Government of Slovakia

Policy topics Government of Slovakia is active on

What Government of Slovakia has said (80)

• 2026-06-16 “We think that research and scientific capacity needs to be supported. Also innovation and production capacity, and we need a more balanced approach to all of that. In geographical terms, in the new MFE, c f, funding must bolster the competitiveness of the whole of the EU and contribute to reducing disparities between less competitive and less productive regions and others. We think less developed countries need to be supported. There should be pan European projects, there should be national contact points established, funded by the ECF, and there should be reliable monitoring of the geographical concentration of funding under the ECF. When it comes to the Global Europe instrument, Slovakia doesn't support the proposal for reducing the enlargement pillar in the Commission proposal. We thought that there were some improvements which had been made. We would be prepared to discuss new own resources. We could look at e-waste based resources, for example, will be a constructive partner in this. And I've heard what other previous speakers have said as well. We will take into account the fears and concerns expressed by all countries to ensure that we can then reach an agreement by the end of 2026. Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2026-06-16 “Thank you. Thank you. Marilyn. I switch to Slovak. I'd like to thank the Cyprus presidency for the work done and for the compromise proposal on the regulations and the NPS and the ECF and also Global Europe. Now, when it comes to the P and the NLP s, Slovakia thinks it's a priority that we focus on rights and that we have clear actions. The funding model must really ensure that things can be simpler for beneficiaries. We want a results based principle guiding all of this, and we need a framework which is flexible enough to allow for various more appropriate actions to be taken now Slovakia. When it comes to the partial general approach, cannot accept it. So we will abstain and we'll send in the reasons in writing. I'd ask you to annex them our document to today's minutes. When it comes to the E, c, f, we don't think that the same conditions for participation are being created for all of the EU, and there's a risk of concentration of funding in ecosystems which already exist without excellence being disseminated and distributed throughout the EU. We're in favour of France's realistic approach, under which nuclear energy would be seen as climatically neutral, enabling the EU to reduce its dependence on imported energy. Slovakia is not prepared to support the proposal and we will abstain there. And our concerns are expressed in a written statement, which we'd ask you to annex to the minutes of today's meeting. And then when it comes to the Global Europe instrument, Slovakia is prepared to support the general approach. We would. Say that it's important that Member States be closely involved and the Council in the decision making process and in monitoring implementation. We appreciate the fact that the Council and Member States role has been reinforced in all stages of the implementation. Thank you.”
  EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
• 2026-06-16 “Thank you, thank you Marilena. I switch to my mother tongue. Well, I'd like to thank the presidency for the work they've done. We're grateful for the box which has been proposed. We like this reviewed proposal. We think the figures are a good basis for future negotiations, but we need to ensure progress, and we support the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of 2026. Now, the cohesion policy and the cap for Slovakia remain an absolute priority. In the margins of the GAC, Slovakia and 15 other countries from the Friends of Cohesion Group adopted a joint statement asking for more funding for cohesion policy and the Cap. Now we think that an increase of €5.8 billion for cohesion policy is a good step forward. There should also be an increase for the cap. Traditional policies are the only sectors in which the Commission has proposed a reduction at constant prices, compared to the current MFF, a 12% reduction for cohesion and a 9% reduction for the CAP. Now for the CAP, we welcome the increase of that. We think it's a step in the right direction, but the way in which these funds are being distributed is not yet clear. Obviously, we need to look at the impact on the less developed member states of the EU.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2026-06-16 “We also think it's important that in the nuts, two regions and the eastern and southern flanks of the e u. There's further investment. Connectivity with Ukraine is an investment with added European value. Strengthening western Ukraine and strengthening the eastern parts of the EU are things which could be done through this, and we can have more trade as well. Now. There's the N plus ten months and N plus 12 months as well. Slovakia and other countries, other partners in the cohesion policy would like N plus three years. When it comes to co-financing and pre-financing rates for the EU budget as well. That's something that has to be looked at. But we think what's been proposed is insufficient. Slovakia and partner countries would like to keep the current co-financing rates. Now, there are other points in the Negev box when it comes to horizontal conditions. So we need to ensure um an objective approach, forecast ability and so on. But we need to of course look at fundamental rights rule of law and so on. Now we need a clear methodology. We need clear objectives. And we need to ensure there's a direct link between violation of principles and the impact on the EU budget when it comes to the European Competitiveness Fund.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you Chair. Today Europe faces challenges that cross national borders and to address them we need a shared vision that education and skills are the backbone of Europe's prosperity, social cohesion and resilience. Vocational education and training stands at the forefront of this transformation. VET is where theory meets practice and therefore our goal is to make VET an equally attractive path as academic studies by transforming our VET schools into modern, open and internationally connected centers of excellence. Slovakia is implementing its most comprehensive education reform to date. Since September twenty twenty five new educational programs for all professional fields have been enforced developed in close cooperation with employers and professional associations. We have modernized curricula, improved the link between schools and labor market, expanded dual education across hundreds of study fields and focused strongly on improving teaching quality. Our ambition is to ensure that more students acquire real workplace experience during their studies. Another key priority for us is supporting STEAM which embraces creative sector driving innovation and enhancing competitiveness across the entire economy. With STEAM approach we can create diverse pathways into technical fields making them more accessible and appealing. We can attract significantly more women and girls and spark interest in technical fields among children from an early age by demonstrating real world impact and creative application. In Slovakia we are preparing a comprehensive STEAM strategy with a strong focus on teacher training. In twenty twenty six we will launch two calls to support innovative teaching methods in secondary schools and through EU funds we are establishing centers of excellence that offer top quality technical training and actively engaged girls in innovative projects to tackle underrepresentation of women in STEAM especially in ICT and engineering. Our national project Women in STEM identifies barriers and proposes measures to support girls choosing technical fields. Civil society initiatives such as Women Algorithm also play an important role in motivating girls and women to enter STEAM careers. Transnational mobility is another key tool for strengthening VET, boosting skills and improving employability. To this end we support rainforest more inclusive accessible and simplified Erasmus Plus program. Finally, we must not overlook the transformative role of artificial intelligence AI can increase efficiency across education systems however we must ensure its ethical and responsible use. Thank you.”
  Focus of EU policy on education (shaping workers vs citizens)
• “It is an utmost, utmost important topic. The agreement between the EU and Ukraine represents a major threat to Slovakia because it jeopardizes already. Volatile. Ability to compete of our farmers and will result in more destabilization of the most sensitive sectors and further decrease of the prices of commodities in the European market. Also, extreme increase in tariff quotas in some commodities by 500% is in direct contradiction to the foreseen 20 to 25%. It is impossible under the circumstances to accept the agreement, and we expect that the key following requirements will be incorporated first, maintaining pre-war tariff quotas in sensitive commodities, which is a minimal request or prerequisite for maintaining the balance in the market. Secondly, implementing safeguards that will be applicable on the regional level. That refer to the historical levels of mutual trade. Thirdly. Ensuring quality, safety and security of the imported goods. It is unacceptable that the EU imports products that have lower quality than our consumers are guaranteed, and it also jeopardizes our farmers position. Fourthly, we expect that if there is excessive import going to take place, we want a special fund that would compensate our farmers. It is not our aim to prevent integration of Ukraine to the EU, but we want to secure that this process is balanced, just and respectful towards the EU Member states.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Dear colleagues. Commissioner. Thank you. I'd like to thank Minister Marek for this initiative, which we fully support. There are a number of aspects in the Commission proposal, which has been under discussion now since 2018, and which will have a significantly negative impact on these sectors. And Slovak drew attention to this in a letter sent to competitiveness ministers. However, the proposal will also have a negative impact on European producers in the fishing sector and this could have a negative impact on the price of food and it could lead to a flood of non-European products on the European market. And so, um, it could jeopardize human health and security, and it could lead to a violation of the principles of hunting ethics. So we would really urge the commission to reconsider, in view of these circumstances, withdrawing this proposal. Thank you.”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU
• “Thank you very much. We would like to thank France for this initiative, which we fully support. We consider origin labelling a key tool that enables consumers to make informed decisions. At the same time, we are seeing growing consumer interest in the origin of products, particularly in the context of sustainability, quality and food safety. We think it is essential that the Commission's legislative proposal to amend the regulation on the Provision of Food Information to consumers be accompanied by a comprehensive impact assessment. The assessment should take into account not only the benefits, but also the possible administrative, financial and operational impacts on the food sector, especially in the current challenging economic climate. There needs to be an expert discussion with all relevant stakeholders, especially the food industry, on the possible methods and scope of origin labelling. We need to find a solution that will improve consumer information without placing an unreasonable burden on businesses. Slovakia is ready to engage constructively in further discussions, with a view to providing pragmatic and balanced solutions that will benefit consumers, producers and the internal market. Thank you.”
  Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
• “Thank you for [00:51:00] the floor. We consider the Victims Rights Directive to be a good and comprehensive instrument. We welcome efforts to revise it in line with the development. And in order to raise the standards of victims rights in individual member states. We consider the proposed revision of the directive as a good basis for further discussion. And we believe that in the negotiations, we will be able to [00:51:30] find a good compromise in relation to the compensation of victims from the offender. We believe it necessary that the offender should be the first to pay the damages. It is only in the absence of voluntary performance by the offender, within the limited time period. It is appropriate for the state to assume responsibility for recovering the compensation. Victims who decide to seek state compensation should not [00:52:00] be put, should not be disadvantaged compared to victims claiming compensation from the offender. Also, in order to prevent a disproportionate prolongation of criminal proceedings and victimisation of the victim, it is essential that member States are allowed to provide for other ways and procedures to obtain compensation from the offender. Regarding your second question, the Barnardo's model [00:52:30] is one of the examples of good practice that has proven its worth in several member states and brings a new level of protection for child victims from secondary victimization. We see it as a cooperation assistant models focusing on child victims of the most serious crimes, where specific and particular consideration should be given. Given the trauma they have suffered. We therefore consider [00:53:00] it crucial to ensure this model, in particular for those child victims who suffered violent crimes. Thank you.”
