25 June 2021

SLOVENIA PRESENTS ITS TRANSPORT PRIORITIES

On 1 July, Slovenia will kick-off its six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU. The programme of the Slovenian Presidency puts a sustainable, digital and resilient Europe at the core of its activities. In the coming months, the Slovenian Presidency will lead crucial files through the institutional negotiations and will be closely involved in the legislative files that are part of the ‘Fit for 55’ Package.

The main objective for Slovenia for the next six months is to support the green and digital transition in the EU. Sustainability and resilience will drive the horizontal coordination of their activities during their Council Presidency.

While the horizontal overview of the Fit for 55 Package will be maintained, the Transport attachés will start the preparatory work of the Council on the revision of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (AFID) and the forthcoming FuelEU Maritime and ReFuelEU Aviation initiatives, which aim to promote and develop the production and use of sustainable fuels in aviation and maritime transport. The contingency plan for freight transport in the EU which will be adopted by the Commission over summer should also be discussed and adopted in the Council before the end of the year.

The main events organised by the Slovenian Presidency will be an EU-Western Balkans conference in Ljubljana on 6 July to discuss the interconnectivity of the region, and a joint informal Transport and Energy Council on 22-23 September, to drive the work of the Council on e-mobility and alternative fuels for transport. The Presidency also aims to start trilogues on the Single European Sky 2+, as well as on the revision of the Directive on vehicles hired without drivers. Depending on the Commission agenda, the preparatory bodies of the Council would also start their work in November on a set of initiatives such as the revision of the TEN-T guidelines, the new Urban Mobility Initiative or the revision of the ITS Directive.