1. SLOVENIA SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY
and
SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY
Dr. Aleš Dobnikar Ministry of Public Administration Republic of Slovenia

2. SLOVENIA

3. SLOVENIA Independent since 1991 Length of border: 1.382 km;
with Austia 330 km;
with Italy: 280 km;
with Hungary: 102 km;
with Croatia: 670 km
Area: km2
Population:
Language: Slovene

4. HISTORY
23 December 1990: 88.5% of voters in a referendum vote in favour of an independent Slovenia
25 June 1991: Slovenia officially declares its independence
22 May 1992: Slovenia becomes a member of the UNO
29 March 2004: Slovenia becomes a member of NATO
1 May 2004: Slovenia becomes a member of the EU
1 January 2007: Slovenia introduced EURO

5. PEOPLE Population: approximate 2 million, of which 83.1% are Slovenes.
National minority communities: Italians and Hungarians.
Other ethnic groups: Croats, Serbs, Bosnians (Muslims), Yugoslavs, Macedonians, Montenegrins and Albanians.
Slovenia is approximately 50% urban and 50% rural.
Population density is 98.7 inhabitants per km2 - lower than in the majority of other European states.
Slovenia has a population of 2 million, of which 83.1% (2002 census) are Slovenes. In Slovenia there are also two national minority communities of Italians and Hungarians. They are considered indigenous minorities, and their rights are protected under the Constitution.
Other ethnic groups include Croats, Serbs, Bosnians (Muslims), Yugoslavs, Macedonians, Montenegrins and Albanians. The status and special rights of Gypsy communities living in Slovenia are determined by statute.
There are indigenous Slovenian minorities in Italy, Austria and in Hungary. Between 250,000 and 400,000 Slovenes (depending on whether second and subsequent generations are counted) live outside the country, in other continents and in EU countries.
Slovenia is approximately 50% urban and 50% rural.
Population density is 98.7 inhabitants per km2, which is much lower than in the majority of other European states. People have mainly settled the river valleys and transport routes, where long ago Slovenian towns began to emerge, whilst the mountainous and forested areas remain unpopulated.

6. ECONOMY Currency: euro (since 1 January 2007)
GDP per capita in 2006: EUR EUR
Growth in GDP in 2nd quarter in 2007: 5.7%
Inflation in 3rd quarter 2007: 3.6% Unemployment in 2006: 6%
Slovenia is among the most successful of the countries in transition from socialism to a market economy. It boasts a stable growth in GDP and is viewed as a safe country, ranked among the countries with the lowest degree of risk. Since its independence, Slovenia has privatised its economy, stabilised inflation and wage growth, halted rising unemployment, strengthened its currency, changed over to the common currency of European Union euro,  relaxed the flow of capital and modernised its taxation system.

7. IT development status Households with internet access: 54%
Households with broadband access: 34%
Households with mobile acces to internet: 24% (EU av. 6%)
Slovenia is among the most successful of the countries in transition from socialism to a market economy. It boasts a stable growth in GDP and is viewed as a safe country, ranked among the countries with the lowest degree of risk. Since its independence, Slovenia has privatised its economy, stabilised inflation and wage growth, halted rising unemployment, strengthened its currency, changed over to the common currency of European Union euro,  relaxed the flow of capital and modernised its taxation system.

8. PUBLIC SECTOR STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC SECTOR Central government (34.000)
15 ministries + 44 executive agencies
14 center-of-government offices
58 administrative districts
autonomous agencies
________________________
Local government: 210 municipalities
On-going discussion on establishing provinces (regions)
Wider public sector (health care, education, social care, culture) –
public institutions ( )

9. MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (established in 2004)
Society
Economy RS
Public Administration
Population
President RS
National Assembly
Krapež Karmne
Mikulin Sonja
Pahor Branka
Spaèal Damijana
Strehar Meri
National Council
State Administration
Local Self-government
Legislative Power
Executive Power
Government RS
Supreme Court
Government
Bodies
State Prosecutor's Office
Health
Ministries
Attorney General's Office
Education
Administrative Units
Better PA is of course connected with the need for the rationalisation of public administration that is a trend almost in every country.
The previous dispersal of services whose objective was to improve the functioning of the public administration, the need for the rationalisation of both the personnel and funds, led to the idea of establishing a new ministry. In so doing, we followed the example of other EU Member States, which have similar ministries, like France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain… According to my information, Germany does not have such organization on both level.
By establishing a new Ministry of Public Administration, three government services were attached to the new Ministry:
Government Centre for Informatics,
Joint Services of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, - investment, real-estate,
Personnel Service of the Government of Slovenia and
the following two directorates, which were previously part of the Ministry of the Interior: Directorate for Public Administration and Directorate for Public Sector.
NAPREJ
Courts
Organs in Composition
Defence System
Constitutional Court
Court of Auditiors
Judicial Power
Human Rights Ombudsman
Central Bank

10. MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Performs tasks in the following areas:
management of the public administration and personnel
salary system in the public sector
e-government and administrative processes
investments, real estate and joint services of the state administration.

11. POLICY PRIORITIES of SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY
- A debate on the Future of Europe
- Enlargement, Western Balkans and the European Neighbourhood Policy
- Intercultural Dialog
- Energy
- Lisbon strategy
- Competitiveness and Transfer of Innovations to the Economy
- Environment protection, climate change and biodiversity
- EU as a global player in the international Community

12. MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: Activities during the presidency
Priorities during the presidency:
Better regulation
e-Government
Ministry will work on dossiers, that are handled within two working groups of Cuncil of the EU:
Competitiveness and Growth (G1)
Telecommunications and Information Society (H5)

13. POLICY PRIORITIES in eGovernment
- Interoperability
- eParticipation and eInclusion
- Reduction of Administrative Burden
Continuity:
- Support of i2010 eGovernment Action Plan and presentation of national progress
BETTER REGULATION
Simplification of EU secondary legislation. The Commission stressed that the simplification of the Community legislation is an ongoing process; Competition Council announced its intention to remain actively engaged in the process.
Regulatory Impact Assessment. Activities will focus on using impact assessments for substantial Council amendments.

14. eGovernment focuses One-stop access to services
Life situations approach
Focus on high impact services
Simplicity and user-friendlyness
Mutual recognition of digital certificates (eIDs’)
Backoffice is at least as important as frontoffice
Raising the importance of e-Participation and e-Democracy
BETTER REGULATION
Simplification of EU secondary legislation. The Commission stressed that the simplification of the Community legislation is an ongoing process; Competition Council announced its intention to remain actively engaged in the process.
Regulatory Impact Assessment. Activities will focus on using impact assessments for substantial Council amendments.

15. EUPAN events during Slovenian Presidency
DBR: October 2007, Brdo
HRWG: January 2008, Brdo
IPSG: February 2008, Brdo
eGOV: April 2008, Brdo
HRWG: April 2008, Brussels
IPSG: May 2008, Brdo
DG EUPAN: May 2008, Brdo
e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

16. E-government related events during Slovenian Presidency
E-Government Conference: 11. February 2008, Brdo, Slovenia
IDABC Conference: February 2008, Brdo, Slovenia
EUPAN e-Government WG: 21. – 22. April 2008, Brdo, Slovenia
i2010 Conference: May 2008, Brdo, Slovenia
eHealth Conference: May 2008, Portorož, Slovenia
eGovernment days
e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

17. e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

18. e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

19. e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

20. e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.

21. e-GOVERNMENT
Special emphasis will be given to the key enablers such as interoperability for eGovernment cross-border services and related action as defined in i2010 eGovernment Action Plan for the year 2008: monitoring of large scale pilots of interoperable eIDM in cross-border services.