  EU policy on victims' compensation rights
• “Thank you colleagues. Dear Christoph, first and foremost I would like to thank your team for preparation of the strategy. It is also one of my priorities where we definitely should dedicate ourselves hand in hand, Europe wide to, uh, avoid the crisis in agriculture. We need to scrutinize measures we want to adopt, uh, and also evaluate the feasibility and find out if the measures will really attract more young people into the sector of agriculture. Let me mention two elements that we should be very cautious about. First, the allocation of 6% to generational renewal. I find it very ambitious, ambitious goal, which is very difficult, um, for Slovakia, because we only have 1.5% of the arable land in the hands of young farmers. I will also support to take into consideration specific situation in individual Member States. Also the. Removal of support for retirement age farmers is, in my understanding, counterproductive potentially because what could happen is that the funds will be purchased by large investors. That means, uh, the, uh, agricultural land will be lost to investors. This is why I believe this should be a voluntary measure on the side of the member states. Thank you very much.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you Mary. I will speak in Slovak. I would like to thank the Commissioner in particular. We very much welcome the fact that the European Union wants to strengthen the competitiveness of its industry and maintain our position on the world market for Slovakia. It is of key importance to focus on energy intensive industries. In particular, we welcome the fact that the president of the European Commission has recognised the role of nuclear energy in its. In her latest address, we believe that it's essential to ensure secure and reliable energy supply. Otherwise, it will undermine not just the economy but social stability. In the wake of the ecological transition, we have to be realistic. This cannot undermine, uh, industrial or industrial fabric and economic development. This is a matter for the leaders to decide. Slovakia welcomes the Commission's initiatives in the digital transition artificial intelligence, and this way we can continue to strengthen productivity and innovation. As regards International Conference on Artificial Intelligence will take place in November in Bratislava. Europe must remain competitive but also socially fair, and this is why we support the Commission's proposed measures in this respect and the strategy against poverty and social exclusion. A fair distribution is very important. Uh, the need to develop our defence capabilities and our defence industries and in taking account in particular of dual use technologies, are also of great importance. We will support the Commission's efforts to simplify legislation that can benefit industry and SMEs in particular. And then coming to the MFF, we have set ourselves a number of top priorities which require the relevant funding. And as part of this process, we should seek to strike a balance between the strategic goals of the European Union but also the traditional, uh, support for cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. These are essential pillars in terms of securing a security of supply and food security in the European Union. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. Mihali. Technical work done by your presidency on the compromise proposal could accommodate the needs of Member states. We do think that the compromise proposal strikes the great balance between social and economic conditions in member states, on the one hand, and environmental goals on the other hand. We should always bear this in mind under the current situation with the high energy prices on the market. We are aware of the fact that the topic is sensitive. In spirit of the compromise, though, we can accept the revision clause for the aviation in ten years as a compromise. Furthermore, we welcome transitional period given to Member States with respect to vulnerable households households. This is absolutely crucial for us to protect them. Let me reiterate that the current directive is outdated and does not reflect the situation on the market. Therefore, Slovakia sees merits in the revision as a whole. In the other hand, on the other hand, the adjustment of the fiscal policies to the current situation on the market needs to be done very carefully. An updated impact assessment should follow. Lastly, we should also take into account potential negative impact on the competitiveness of our economies. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Well, thank you very much, Luis. I fully understand, Peter, the grave implications of this situation, especially because of the unknown origin of the of the contamination. This is very important because the devastating impact of the African swine fever virus, whether for domestic animals or wild boars, is critical. [00:17:30] The system of hunting, also the processing of food, of meat, including trade with meat. This has very grave implications. We definitely need to take Intersectoral approach, whether we talk about veterinarians, hunters, food processors. They all need to be involved into this process. One thing of critical importance is communication with [00:18:00] member states, especially the neighbouring Member States and also with the European Commission. I have taken the floor specifically because since 2019 we have been combating African swine fever and we are fully prepared to share any and all experience that we have. Thank you.”
  Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
• “Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, We fully support the report's recommendations to prioritize innovation, reduce dependencies, and improve security to strengthen the EU's competitiveness while advancing environmental goals. However, we believe these goals should be pursued in close partnership with industry rather than at its expense. We agree with placing research and innovation at the core of EU policy to boost global competitiveness through excellence in research and development. Achieving this requires balanced resources and open access to research data across all member States. The report nonetheless does not fully address the challenge posed by closed clubs that hinder greater participation for widening countries and newcomers. As outlined in the Budapest Declaration, the EU must do everything possible in relation to close the wage gap with global powers and also within the EU. Strengthening EU competitiveness and the one thing the European research area requires a collective united approach. No member states should be left behind. We need a multi-layer strategy that promotes both excellence and inclusiveness. Regional inequalities must be addressed. We need targeted financing to bridge these gaps, and success depends on enhancing private investment and fostering public private cooperation. Targeted investment, collaboration and shared resources will strengthen the EU's global position. While the recommendations in the report are feasible. We must consider the specific needs of different member states. A more impactful framework programme could result from a consensus on five key priorities, covering the entire value chain at both European and national levels. Simplification would reduce administrative burdens and make funding more Accessible. As highlighted in Drudge Report, there is a pressing need to simplify the application process and provide tailored support for SMEs, start ups and mid-sized companies to facilitate their access to funding mechanisms for thriving you. Strong cooperation between the EU governments and private investors is essential. We call for improved coordination between member states and the European Commission. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. On your first question, I will provide examples where adjustments are necessary if we genuinely aim for simplification and streamlining. Firstly, I acknowledge that the EU ETS is a cornerstone of the EU's climate action and that it represents a solid green financial instrument. Simultaneously, the areas of utilisation of these finances are the competence of the Member States based on the ETS directive. However, greatly greater flexibility and the broadening of the environmental areas, eligibility would be welcome. Secondly, the Commission should finally listen to the calls from the Member States and ultimately publish the impact assessments at the national and sectoral level when presenting new legislative proposals. This approach would benefit both sides. For instance, it would provide immediate, immediate, data driven argumentation for the member States governing institutions and give the Commission a valuable insight into the potential and specific needs related to the proposals of each member state. Thirdly, many delegations, including Slovakia, have raised concerns about the time allocated for implementing the Fit for 5555 package legislation. For instance, many member states are struggling to incorporate the Ets2 provisions into their national legislation. Therefore setting at least 24 months Transposition deadlines is a necessity. To your second question, the EU should prioritize the implementation of non-discriminatory and market oriented mechanisms that prove their justification after revisions in the following years. The revenues should also be used to ensure the just transition, as one of the most prominent obstacles is the insufficient availability of capital.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much. Colleagues. First of all, a big thank you to our Czech colleagues for the initiative, which we of course support. We have to avoid misleading the consumer when buying foodstuffs. I'd like to refer now to the judgment of the Court of Justice, under which the names are of foodstuffs of animal origins, cannot be used to describe or denote the foodstuffs of plant origin. And I agree that we should harmonise these rules to prevent the adoption of measures by individual Member States. Thank you.”
  Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
• “Thank you. When it comes to all three of your questions, I think I can react very, very quickly by subscribing entirely to what the Polish minister has conveyed in the beginning of this, of this round. And also I feel inspired by the intuition of the Austrian minister, who said that we are discussing a wide variety of issues, but we should be focusing on the game changers here. And I think in all three industries, the game changer is very simply the energy price. And when it comes to the energy price, the biggest single element of the energy price is the carbon price that we are, that our industries rather than us are facing. So as long as we continue a debate, not focusing on these elements, I'm afraid we are going to be continuing the debate for very long without substantive progress. And indeed, it is an expectation that, uh, we have voiced also at the level of the leaders that in the course of March, there is going to be a substantial progress also coming from the commission, but also agreed among member states, more specifically on the automotive industry. Now there is a regulatory framework that the industry is working under and has been working under for a few years.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “I consider it an important joint message from our region towards the discussion about the future multiannual financial framework and the shape of the future Common Agricultural policy. In the area of trade, we need to be much more assertive. The principle of reciprocity cannot remain only on paper. It has to be genuinely applied. In practice, it is unacceptable for European producers to adhere to strict rules while imported products from third countries simply circumvent them. Farmers are thus exposed to unfair competition which threatens their profitability. Every product entering the EU market simply has to meet the same standards without exceptions. I would also like to welcome the Commission's upcoming initiative, especially regarding the revision of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. It is essential to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain and minimise the profit losses caused by these unfair practices. Ladies and gentlemen, at the same time, I consider it essential to draw attention to one key issue which we already face today and which will fundamentally influence our decision making in the near future, namely the input prices, particularly energy and gas. This issue stems directly from the current exceptionally tense geopolitical situation and has a fundamental impact on the competitiveness of agriculture, as well as on the daily lives of citizens and farmers. If we do not address it systematically in a timely manner. All our ambitions within this vision may simply remain on paper. It is therefore essential that we devote intensive attention to this area and seek effective solutions at the European level. Thank you for your attention.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “Thank you for the floor. Dear chair. Dear executive Vice-President. Dear colleagues, we welcome the creation of a unique European Competitiveness Fund as a single financial program with a clear structure that reflects the EU's priorities, in particular the challenges outlined in the Draghi report. The proposal rightly foresees a broad set of financial instruments to support the entire innovation cycle, while respecting the principle of excellence. We would like to point out the main goal of the European Competitiveness Fund to increase the overall competitiveness of the EU. It is therefore necessary to ensure geographically balanced participation that will leave no Member state behind. The funds allocation must be aligned with the real challenges of our businesses face. The green transition and the Carbonization are core objectives of our industrial policy, and they require an unprecedented level of investment. Mr. Draghi identified a need for more than €700 billion annually, which makes the indicative allocation for green transition and decarbonisation in the EU. Appear insufficient funding for these objectives must be appropriate to their importance. At the same time, the introduction of emerging technologies and transformation of entire industries not only increase investment needs need, but also lead to a temporary rise in operational costs.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “27:03 – 10:28:12): Thank you, chair. Slovakia appreciates that the Cyprus presidency has carried out the hard work of seeking an acceptable compromise for all parties involved. We welcome that the final proposal has adjusted the obligation for public authorities in the member states to own a wallet, strengthen the measures aimed at achieving a high level of cybersecurity, timelines for the deployment of the technical solution, and supplemented the provisions on the principle of equivalence in a manner that that respects national administrative practice. On the other hand, we would like to underline that several unresolved issues with unclear interpretation still remain in the proposal, and further attention will need to be devoted to them during the subsequent trial logs. Therefore, we would like to voice our support to the concerns mentioned by several member states such as Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, and Spain, also as outlined in the respective, declarations that they've presented. Having said that, we are ready to give a green light to the general approach. Thank you.”
