Secretary Grašič at the General Affairs Council in Brussels | Author MZEZ

The State Secretary expressed her hope that the discussion would result in concrete measures and ambitious yet realistic timelines, allowing tangible progress to be made on key actions. She emphasised the importance of ensuring an affordable and secure energy supply, and of taking joint action within the EU if necessary. She also called for the protection of the current EU's electricity market design (EMD) and for investment in renewable energy sources.

State Secretary Grašič further stressed that, despite the military escalation in the Middle East, it is important to maintain focus on Ukraine and continue to put pressure on Russia to end its aggression, including by adopting sanctions. She also expressed regret over Hungary's decision to block the adoption of the 20th sanctions package.

During the discussion on multilateralism, State Secretary Grašič highlighted the importance of the EU's commitment to an international order based on international law, with institutions upholding this law at its core. She stated that it is a key responsibility of states to protect international courts and their officials from various forms of pressure, intimidation, threats and sanctions. She also advocated including this responsibility in the conclusions of the March European Council. The State Secretary added that the US sanctions imposed on International Criminal Court judges and prosecutors, as well as Russian convictions, interfere with the Court's independence and undermine the values on which the EU is founded, as well as the principles and objectives of the UN.

In light of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Slovenia, she drew attention to the importance of bolstering democratic resilience and the responsibility of platforms to clearly label political advertisements and address disinformation in the run-up to the elections.

During the debate on the future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the State Secretary advocated an ambitious MFF that would provide adequate funding for new priorities such as competitiveness, as well as for cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. Regarding EU budget management, she argued in favour of a stronger role for the Council, which would make the EU budget more predictable. She expressed Slovenia's reservations about the proposed steering mechanism, mainly due to its potential impact on the implementation of National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs).

Slovenia believes that the approval process for NRPPs should be swift and should not create additional administrative burdens. It is essential to ensure the smooth implementation of the plans and stable funding for citizens, businesses, farmers and other stakeholders.

Prior to the General Affairs Council meeting, State Secretary Grašič took part in an informal discussion on the progress of Ukraine and Moldova in their accession processes. The GAC meeting was followed by an Intergovernmental Conference for Montenegro, with State Secretary Grašič congratulating Montenegro on the expected closure of yet another negotiating chapter on behalf of Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. With 14 chapters now closed, Montenegro remains a frontrunner among the candidate countries.

On the sidelines of the meeting, State Secretary Grašič held talks with EEAS Secretary-General Belén Martínez Carbonell.