Brussels – Slovenia views the European Commission’s proposal for the upcoming long-term EU budget (MFF), presented on Wednesday, as a positive development, according to Marko Štucin, State Secretary at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He shared this assessment upon arriving for a meeting with other EU member states’ ministers, noting a favorable outlook regarding available funds for Slovenia.
Štucin expressed general satisfaction with the Commission’s proposal, viewing it as one that still allows for further negotiations while progressing in a beneficial direction. This statement came ahead of the first ministerial discussion on the proposal.
He highlighted the budget of nearly 2000 billion euros for the 2028-2034 period as striking a good balance between existing programs like cohesion and agricultural policies and new initiatives prioritizing economic competitiveness and resilience. However, he indicated that Slovenia may desire a more ambitious budget regarding the scope of the proposed MFF.
The introduction of national-regional plans, which will determine fund allocation for cohesion and agriculture, is also seen as a positive step, according to the State Secretary.
The European Commission has outlined that Slovenia will have access to 5.4 billion euros of European funds under this plan for cohesion, agricultural, and other policies. At the start of the current MFF, Slovenia had 3.2 billion euros available for cohesion and 1.8 billion euros for agricultural policy implementation.
Štucin does not anticipate major cuts in Slovenia’s available funds.
The proposal has also drawn reactions from the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia (KGZS), which argues that it threatens to undermine the common agricultural policy. KGZS President Jože Podgoršek has urged the government to safeguard key benefits for Slovenian farmers during the MFF negotiations. (July 17 and 18)
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