  Electronic identity
• “And I think since the beginning of this year, we have seen some testimonies to, to the to how the industry is doing. On the 12th of January, the European Commission has published guidance to Chinese carmakers who want to face lower anti-subsidy tariffs. And that guidance documents invites Chinese carmakers to invest in manufacturing in Europe and to guarantee minimum prices for the European retail market. I think that is a strong testimony to how the European car industry is doing in the current framework. Last week, several European carmakers have purchased self-driving technologies from Chinese companies, which is again a testimony to how the European sector is doing in self-driving technologies. So I think I'm not sure what else needs to happen before we admit that the automotive industry is facing an existential and existential crisis in Europe. I think we should be more ambitious when it comes to technological neutrality, and more ambitious when it comes to lessening the regulatory constraints that guide our automotive industry down this path. Thank you.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
• “Thank you. Stephanie. First of all, congratulations to the Polish presidency and good luck to the Danish presidency taking over this important file. We remain supportive of moving the single currency package forward, considering it a strategic step towards strengthening Europe's digital and monetary sovereignty. However, I would like to point out that it is crucial that this progress is firmly grounded on the successful resolution of the key outstanding political matters, including the decision making process on the launch, holding limited privacy protection and the final compensation model only with an enhanced communication to the public and through a balanced and inclusive political agreement which addresses the concerns raised by the Member states. We can secure public trust and support, both of which are crucial for long term success of the digital Euro project. We will also continue to advocate for a stronger legal tender status of cash as the primary public option for payments. Lastly, we believe that the facilitate to facilitate the discussion and successful and the fair closure of the package is essential that both co legislators move in a harmonised space. Thank you.”
  Digital euro
• “Thank [00:18:00] you very much. Slovakia supports the proposed measures to prevent the loss of plastic granules, which should be implemented at all stages of the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the transporter to the seller, in order to protect the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises. Slovakia endorses the proposal. The economic entities will only be obliged to comply with the measures if they handle more than five tonnes of plastic granules in [00:18:30] the previous calendar year. We perceive the the established framework of responsibility for monitoring compliance with the regulation. Positively, it is important for the correct implementation of the regulation that competent authorities have effective tools to carry out and evaluate environmental inspections. The right of access to specific operations, and the ability to request necessary documentation from entities to assess their compliance with the regulation [00:19:00] are crucial. Access to information, including training courses or of financial support for economic entities, is an integral part of ensuring such an effective implementation system, and we therefore welcome the inclusion of article 12 of the draft regulation. However, there is a need for further specification regarding established obligations and the establishment of a standard standardised methodology for estimating [00:19:30] leakage quantities. Overall, we perceive positively the inclusion of measures related to maritime transport in the draft regulation, especially in the light of the situation on the coast of Galicia in December of last year. However, it is necessary to focus on measures that will not significantly reduce the competitiveness of European ports and maritime transport amidst a slowdown in global trade and potential international pressures. [00:20:00] Thank you.”
  Microplastics
• “Well, thank you very much, chair. Simplification indeed is a topic that unites all of us. I greatly appreciate that Commission places such an emphasis on this topic in its annual report, and that Commission plans to continue focusing on simplification. From this perspective, rapid adoption of omnibus three, which introduces important savings for farmers and the administration, is very important to us. We therefore call on the Commission and the presidency to seek the fastest possible agreement with the EP, so that the Council's mandate is preserved as widely as possible. I would like to point out that accepting some of the Parliament's demands could lead to a disruption of national settings. The cap must be simple and tailored to real needs of those for whom it was designed. It must help farmers and not harm them and hinder them. Thank you.”
  Agriculture (green)
• “Thank you, Madam Chair. Slovakia sees mental health in sport as an integral part of the quality of the sporting environment and the sustainability of the entire system. It is not only a matter of the individual resilience of athletes, but above all a question of the conditions we as a society create. If we want to reduce psychological pressure, we must move from expecting individuals to cope with everything on their own towards systemic prevention and an environment that respects the limits of human performance. The need for recovery and the different stages of a sporting career. In practice, this means re-evaluating competition calendars, the volume of training and administrative workload, and carefully managing transition periods. Whether it is a return after injury, the selection from a national team, or retirement from a sporting career. At the same time, we consider it essential to systematically destigmatize mental health. Psychological strain must not be perceived as weakness, but as a natural part of performance. That is why we support embedding basic competences in this field into the education of coaches and sports professionals, as well as into the ethical codes of sports organisations. It is equally important to extend our focus to other groups, coaches, Referees and sports staff. They often face high levels of pressure, unstable working conditions and a combination of professional and voluntary work. They need access to support services, more stable conditions and greater recognition. Only then can we create a healthy and functional sports environment. At the EU level, we see it as essential to continue strengthening coordination, knowledge sharing and development of common approaches. In particular, the exchange of evidence based solutions and improved availability of comparable data are key to enabling informed decision making. At the same time, mental health in sport goes beyond the boundaries of sports policy, which is why it must be linked with public health, education and social inclusion. The EU can also play an important role in capacity building, especially through the education of coaches. Development of quality standards for the sporting environment and support of long term preventive solutions. Slovakia welcomes the emphasis on prevention and systematic investment, and as these are what ultimately brings sustainable results. Thank you. **ΠΡΟΕΔΡΕΥΟΥΣΑ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟΥ @Chair: Thank you very much. Now we proceed to Vasilis, Greece, and we conclude with Charlie from Ireland.”
  Broadcasting of sports events
• “Thank you very much, dear president. We welcome the discussion on the future work plan for culture. And we also, appreciate the future work plan, and we see it, as a very good tool for cultural compass in Europe. We believe that this document should primarily reflect new technological and security challenges. It is AI in particular that raises fundamental questions of copyright protection, fair remuneration of creators, or the role of human creativity itself. We face complex challenges in protecting human creativity, setting fair rules for protection of rights and licensing as well as promoting education and awareness about AI among creators and other culture professionals. This is also why we cannot imagine a future work plan without concrete measures in the field of AI, And this is why we also supported, the Spain's proposal to launch a debate on the need to assess the EU copyright framework in relation to the development of AI, which we discussed previously. It will also be essential to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage against the consequences of natural disasters, in particular, those caused by climate change and man made crises. In today's world, cultural heritage tangible, intangible, and digital is becoming increasingly vulnerable. The new work plan should therefore promote a more coordinated European approach in the areas of harmonization of procedural mechanisms, preparedness, data sharing, capacity building, and cross border cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage. At the same time, the Slovak Republic sees great value in continuing in strengthening the areas that have already proven to be strategic for cultural life in Europe. We think it particularly important to support libraries as the largest network of cultural institutions that play an important role in education, promotion of reading, digital skills, social inclusion, and community life. A third important area, is strengthening, of culture, and in society. We live in a situation, where there is geopolitical tension, and it is important to see culture not only as an economic area, but as a pillar that creates space for dialogue, mutual respect, and democratic resilience. We see the council conclusions on the strategic role of culture in promoting European values and democratic resilience adopted under the Danish presidency as a very good basis, for further strengthening the dimension of culture. Thank you.”
  EU and national cultural identities
• “Thank [00:15:30] you very much, chair. We would like to thank the Austrian delegation for submitting proposals to address the current challenges faced by the agricultural sector. Slovakia shares these concerns. The ever increasing new and stricter requirements for agricultural production, coupled with the current market situation, lead to an increasing competitive disadvantage to producers in third countries and therefore, we fully agree that our main objective should be to strengthen the competitiveness of our farmers. The environmental requirements [00:16:00] which are imposed on our farmers, should not come at the expense of either food production or food security, and therefore, Slovakia welcomes the launch of the Structured dialogue on the Future of agriculture and stands ready to participate actively. Thank you for the word.”
  Agriculture (green)
• “Thank you very much, Louis. I. Just a quick point. We would like to support Romania and their proposal. This is a very complex situation. Our farmers and food producers require [00:07:00] help in overcoming this very difficult situation. And we have seen the implications of the Ukraine war, weather changes and other volatile events affect the market. And we would like to have exceptions for seven and eight. It is necessary. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you. Marquis. Uh, I would like to thank the commission for delivering another proposal. Supporting savings and investment union in general. The presented pension package can pave the way towards the development of the supplementary pension across the European Union. Although the tax incentives are one of the important elements to boost up retail participation, given the national budgetary constraints, delicate balance needs to be found. The directive should take into account the differences in the pension system and specificities of the institutions, the that manage pension scheme across member states and should retain in minimum harmonisation approach. We are provisionally flexible in other areas brought by the Commission proposal, depending on the outcome of negotiations in the Working Party on Financial Services and Banking Union and the Council. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you Theresa. Let me also share on behalf of Slovakia, the sympathy with our Belgian and Swedish colleagues for the beginning. And let me thank you, Theresa, and your team, the Spanish presidency, and also the previous Swedish one, for working on this difficult file. The energy price crisis showed us a [00:10:00] clear need to update the design of our electricity market that would contribute to stability and predictability of electricity prices, and improve long term investment incentives to achieve the union's decarbonisation targets. Slovakia supports the goal to finally reach an agreement on the electricity market design proposal during this council meeting. Not having a deal on the regulation would have ever negatively affect public [00:10:30] opinion on the ability of US of the European Union to respond to urgent problems. That's one of the motivations why Slovakia is going to be constructive in the upcoming discussions by the end of this meeting. For our support to the end regulation, the key remains agreement on the rules for the use of contracts for difference in article 19 B. We would like the CFD to be applied also for the existing assets for the lifetime extensions, as we need those resources in the increased demand for electricity production. It's not only a choice of the country to have a generation mix of their choice, but also respecting the physics. [00:11:10] However, there are concerns regarding level playing field and we believe that to address them, we can try to work around along the provisions suggested by Agnes, so to ensure that the CFDs will reflect the production costs. The issue of the EU rules for the [00:11:30] use of the CFD is connected to a wider issue. The role of all non-fossil sources, including nuclear, in the decarbonised energy mix. For Slovakia, it represents a key element in the decarbonisation process economic transformation towards a low carbon economy, especially with regard to electrification of the industry and electromobility, will not be possible in our country without safe and sustainable nuclear energy. This has to be reflected in the current and future EU legislative [00:12:00] frameworks. I would like to use this opportunity as this is my last time being in this room with with you colleagues, as we will hand over the reins to the new elected government in our latest elections a couple of weeks ago. So I would like to thank you all for the cooperation and the discussions, especially to Kadri and Dete, and I really look forward to the next hours reaching the lot of the compromise, the consensus [00:12:30] to do the right thing. Thank you very much.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you for the floor. Dear madam president, dear Mr. Commissioner, dear colleagues. We can all agree that the European competitiveness is a priority number one for us, which is closely tied to energy prices. And this action plan is therefore timely for medium to long term measures. We support the focus on technological neutrality and steps to promote nuclear energy. This should also include faster permitting, licensing and better assessment of investment needs. A pilot programme with the EIB on corporate PPAs should be set up and open to all low carbon sources, not just renewables. What we are a little bit sceptical about is the proposed short term or are proposed short term measures, as they mostly involve cutting taxes and tariffs, which would reduce state revenues. Since Slovakia and some other member states of the EU are in difficult budgetary situation, these measures are not realistic right now. The energy cost for consumers, especially industries, are heavily influenced by natural gas and the action plan should clarify its role in EU energy policy much better. Supporting all available gas import routes, including through Ukraine, would help reduce prices in the short term view. And EU leaders, I would like to point out, have assigned us to address this issue last week. We need to expand and modernize energy grids to keep grid tariffs at reasonable levels. Public funding is essential to prevent rising costs, so unused funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism could be used after 2026 for grid upgrades, renewable integration, batteries and e-mobility. Last but not least, we must ensure that state aid rules don't create unnecessary barriers. Thank you for your attention.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much, president, for giving me the floor. I'd like to raise a problem that may affect several member states. It's about the funding and the decommitment of funds from the rural development programmes. In spite of efforts recently, there is quite some probability that of the funds that are available to us, we will not be able to avoid a decommitment. Now, nobody wants to lose money, and we hope that we'll be able to find ways of resolving the situation. This is something that the member States had very little control over. So we would like to call upon the commission to help us find a solution. It's a very complicated situation, and surely we cannot allow money that was meant for the farmers to simply disappear. I'd like to also thank the Commission on the review of the Rural Development Regulation. We're still examining the draft and hope that the review will provide further support. Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you very much, Maria. Dear colleagues, Mr. Commissioner, thank you for drafting this evaluation report on the implementation of the Unfair Trade Practices Directive. This is an area where Slovakia attaches very high political importance to it. It is in our interest to protect all economically weaker actors from unfair practices, because they lead to revenue losses and contribute to instability and a lack of resources for further investment and development. The directive provides a basic framework for protection. However, practical experience shows that its potential is not fully exploited and there is still scope for further strengthening of rules in Slovakia. We know that many farmers do not have sufficient information on the possibilities offered by the legislation in terms of protection. They are also afraid of possible retaliation measures. Any future revision should strengthen trust in the enforcement system, including the effective protection of the anonymity of complainants and improve involvement of authorities. We also must realise that there is a different there are different levels of harmonisation and different sanctioning mechanisms which lead to uneven playing field in the single market. That's why it's important for us that any future legislation move towards greater convergence of rules and its and their clear interpretation, which will facilitate their enforcement. Our common goal must be for producers to receive a fair price for their production. In this context, we have long asked for, uh, banning, uh, the practice of sale of products below production costs. And I believe the debate on this issue is both legitimate and very necessary. I also want to point out that we need to combat selective pricing strategies by multinational food corporations. Such unfair practices lead to an uneven distribution of margins, which in our view, is unacceptable. We are ready to actively engage in the debate on the revision of this directive, so that in the result we have a stronger, fairer and more efficient protection against unfair practices across the EU. Thank you.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “I consider it an important joint message from our region towards the discussion about the future multiannual financial framework and the shape of the future Common Agricultural policy. In the area of trade, we need to be much more assertive. The principle of reciprocity cannot remain only on paper. It has to be genuinely applied. In practice, it is unacceptable for European producers to adhere to strict rules while imported products from third countries simply circumvent them. Farmers are thus exposed to unfair competition which threatens their profitability. Every product entering the EU market simply has to meet the same standards without exceptions. I would also like to welcome the Commission's upcoming initiative, especially regarding the revision of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. It is essential to strengthen the position of farmers in the food supply chain and minimise the profit losses caused by these unfair practices. Ladies and gentlemen, at the same time, I consider it essential to draw attention to one key issue which we already face today and which will fundamentally influence our decision making in the near future, namely the input prices, particularly energy and gas. This issue stems directly from the current exceptionally tense geopolitical situation and has a fundamental impact on the competitiveness of agriculture, as well as on the daily lives of citizens and farmers. If we do not address it systematically in a timely manner. All our ambitions within this vision may simply remain on paper. It is therefore essential that we devote intensive attention to this area and seek effective solutions at the European level. Thank you for your attention.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “Gracias, President. Dear colleagues, today's adoption of a general approach on this complex and sensitive file is the result of [00:31:00] hard work within the Council steered by Swedish and Spanish presidencies. I would like to express my gratitude for their work. I especially appreciate the continuous effort to accommodate different needs and strive for a well balanced compromise. Since the introduction of the proposal, a group of four of eight like minded countries included Slovakia, including Slovakia, has repeatedly [00:31:30] emphasised that our goals need to meet with the reality. As you know, this proposal might have a robust impact on Slovakia since the automotive industry holds important role in our economy. It generates more than more GDP than any other sector and employs hundreds of thousands of people. It represents around 12 between 12 and 13% of GDP [00:32:00] and up to 50% of our exports. One of the crucial elements for us was to set realistic dates of application, although we were calling for a link between them and the secondary legislation, which would bring further certainty for the industry. The next progress a lot in our direction and now it is closer to our vision. However, [00:32:30] the time provided for the industry in the current proposal is only sufficient when the secondary legislation is introduced on time. Therefore, it is imperative that the Commission meets the deadlines. The Commission's work on implementing acts should be accelerated since the relevant expert group does not meet as regularly as regularly as the Commission has envisaged. [00:32:58] We are seriously concerned [00:33:00] about the possible delay. Another point we emphasized during the negotiations are the testing conditions and emission limits for light duty vehicles. Unreasonable tightening of these requirements would force the industry to direct resources back into the development of internal combustion combustion combustion engines. That would happen at the expense of both the investments [00:33:30] into Electromobility and the consumers who would be facing higher prices and overall lack of affordable car models on the market. Therefore, we very much welcome the keeping of the Euro six requirements, which are strict enough to lead us toward the carbon neutral mobility. The testing testing requirements for heavy duty vehicles were also made more realistic, which we appreciate. [00:34:00] Thanks to these changes done, which made the text much more balanced. Slovakia can support the general approach. As for the issue of CO2 neutral fuels, we share the position of Italy. It is necessary to strictly follow the principle of technological neutrality in the future negotiations. We will therefore advocate for provisions including CO2 neutral fuels [00:34:30] of both synthetic and biological origin. The issue, however, is not yet mature enough to be included in today's text. To conclude, let me express my hope that we will reach a strong common position today, which the Council will be able to defend in the upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament. Thank you very much.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you, Madam chair. Slovakia shares the concerns expressed by Estonia. The issue of the availability of alternatives to conventional plant protection must be addressed urgently. And from this perspective, it is necessary to make full use of the opportunities offered by the omnibus package. We appreciate the Commission's work on drafting amendments to regulation 1007 2009 welcome its efforts to address the difficult situation faced by EU farmers. However, in order to achieve the expected progress, the proposed provisions need to be amended in line with the document presented by the Estonian delegation. We believe this will happen in the course of further negotiations. We agree with Poland that the legal obligations of users of plant protection products do not need to be fully applied to persons who sow treated seeds. Overall, however, this issue requires a thorough assessment of all legal aspects and a technical discussion at expert level with commission representatives. These and any other requirements must not go beyond the stated objective of greater protection of human and animal health and the environment. Thank you.”
  EU policy on pesticides
• “I'd like to thank the French delegation for their documents, which we fully support in the current context. The threat posed by the war in Ukraine is at risk of worsening. Therefore, we can agree with this proposal concerning Gaiac eight. Thank you.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
• “Thank you, madam chairwoman, madam vice president, dear ministers. Slovakia has always been a strong advocate of the unique European model of financing and support for the cultural and creative sectors. And therefore, we appreciate all the more the vision of the AGORA EU program, which comes at a time when Europe needs more than ever to strengthen the interconnections between culture, civil society and the media. We are convinced that this new framework guarantees the creation of an open and inclusive space for cross sectoral cooperation that collectively safeguard and develop our European values while also promoting cultural diversity and competitiveness. So in this regard, I would like to thank the Cyprus presidency for a very open and constructive discussion at the level of the working group. First, Slovakia is of particular importance that the compromise text of the draft regulation provides for a program committee, which will ensure the involvement of member states in all key processes and decisions as well as the activities of independent national contact points through the AGRA EU desks. We also greatly appreciate the enshrinement of the level playing field principle in the audiovisual sector as it is a key element of fair conditions among member states. The Slovak Republic, therefore, fully supports the compromise text. Thank you.”
  EU and national cultural identities
• “The Minister's [00:06:30] Dear colleagues. Actually, I do not want to repeat word by word what has been said by my predecessors. I would just like to thank to the Swedish Presidency as well as to our Czech colleagues, colleagues for the preparation of our position. So we fully agree with our common goal to work towards better air quality. There is no doubt about it. But we do doubt about the Euro seven in its current form, whether it is the right way. First, it [00:07:00] might slow down, as already said, the renewal of fleet. Second, this postponement of fleet renewal will endanger our decarbonisation efforts. And finally, if not drafted properly, it will endanger also jobs in automotive industry. So Slovakia considers this proposal, too, to be too ambitious and even unrealistic, especially when it comes to dates of application. Therefore, we are of the opinion that the proposal needs to be fundamentally changed in a number of aspects mentioned in our common [00:07:30] non-paper. Moreover, it needs to reflect the result of the negotiations on CO2 standards for cars and vans and the possibility to use CO2 neutral fuels, including biofuels. We are looking forward for the next chapter of the negotiations under the Spanish presidency. Hopefully the upcoming challenging discussions will result in an agreement acceptable for all of us. Thank you for your attention. I think.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Firstly, I would like to thank President XI for submitting Council conclusions on this important topic. And also many thanks to the Commission for submitting EU Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health, which puts mental health on par with physical one. We [00:15:00] welcome objectives in Council conclusions and moreover, we appreciate a flagship initiatives with relevant financial support in commission. Comprehensive approach. Mental health is also a priority for Slovakia, as many projects in this area are included in our RF, with the aim to improve the availability of mental health care services for our patients. I fully agree with the fact that on national and [00:15:30] EU level, we have to focus on an integration of mental health in all policies and to fight against stigma and discrimination, which are the main obstacles for people who are seeking for help. From our point of view, media, with the help of targeted public communication campaigns, can play a vital role in shaping public attitudes and reducing stigma. I will conclude by saying that we really appreciate that mental health became another [00:16:00] pillar to the architecture of the European Health Union. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on mental health
• “12:05 – 10:13:25): Dear president, dear commissioner, colleagues, Slovakia, I appreciate the efforts of the presidency in advancing discussions on on the proposal. We take note of the progress achieved so far and will come the opportunity to continue the work at a technical level. While Slovakia supports the objective of reducing emissions in rural transport, we are among the member states that have expressed certain concerns regarding several aspects of the proposal, including the mandatory targets for member states, impacts on SMEs, and issues related to financial support. In line with the joint nonpaper, which we have strongly support supported progress in the greening of corporate fleets should be primarily based on incentive rather than through the proposed regulation and should provide a sufficient level of flexibility for member states. Particular attention also needs to be paid to the member states with a strong automotive industry and to the necessity of adequate charging infrastructure and sufficient market demand. At the proposal as the proposal is linked to the other parts of the automotive package and to the Industrial Accelerator Act, we agree with the presidency that more time is needed to carefully consider all possible implications. Thank you.”
  Corporate fleet electrification: binding zero-emission quotas vs. voluntary approach
• “Allow me to thank the Polish presidency for the debate and well summarized background note. On behalf of Slovakia, I would like to endorse the suggested approach, mainly the exchange of best practices between national and international institutions and development of common European approaches to health promotion and disease prevention. Prevention is one of our top political priorities, and we put emphasis on prevention to be effective and evidence based, including cancer screenings. As it is often said, prevention is better than cure, not only for the patient, but for the sustainability of health systems as well. Keeping public health at the top of our political agendas will help reduce long term health care costs, improve overall population health and productivity, and support growth and stability throughout Europe. These efforts need to be under an umbrella. Here we mean relevant EU legislation that should take into account effectiveness of measures taken at the national level. That being said, to achieve our common goal, which is to table the best possible proposal, there should be sufficient evidence gathering followed by a comprehensive impact assessment. And we want here to comment. Commissioner Varley and his team. As the complexity of the steps to be taken is huge in this regard. We are aware that the EU legislative process takes some time, but nobody wants any shortcuts to be made when speaking about tobacco products. The last directive is from 2014. New revision will be similarly valid for many years.”
  Smoking regulation
• “45:09 – 16:47:02): Thank you chair I would like to start by saying that technology alone is not enough to reach high employment our success depends on how well our institutions work how we empower people with the necessary skill sets and how quickly our labor markets can adapt to change. Therefore Slovakia believes that the European semester must better link labor market reforms with education and lifelong learning reforms we need to focus on people and their ability to move between jobs. Our global competitiveness depends on how well we invest in our workforce to master these new digital tools to do this effectively evaluating the labor market regarding artificial intelligence could be included in country assessments as a standard part of the country specific recommendations. We simply cannot act without solid data on how ai is changing our markets. At the national level our priority is to help workers develop digital and future proof skills we must support retraining so people can move smoothly between different sectors. It is our shared duty to make sure the digital trans transition is fair for everyone. Furthermore we also consider essential to strengthen our employment services and active labor market policies at the same time we want to promote a strong social dialogue especially when it comes to algorithmic management. Building trust between employers and workers is key for the successful adoption of ai in the workplace our goal is simple technological progress must always go hand in hand with protecting the quality of jobs and respecting workers' rights thank you”
  European Semester (social dimension) · Artificial Intelligence
• “Dear colleagues, the European agricultural sector is facing many interlinked crises the [00:26:00] pandemic crisis, war in Ukraine, increase of input prices. All this is having negative effect on competitiveness of farmers and has done over recent years. Our main objective must be how to guarantee viability for the sector and its resilience. This is why we are looking to the Commission for initiatives. It's good to have a strategic dialogue on the future of Europe before we publish a proposal on a new common agricultural policy to [00:26:30] face up to all these agricultural challenges, Europeans need a stable and predictable environment with less administrative burden. It's the only way to meet the requirements of the legislation and meet public expectations. It's essential that we strike a balance between competitiveness in the sector and the increasing additional environmental requirements from the EU. Future legislative proposals must avoid causing new polarization. We also feel that [00:27:00] it is extremely important to ensure agricultural market stability in Europe. It should not be threatened by excessive imports of products that we can produce ourselves. It is also necessary to continue to increase the sector's resilience and the generational renewal by reinforcing crisis tools and giving sufficient targeted support to young farmers. We feel that the financial framework for the future Cap should realistically reflect the importance of farming for food [00:27:30] security, rural development and environmental protection in the EU. We feel that it is essential to achieve equality between European farmers, particularly in on accelerating direct payments. Financial support to farmers must meet the challenges that farmers are chasing are facing across the various areas. Finally, we must also focus on awareness raising of society about the role of the [00:28:00] sustainable quality food production role of farmers and we need to look to finding solutions. Agriculture must become a priority for the European Union. Thank you.”
  Agriculture (green)
• “54:52 – 10:56:21): Thank you very much, president, dear colleagues. The protection of children's rights is very important in Slovakia as well. So we are very grateful to you for the work you've done and on the draft regulation on recognition of parenthood and for having this policy debate. We will participate actively to improve the draft of the regulation and and constructively, and we would like to reach a compromise. However, there are some open problematic issues which we cannot support. The recognition of children from surrogacy and recognition of children of same sex couples poses a problem from the point of view of the fundamental rights and the Slovak rights of the family. So if they stay if those things stay in the draft, we won't be able to support it. However, we want to try and find a compromise, and we will not stand in the way of other states who would like to pursue the legislative process in the framework of an influenced cooperation. The Bulgarian proposal to divide the text into up into different parts would also be okay with us.”
  LGBTIQ+ · Regulation of surrogate pregnancy
• “Thank you very much indeed. Animal welfare legislation is very important when it comes to sustainable food systems and the green transition. A review of this legislation must take account of technical innovations in the newest developments. We support harmonised rules which will provide a level playing field for all member states. It's also important that the legislation takes account of the specificities of the Member states in terms of the climate, their economy and Agriculture. We need high animal protection standards, but we need to take a step by step approach. We need to make sure that we don't threaten the future of agriculture in the EU. Thank you.”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
• “Dear colleagues, Slovakia welcomes and supports any sensible, realistic proposal to improve animal welfare. I therefore agree with the Slovenian colleague that [00:14:00] this subject must be on the agenda of the next commission, and must be given due attention. Slovakia has a long standing problem with the trade in dogs and cats, and therefore we would like to see an ambitious proposal. Work is still ongoing on animal welfare. During transport, there are initiatives as [00:14:30] well to end the cage age. This is to be welcomed, but we must remember that our farmers need economic stability. Thank you.”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
• “Thank you. Chair. Um, and let me begin by welcoming the presidency's focus on socially just Europe and keeping poverty prevention high on the agenda. We share the conviction that poverty is multidimensional. Reducing it requires more than income support alone. It requires access to quality services. Active inclusion and early personalized support. We therefore welcome the first ever EU anti-poverty strategy. This initiative is timely as high living costs, in-work poverty and housing pressures still affect millions across the union. In Slovakia, we increasingly organise our anti-poverty response around person centred enabling and activation services. First, we are strengthening access to social counselling close to people through municipalities and social service providers. We also rely on outreach and community services that prevent exclusion before it escalates. A major step is our nationwide scaling of integrated community work through the national project, field, social work and community centers. This model supports community centers, low threshold day services, and targeted outreach for children and families, precisely where child poverty and intergenerational disadvantage often begin. Secondly, we are investing in one stop multidisciplinary counseling to prevent poverty and social exclusion, including overindebtedness family conflict and loss of housing. Our nationwide network of 46 comprehensive counseling centers provides free social, psychological, legal, and financial counseling. Building on this to focus specifically on addressing feminization of poverty and child poverty, Slovakia just launched a new EU funded two year pilot for single parents.”
  Child poverty policy
• “Thank you chair. I would also like to thank the Hungarian presidency and previous presidencies for all of the progress that's been made on the work on this regulation. The current progress report that we're looking at has a good evaluation of the current standing of talks. We welcome the clarification of the responsibilities of various different actors, which would make implementation simpler. We need to strike the right balance between animal welfare and practical transport possibilities, particularly for cross-border situations. We welcome provisions on the presence of a qualified person, as opposed to necessarily a veterinarian at every point. This would help us to reduce the administrative burden. We think this will help us also to reach consensus amongst the experts. We are prepared to work constructively because at the end of the day, this is a good draft that we're working on. Thank you.”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
• “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dear madam Director-General. Distinguished colleagues, we very much welcomed the Commission proposal, including the creation of a single risk platform which will serve as EU legal basis also for other regional systems. We believe that this change will contribute to the legal certainty, especially as regards the cross-border data exchange and further inclusion of inland waterways in the whole transport chain. Let me briefly mention and appreciate the changes done in the scope. Focusing only on the interconnected waterways directly promotes multimodality and avoids additional financial pressure on the member states. In this context, I need to stress this that this limitation has been and will be an important part to be maintained also in the upcoming Trilogues. With this, I wish the Hungarian presidency the best of luck in concluding the file as soon as possible. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you, Chairman. We welcome this point on the agenda. It's very important. And we [00:39:30] also support your council conclusions. They're going to be very important, defining our long term vision for rural areas in a strategic sense. Sustainable development of rural areas is essential in my country's view. Bearing in mind the fact that represent 46% of our territory and 42% of our people live there. We are a rural country. On [00:40:00] the first question, rural areas in Slovakia have to deal with a lot of pressures. Fewer jobs. Demography. People getting older. And we need to help get around this by boosting the role of young farmers. But we need better services and structures for that to become attractive. Everything that can be done to make rural areas more attractive and habitable [00:40:30] for job seekers is essential, particularly those trying to work in food processing, forestry or agriculture. And also anything that helps people get quality public services and housing. We also need to maximize the use of our natural resources in sustainable way forestry, soil, water, agricultural, land in particular. Bearing [00:41:00] in mind the conclusions in 2021. And following up from that, we adopted a strategic document in Slovakia. Up to the 2030 horizon. This reflects our priorities and the particular needs we've identified in our rural areas. It is very much in line with the EU's other rural objectives and strategies and sustainable development strategy. When it comes to public and state aid, we need more simplification, [00:41:30] more flexibility, both when it comes to designing and rolling out such means the current framework. Does give us the right backdrop for our priorities to be put into concrete practice and put forward our long term vision. I do agree that we could do more in some areas. Particularly tying rural development with other policies and cross-cutting way. But that's all for now. Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you. I would like to start by thanking you, Marquis and the Cypriot presidency, for the work that already has been done. Since we are fully committed to the objectives of the package, I welcome the ambition to progress as much as possible in this regard. I am of the view that we are well on track. The package is indeed complex and politically sensitive. However, we simply must deliver on the Savings and Investment union. With that said, I am of the view that it's utmost important to preserve the package approach and achieve progress on all aspects. Among the most important priorities, I consider removing barriers by deepening capital market integration and achieving more uniform and effective capital market supervision for small, smaller and less developed capital markets, including Slovakia's. Maintaining proportionality and avoiding excessive compliance burden is essential to ensure the reforms genuinely support investment rather than constrain it. Finally, I believe that under the current pace of the discussions, an agreement in the council is within reach by the end of this year. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you for the floor. Colleagues. On behalf of Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary and Croatia, I'd like to present to you a joint initiative concerning the future support for aquaculture in the EU. Our countries see aquaculture as a sector that has the potential to strengthen the EU's food security and contribute to the sustainable production of high quality food. It's a sector with a high value added for rural development, as it creates jobs in regions where other economic opportunities are limited. At the same time, it provides environmental benefits in terms of water management and contributes to protecting biodiversity. We are therefore concerned that in its new MFF proposal, the Commission is proposing to reduce funding of the Common Fisheries Policies policy, including aquaculture. This proposal represents a decline in national allocations by up to 63% compared with the previous period. This will have serious repercussions for the development of the sector and will undermine its competitiveness. Ultimately, it will weaken our food self-sufficiency at a time when the stability of food supply and production is more important than ever for the EU. We therefore consider it essential that when financing the aquaculture sector. Attention should be paid or focus not only to the guaranteed envelope of the CFP, but also on the free part of the allocation that the conditions for supporting aquaculture and the processing of its products be clearly defined, and also a full coherence is ensured between the proposals relating to the NP and the future support of the CFP. Our common ambition should be to maintain the level of funding and conditions that will enable the aquaculture sector to grow, maximise its potential and contribute to the objectives of the EU. We therefore want to repeat clearly that without adequate and predictable support, aquaculture in Europe may become an area of stagnation rather than development. And this would be a pity not only for our countries, but for the EU as a whole. We are therefore ready to work constructively to find solutions that will ensure the stability of this extremely important sector. Thank you.”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• “Thank you very much. And first of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Saskia, I'm a newly appointed Minister of Health of the Slovak Republic. And I'm really looking forward to cooperating with all of you. And in particular, I would like to congratulate, uh, you, Commissioner Vahey, for your successful appointment on the topic being discussed. Uh, to make a clear statement that we can support the proposed recommendation that address concerns about young people's access to novel tobacco and nicotine products. However, I would fully subscribe not to prolong my speech to what my Czech colleague says word by word. The the the policy of prevention will play a pivotal role in my agenda that must focus on more harm reduction and health determinants. And in light of that, we would really expect that, uh, such proposal would be accompanied by a comprehensive up to date evaluation way before, uh, the or this complex impact assessment to be submitted way before the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive. We also are convinced that the recommendation should work for people and be practically feasible for national authorities. Uh, and therefore therefore, we welcome the emphasis on national competences and specificities during the implementation process. Thank you.”
  Smoking regulation
• “And I think since the beginning of this year, we have seen some testimonies to, to the to how the industry is doing. On the 12th of January, the European Commission has published guidance to Chinese carmakers who want to face lower anti-subsidy tariffs. And that guidance documents invites Chinese carmakers to invest in manufacturing in Europe and to guarantee minimum prices for the European retail market. I think that is a strong testimony to how the European car industry is doing in the current framework. Last week, several European carmakers have purchased self-driving technologies from Chinese companies, which is again a testimony to how the European sector is doing in self-driving technologies. So I think I'm not sure what else needs to happen before we admit that the automotive industry is facing an existential and existential crisis in Europe. I think we should be more ambitious when it comes to technological neutrality, and more ambitious when it comes to lessening the regulatory constraints that guide our automotive industry down this path. Thank you.”
  Trade relations with China
• “Slovakia supposed Romanian on paper, which opens the discussion on improving financing conditions for nuclear projects in the European Union. In this context, creating the right conditions for investment in nuclear energy, including lifetime extension, new large reactors, SMRs and Amsrs will be essential for nuclear energy to contribute effectively to the EU's decarbonisation and competitiveness objectives. As recently acknowledged by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, nuclear energy remains of strategic importance for Europe's energy future. It is therefore important that the EU financial framework reflects this reality and ensures adequate access to financing for nuclear investments. Thank you.”
  Nuclear energy
• “Tereza. Thank you. Thank you to you and your team. And the commission for. For this balanced proposal. We will come to the revised text and regard this as a well balanced compromise, which [00:37:00] is addressing fully our concerns. We are aware that the directive will necessitate significant investment in each member state, particularly those that joined the EU after 2004. Consequently, the formulation of comprehensive investment plans, which combine national budgets with EU support will become quite imperative. The directive's extension to smaller agglomerations is a positive step considering the economic viability of centralised sewage systems for smaller settlements. [00:37:30] In this context, Slovakia welcomes the compromise text implementation of a risk based approach. The tertiary treatment of wastewater will require additional energy and materials, and the construction of new plants in smaller agglomerations will result in increased carbon footprint. We perceive this goal to reach energy neutrality as ambitious. Nevertheless, it should be left on individual operators. How to achieve given targets. The proposed system of EPR represents significant administrative challenges related to registration, monitoring and reporting of arsenal of cosmetic and pharmaceutical pharmaceutical products produced and distributed in EU market. This information should be addressed at EU level. This is an appropriate level to ensure the harmonization within the common EU market. To conclude, Slovakia is ready to offer its support for this revised document, which we consider as a compromise aligning with EU ambitions while respecting technical and economic feasibility within our countries capacities. We kindly recommend further consideration of energy neutrality and extended producer responsibility to reach a practical and effective solution. Thank you.”
  Water pollution
• “Commissioner. Colleagues, it's the first time I'm taking the floor today. Thank you very much indeed for welcoming me here today. I look forward [00:35:30] to working with you. Now, given that I have a background in environmental agriculture and I know what the issues facing the sector have been for some time now, I know what that there are a number of challenging topics that we have to work together on, and I very much look forward to that. Now, this topic that we're discussing now, it is quite sensitive, certainly as viewed by the general public. Energy [00:36:00] is. Now, I take note of the fact that a lot of progress has been made on this, but we believe that the Spanish presidency's ambitions go too fast as far as the subject is concerned. Public opinion views this very negatively, very negatively. So we do want to apply the precautionary principle, have a scientific risk assessment and labelling down to the final product. We believe that labelling [00:36:30] will not stand in the way of innovation in the sector, and consumers will have the right to make an informed choice. We want to make sure that NTS are not use in organic products. So that's why I would like to support Croatia and other delegations who would like to call for an opt out when it comes to NTS of that type. Now, when it comes to category one. And it is you believe we should decide [00:37:00] by qualified majority, not simple majority. Thank you.”
  New Genomic Techniques
• “Thank you, dear Mr. Chair. And also thank you for your achievement. Insofar Slovakia belongs to the countries that will reach, uh, the 2030 target pretty easily. And, uh, anyway, we, we strongly welcome that. The European Council will discuss today issue in October. The introduction of the possible use of international credits may sound attractive, but with an estimated price way about €250 per tonne. This will not work for all of us. However, we are ready to discuss further details in order to reach a suitable compromise. Another questionable part of the 2030 climate target is the level of natural sinks. Projections show a decline in the natural sinks due to different circumstances, like the age structure of forests, which represents a high risk of uncertainty. The current decline of sinks represents about one third, and the future may be even worse due to impacts of climate change. We are aware that we need to reverse this trend, but necessary changes will require more than more time than those 15 years to reach the 2030 climate target. In order to have both realistic and an achievable target, we need to take these factors into account. Therefore, it would be good to start with a lower target and if necessary and feasible, we can increase it in the next revision of the European climate law. Lastly, let me mention other enabling conditions within the post 2030 framework, which are crucial for us. First and foremost, I would like to underline that the main purpose of the climate and energy policy is the reduction of emissions.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you for the floor. Dear chair, dear Executive Vice President, Dear colleagues, Slovakia welcomes and supports the objective of the Industrial Accelerator Act, and we particularly appreciate its ambition to reinforce European industrial capacities and support strategic investments across the Union. At the same time, the framework must remain balanced, proportionate and predictable so that it does not discourage high quality foreign investment or undermine the EU attractiveness as a global investment destination. We should not blur the lines between the economic, security and reinforcing EU industrial capacity. A retroactive impact on already established and ongoing investment must be avoided. The IAA is a complex, multi-sectoral legislation that has been generated enormous public interest. Since the Commission published the proposal. We have received numerous concerns from our strategic partners and industrial actors, especially from the automotive sector, regarding the practical implications of the proposal and the lack of clarity as regards its future implications. Let me highlight three areas concerning the automotive sector the methodology for determining 70% union origin threshold for electric cars should better reflect the overall added value created in the EU. The value of components should not be only determining criterion. Instead the value of European R&D software. Highly skilled labor wages and social contributions generated within the Union should be accounted for, too.”
  Vehicle content rules: mandatory EU components vs. open global sourcing for carmakers
• “Presidency. Europe. Commissaire Jacques. Thank [00:23:30] you very much, president. And thank you very much for giving me the floor. Slovakia, Finland and others are presenting this request to this council. The request to take account of the current situation. When it comes to the life and health of our citizens. Every single day we have bears running through our towns. [00:24:00] In the mornings, the parents are afraid to let their children go to school, and this is a situation that you may not be familiar with in other countries, because the population of brown bears in your countries may be well under control, or maybe quite low. But in Slovakia and Romania it's a day to day problem and our populations are wondering. What [00:24:30] institutions we have if we're they're not capable of effectively protecting the health and lives of citizens. The current situation shows that we can only eliminate. Beers which have already attacked humans or which have already caused. Damage. These are the only ones that we can cull, and that's not [00:25:00] tenable. In Romania, Finland and Slovakia. The population of brown bears is growing. And that is why we'd ask you to take account of this, if not at European level. And if you can't reclassify it European level, at least adopt rules to the. Oh, a resolution to the effect that the population [00:25:30] is too high. In our countries, there are too many brown bears. We need to start discussing this at European level as well. Thank you.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• “Colleagues, thank you for this initiative. Slovakia supports the request to revise this regulation. We agree that mandatory country of origin labeling needs to be strengthened across the EU, including its extension to as many food products as possible. Meditory country of origin labeling, however, should be introduced gradually. In the first phase, we should focus primarily on single ingredient foods. Only subsequently should it be extended to compound foods with an emphasis on labeling the origin of the primary ingredient. The proposal should also take into account the needs of small and medium sized enterprises. We are concerned that overly extensive and rapidly implemented requirements could place an unreasonable administrative and financial burden on smaller producers. We therefore consider it important to establish a sufficiently long transition period for adaptation. Thank you.”
  EU policy on country of origin food labelling
• “Thank you. When it comes to all three of your questions, I think I can react very, very quickly by subscribing entirely to what the Polish minister has conveyed in the beginning of this, of this round. And also I feel inspired by the intuition of the Austrian minister, who said that we are discussing a wide variety of issues, but we should be focusing on the game changers here. And I think in all three industries, the game changer is very simply the energy price. And when it comes to the energy price, the biggest single element of the energy price is the carbon price that we are, that our industries rather than us are facing. So as long as we continue a debate, not focusing on these elements, I'm afraid we are going to be continuing the debate for very long without substantive progress. And indeed, it is an expectation that, uh, we have voiced also at the level of the leaders that in the course of March, there is going to be a substantial progress also coming from the commission, but also agreed among member states, more specifically on the automotive industry. Now there is a regulatory framework that the industry is working under and has been working under for a few years.”
  Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• “Thank you. When it comes to all three of your questions, I think I can react very, very quickly by subscribing entirely to what the Polish minister has conveyed in the beginning of this, of this round. And also I feel inspired by the intuition of the Austrian minister, who said that we are discussing a wide variety of issues, but we should be focusing on the game changers here. And I think in all three industries, the game changer is very simply the energy price. And when it comes to the energy price, the biggest single element of the energy price is the carbon price that we are, that our industries rather than us are facing. So as long as we continue a debate, not focusing on these elements, I'm afraid we are going to be continuing the debate for very long without substantive progress. And indeed, it is an expectation that, uh, we have voiced also at the level of the leaders that in the course of March, there is going to be a substantial progress also coming from the commission, but also agreed among member states, more specifically on the automotive industry. Now there is a regulatory framework that the industry is working under and has been working under for a few years.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “If we disappoint them now, we risk not only losing their trust, but also the legitimacy of the entire policy. I would like to thank the Austrian party for their initiative. As far as the so-called green architecture is concerned, we are particularly concerned about the increase in mandatory interventions and the proposal for mandatory cofinancing of agri environmental measures. Slovakia has very good experience with the voluntary participation of farmers in eco schemes. I therefore do not understand why the Commission has decided to move away from something that works. Mandatory Cofinancing will place an additional financial burden on many member states, especially those with smaller budgets. What is worse, in conjunction with the unresolved issue of external convergence, it will cause imbalances and even greater disparities in support across the union. We also have concerns and many questions about the obligations to allocate 43% of the national planned envelope to environmental objectives, as well as the retention of social conditionality in the text of the regulation, which we simply cannot agree with. Colleagues, if the aim of the Common Agricultural Policy is to achieve fairness, simplicity and a level playing field for all, then we must work together to revise the draft of the cap so that it truly embodies these important principles. Thank you very much.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Dear Madam chair. Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues. To fully benefit from key strategic technologies essential for digital transition, EU autonomy and global competitiveness, we need continuous and well-targeted support. At the same time, it is crucial to ensure geographic balance so that partners from all member states, including widening countries, can participate in key pilot activities of large partnerships. Harmonised rules for synergies with EU structural funds will also be crucial. Balanced circulation of talent must accompany support the leading technologies. Europe needs more innovative education models, greater involvement of private partners and join innovation laboratories to build strong competencies and future oriented skills. Dedicated European efforts are needed to strengthen digital skills, especially in robotics and AI. Intersectoral mobility between academia. Research institutions and industries should become a central tool for attracting and retaining talent. From Slovakia's perspective, research security is essential to protect critical knowledge assets and ensure responsible international cooperation aligned with EU interests. Long term investment in modern and interoperable research and technology infrastructures is equally important. Funding for strategic technologies must go hand in hand with the modernization and expansion of these infrastructures. With strong private sector participation and resource pooling, EU funding will remain essential for both building and operating research and technology infrastructures. Slovakia therefore welcomes effective synergies with cohesion policy instruments, including explicit support for co-funding of partnerships. The continuation of widening schemes and the attraction of newcomers in PTEN remain highly important for us to strengthen Europe's position as a global frontrunner. The EU must identify clear priorities, support strategic investments and ensure long term coordination, attracting private investment, supporting the knowledge triangle and enabling startups and scale ups to mature. Deep tech ideas are all key. Future partnerships should maximise the impact of public and private investments, provide stable and transparent conditions for industry and reinforce Europe's strategic autonomy through robust sharia based planning. Slovakia supports a limited and strategic set of partnerships, focuses on health, digital and frontier technologies, streamlined governance, flexible work programmes and coherent portfolio management will reduce fragmentation. Stronger simplification and impact oriented monitoring framework, including meaningful KPIs, APIs are essential. Finally, balanced participation across member states must remain a core principle to prevent unequal concentration of benefits. Thank you.”
  EU research funding
• “Thank you for the floor, dear chair. We support the Czech Non-paper. European energy intensive industries continue to face serious challenges and it is a revision must provide meaningful relief. At the same time, the 2026 and 2030 benchmark revision requires further discussion, particularly on benchmark values and sector specific fallback values. Our priority is to ensure timely free allocation for industry while avoiding additional administrative burden. We therefore call on the Commission to explore all available options, including possible retroactive application to discuss them with Member States and to clarify the next steps. Finally, we also support the joint French, Spanish, Non-paper and the concerns expressed therein. Thank you.”
  Carbon leakage support
• “Thank you, Madam Chair. The executive vice President, I wish to thank the commission for the first evaluation of the European Labor Authority's work over the past five years. Slovakia is proud to host a less official city, and we are glad to see it deliver on promoting fair labor mobility across the EU. In particular, we see clear value in the exchange of good practices and in building strong networks among stakeholders involved in labour mobility. We agree with the report's findings and support revising the mandate to better reflect the needs of current practice. This should include reflection on expanding ALA's role with regard to concert, Concerted and joint inspections as well as third country nationals. Equally important is setting smart indicators to measure impact more effectively. And we very much look forward to continue our cooperation. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on labour exploitation in global supply chains
• “Madam chair, our dear colleagues, ministers. Uh, first of all, let me congratulate you on a very successful Spanish presidency. The need for better research and development. Knowledge transfer is a long standing [00:45:00] challenge in the EU. We therefore welcome the attention you pay to this topic, and we welcome this discussion as an opportunity to exchange information and experience in removing barriers within the Member States. The ability to transfer research into products and services that they find their way into the European and global market. Or they are so groundbreaking that they create [00:45:30] their own market, is a key condition. If the European Union wants to keep its place in a very complex global environment where the technology is becoming a strategic commodity, at the same time, we need a critical mass of research capacity and skilled workforce and effective environment for knowledge transfer into practice. At the national level, we prepared [00:46:00] a new government programme confirming the long terme priority of supporting research and innovation, and their linkage to the economic and social demand. The programme sees marketable innovation as a key condition for kickstarting of new growth model for our economy. We see a private public partnerships as key. They have to be based on real business and [00:46:30] economic plans and research priorities also have been identified in the area of digital and green transformation, be it the e-mobility or energy, uh, new solutions. For instance, small modular reactors. A suitable pilot projects can bring added value to research and innovation. Uh, we need to promote value added activities. [00:47:00] We need targeted investments. And all these is all this is in our National Research and Innovation Strategy 2030. We have the so-called missions to map the value chains with the potential to support the growth of our economy. We want to foster the growth of skills and the R&D results transfer. We also want [00:47:30] to support such solutions that respond to changing needs of society. And we believe that one of the important tools for promoting EU and member states cooperation is the policy of era. The Slovak Republic participates in a number of ERA policy actions, and we want to more intensively create synergies between various [00:48:00] actors, and one of such activities that can contribute to better knowledge valorization is also creating synergies between era academia and universities. Thank you for your attention.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• “Oh dear Theresa. Dear colleagues, I would like to appreciate all the hard work of the Spanish presidency in searching for compromise on such difficult file. For Slovakia, this is a very politically sensitive file, and as I have mentioned previously, it's a subject of negative resolution of our national parliament, which has hindered our efforts to provide more flexibility during the negotiations. On a [00:35:30] positive note, we welcome an earlier date of review clause. The year 2027 is a better option for timely evaluation of how the sector of heavy duty vehicles moves towards the zero emission future. The current text proposed still contains several problematic elements for us, namely, the principle of technological neutrality has not been taken into account. Current approach to measure the emissions of the tailpipe doesn't consider the upstream emissions. We understand that the change to Well-to-wheel approach, [00:36:00] or even better to LCA, has not been possible. The Slovakia, together with others, has been advocating for the introduction of carbon correction factor. We are still convinced about its potential to help us in our decarbonisation efforts without negative impact on our ambition. Furthermore, it will help us overcome a specific issue for transport companies operating outside of EU's border daily. They need to ensure flight operations in the neighbouring non EU states, which might not have sufficiently developed charging infrastructure. [00:36:30] Therefore, if the carbon correction factor is not introduced, we need to amend the proposed targets which are set very ambitiously, including the year 2030. 100% target for urban buses. Here we support its postponement until 2035. Otherwise, it would represent a huge financial burden for municipalities which own the majority of urban buses. The postponement would allow also sufficient time for the smaller municipalities [00:37:00] to prepare and plan their investments, and it will not hinder overall ambition. Additionally, the costs would be eventually shifted on passengers, causing another negative social impact related to decarbonisation, which could discourage them to use public transport. In the end. Madam president, to conclude, considering the specific situation at the national level, and as we are still missing some crucial elements in the text, I am not in the position to support your compromise proposal. Thank you for your attention.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Dear colleagues, dear Christophe, dear Maria, allow me to begin my solidarity with Cyprus and Greece regarding the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease on their territories. This is an extremely serious disease which Slovakia has also faced together with Hungary last year, and we fully understand its impact on the entire sector. Slovakia is prepared to provide assistance and cooperation by all means available, should this be necessary. As for the vision itself, I think this is an important strategic document that sets a realistic course for the European agri food sector. In connection with the first year of its implementation. I really appreciate the steps that have already been taken in the area of simplifying the cap. At the same time, however, I must express my deep disappointment with the fact that the proposal for the future budget and the future cap does not really reflect this vision. It is particularly important for the future cap to reflect the structure of farming in individual member States. Therefore, I cannot agree with the mandatory nature of the aggressivity and ceilings, which would be a very difficult measure for companies and farms in Slovakia almost liquidating at the same time. I consider it absolutely essential to significantly increase the cap budget. Without it, the EU will not simply be able to fulfil its ambitions. I also want to clearly emphasize that the future cap must fundamentally and systematically take into account the food sector and food processors. In the present proposal, they are basically ignored, which is unacceptable if we want to have a fair and resilient food supply chain, it's not enough to support only primary production. We also need to strengthen the subsequent links in the chain. These and other important elements are also mentioned in the Joint Declaration of the Visegrad countries, plus Romania and Bulgaria, which was presented by Ishtvan and which I fully support.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you. Chair. Dear Commissioner colleagues, uh, we welcome and appreciate the efforts done so far as we see the combating [00:11:30] of the late payments, uh, in commercial transactions as very important task indeed. And, uh, it is very timely that we have a chance to discuss this proposal at political level already. Now. Um, I will go straight to your question as you outlined them. So we believe that the shortcomings of the current directive could be solved by its amendment, and we consider the current directive to be an effective tool in line with [00:12:00] the aim set by the Commission. We do not see the legal form of regulation as appropriate. We need to bear in mind that the area of civil substantive law is being harmonized here as this, uh, uh, area of law regulates a rather broad range of relations. We are not able to set the rules so precisely that they do not conflict with the systems of national law. On the second issue, we admit that certain limitation of contractual freedom [00:12:30] is necessary, and it is already present in the current rules of the directive. And it has to be carefully considered whether no flexibility will lead to fight against, uh, late payments or rather, to more overdue payments. So, yes, we believe that the degree of flexibility needs to be retained. And also exceptions for certain areas, such as in our case, for example, the health services need to be taken into account. We indeed need to take uh, uh, [00:13:00] into, uh, our mind not only creditors, but debtors as well. And as to your last question on the enforcement authorities, we do not see room for administrative enforcement of civil law claims. Remedies should be sought in civil procedural law and in mediation. We believe that we shall not create any more, uh, red tape, additional bureaucracy and administrative burdens. A topic we will also discuss later [00:13:30] today. All in all, all measures to support SMEs liquidity and ability, uh, and combat the late payments are welcome, but we need to avoid unnecessary and very serious consequences for our SMEs. Thank you.”
  EU rules on late commercial payments
• “It combines casework and guidance with a motivational allowance of 1 to €200, depending on the number of children. In the first week alone, 230 clients registered for support. Thirdly, we also tackle a structural driver of poverty care dependency under our Recovery and Resilience plan component 13. We are integrating long term social and health care and preparing a personal budget that will give dependent persons more control over the support they receive. This is essential for preventing poverty in old age and reducing financial strain on families with caregiving responsibilities. Turning to our expectations from the upcoming EU anti-poverty strategy, Slovakia believes the strategy should support a clear shift from broad standardised financial assistance to targeted, person centred accompaniment. The European Child Guarantee is a strong foundation. We should consider extending the same logic of guaranteed access to essential services to other groups at high risk, including people experiencing homelessness and older persons living alone, especially as our societies age. Slovakia stands ready to share our experiences and contribute to make the EU anti-poverty strategy a practical tool for real change. Thank you.”
  Child poverty policy
• “Thank you very much, Mr. Commissioner. Thank you so much for organising this meeting. It was very important to send a clear signal to the ministers, saying that the ministers of agriculture are on their side. The problems in this sector have been accumulating for quite a long time, and the Commission's proposal for a new cap has certainly not helped to de-escalate the situation. It is good that the commission is working on a new solution. But the other change is, as presented in the letter of the president of the commission, are insufficient. They do not bring real solutions to the problems. They only exacerbate an already tense situation at the national level and reallocate the burden of responsibility to the member states. I think that this situation from November is being repeated, where the commission has come up with modifications, and we are not certain as to how these changes will be translated into legislation if we want to really support the farmers. The only solution is to increase the budget of the future as a cap, and we must not forget to support food and wine producers, as well as to protect large production farms from a misaligned aggressivity and capping. Thank you so much.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Thank you very much. And we would like to thank Latvia for its initiative. We are a country where forest area has been increasing for several decades. We have effective legal instruments to prevent deforestation and forest degradation. For this reason, our primary producers perceive the obligations arising from the UDR as a disproportionate administrative and financial burden. We therefore welcome the Commission's proposal to postpone the entry into force of the UDR. However, this postpone in this regard. We also believe that we could have a longer postponement. We also believe that it could also cover medium sized and large enterprises. We just like Latvia. We also call on the commission to review the impact assessment of the implementation of the regulation, and to consider further simplifications, we see room for improvement, for example, in removing the obligation to prove compliance with the legislation of the country of origin of the commodity. It is now clear that the implementation of the timber regulation, which aims to monitor the legality of timber origin, has not led to a reduction in global deforestation. We therefore believe that legality is not an effective tool in combating this phenomenon. Thank you.”
  Trade impact on forests
• “Thank you very much, Madam Commissioner. Commissioner. Dear Maria, let me wish you all the best in your upcoming presidency. Bioeconomy opens the way to comprehensive solutions to the challenges that the agricultural sector faces. It is one of the opportunities to increase the competitiveness of our farmers and foresters, and we must seize this opportunity. I would like to therefore thank the Commission for publishing this new strategy. It is only right that the strategy identifies agriculture, forestry and fisheries as the cornerstone because they manage most of our biological resources. However, I must say frankly, that there is a significant discrepancy between the political ambitions of this strategy and the instruments for implementing them, particularly when it comes to financing of innovation research and the transfer of knowledge. If you want to develop the bioeconomy, if you want to innovate, this is not possible without strong financial support. I therefore do not understand why the Commission has not allocated sufficient, guaranteed and ring fenced resources to financial to finance, science and research. With this approach, the strategy. The strategy will remain nothing more than a framework with no real impact.”
  Agricultural funding
• “Dear Mr. Chair, madam Commissioner, ministers, colleagues. We must ensure that proposed priorities are in line with our national research and innovation policies [00:20:00] and support schemes. This involves identifying strengths, capabilities and human resources in member states, as well as coordinating collaborative efforts via EU coordination instruments, including top down calls. We would support prioritization of investment based on our national experience, with a dedicated course tailored to specific economic and social needs. We first experienced during the pandemic, we could also use the opportunity to boost market uptake [00:20:30] of advanced materials by jointly increasing rates of innovation. Procurement. In Slovakia, research and innovation System prioritizes advanced materials as crucial component of our policies. They are supported via funding schemes and calls, including Slovak Recovery Plan. For instance, advanced materials are prioritized for digitalization. Our research community has success stories and advanced materials have [00:21:00] been successful focus area for other scientists and institutions with implementation of ERA projects. As for proposed recommendations, we fully support for preliminary priority areas. We believe they are well balanced and have the potential for impact and implications across EU industrial sectors and market. Next upcoming stage and potential future discussions about expanding the list we propose, including health and healthcare [00:21:30] sectors. These sectors present a unique opportunity for advanced materials with diverse potential applications in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and nanomedicine. Another potential cross-cutting theme to support EU industrial security and competitiveness is lightweight materials contributing to resource and energy saving goals. Thank you.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• “But funding alone is not enough. We need simpler, faster and more predictable processes. That's why Slovakia has introduced foreign evaluator streamlined payments and align national support with EIC structures. We will soon launch preparation vouchers for EIC proposals and are exploring the use of EU Structural Funds for excellence label projects. These efforts aim to make innovation support more accessible and targeted. Given evolving global security landscape, Slovakia recognizes growing relevance of dual use technologies within the European Innovation Council. However, we firmly believe civil and human research ought to remain the cornerstone of EU research policy. Strategic objectives ought to be pursued without compromising core values of openness, transparency and social benefit. I cannot forget to mention CERN's world leadership in high energy particle physics and associated technologies that greatly contributes to European competitiveness, innovation, industrial security and autonomy. The EU should make all efforts to maintain prominence in this strategic area of science and technology. Let's use Fp10 to build more balanced, cohesive and forward facing European Research area. Thank you.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• “It is also important to ensure a realistic transition period for union origin requirements, and a minimum component threshold should be introduced with sufficient predictability and legal certainty, preferably directly in the regulation, with applicability not earlier than 2030 for batteries, nor earlier than 2035. Secondly, Slovakia also welcomes the objective of creating lead markets for strategic and low carbon products. However, the concept of union origin should be interpreted more broadly in this respect to include trusted partner countries to strengthen Resilience and diversified supply chains. The low carbon requirements must create equal opportunities in all member states and respect the principle of technological neutrality, and the IAA must benefit businesses from all member States. As it was already pointed out by my Czech and Polish colleagues. When it comes to steel, we strong. We see strong justification for extending union origin requirements for steel products. Given the strategic importance for European value chains and the risk that existing trade protection measures may not be sufficient against imports from third countries. Finally, I would like to underline the significant administrative and financial burden linked to implementing the IAA and disproportionate impact on public finances. Moreover, we need to avoid reducing the availability and affordability of electric cars for our consumers in public support schemes. Thank you.”
  Vehicle content rules: mandatory EU components vs. open global sourcing for carmakers
• “Good morning. Thank you. President, we would like to wish you and your team the best of success over the coming months. The Slovak Republic would support all reasonable measures to improve animal welfare, including revision of animal transport legislation. And we need it to be clear and precise as regards all requirements which will aim to improve animal welfare during transport and contribute to the implementation of all of the measures in place in a uniform manner. All measures to improve animal welfare should be based on technical and scientific knowledge, which is both solid and based on Member States experience and best practice in the area of the implementation of such legislation, whilst at the same time taking into account the need to guarantee the economic competitiveness of farms in Europe.”
  EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers