General Information

The Slovak Presidency (SK PRES) of the Council of the European Union is one of the most important and most demanding tasks resulting from the EU membership. The Slovak Presidency officially begins on 1^st July 2016 and ends on 31^st  December 2016, during which the Slovak Republic will chair the Council of the EU in the framework of the Trio Presidency, which is completed together with the Netherlands and Malta. The main task of the country currently in the chairing position is to hold negotiations regarding European legislation, mostly on the level of working groups of the Council, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States and at the EU ministerial formations of the Council of the EU, as well as to discuss the current political issues. The main task of the Slovak Republic will be based on the search for a compromise between EU Member States and the representatives of the Council of the European Union in relation to the European Commission or the European Parliament.

The preparation of the presidency agenda on organizational, technical and administrative levels is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (MZVaEZ SR). Detailed information about SK PRES preparation ? basic starting points and priorities, coordination structures, along with news and important documents can be found on the official website of MZVaEZ SR:

http://www.foreign.gov.sk/sk/europske_zalezitosti/predsednictvo_v_rade_eu-slovenske_predsednictvo_v_rade_eu

The Secretariat of the SK PRES was established within the framework of the MZVaEZ SR with the aim to secure the functionality of the press and media center for the SK PRES, as well as for the organizational and logistical support. The Secretariat acts as a central coordinating, administrative and working body which prepares meetings of the Inter-department Coordination Council (MKR). MKR holds the negotiations on the level of State Secretaries and Heads of the Government Office and determines the focus of the SK PRES, supervises and controls the organizational and technical preparations of the Presidency, sets political priorities and enforces them. MKR has set up inter-ministerial working groups (MPS) as separate institutions with a supportive function in different areas to deal with specific tasks associated with the preparation of the SK PRES.

The agenda of the preparation of the agricultural sector for the Presidency is technically and administratively in the responsibility of the MPRV SR Department of Foreign Coordination. Within the framework of the above mentioned department the SK PRES Unit was created.  The Ministerial Coordination Commission (RKK) was established at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the SK with the aim to secure the operative, coordinated and effective preparation for the SK PRES. RKK is led by the State Secretary who supervises the general directors and/or the directors of the responsible departments.  The working group for priorities fulfills the supportive function for the RKK in the field of SK PRES content. The working groups for current issues support the SK PRES ad hoc.

Contacts:

The Slovak Republic chose the so called "Brussels-based" model for itts Presidency, which means that the essential part of the Presidency will be in the hands of the Permanent Representation of Slovakia in the EU, in Brussels.

SK PRES Priorities

The documents adopted by the Slovak Government in the framework of the preparation of the content of Slovakia's chairmanship in the Council of the EU in 2016 are:

The program basis of the Slovak Presidency in the Council of the EU

TRIO program

Events

During the Presidency, the Slovak Republic will chair the formal meetings of the Council of the EU in Brussels and Luxembourg. Overall, 35 sessions will be held on the agenda of the Council of the EU formations, as well as about 2,000 meetings of working groups and committees. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the SK will chair the meetings of Agriculture and Fisheries (AGRIFISH). AGRIFISH meetings are regularly held once a month.

In addition to formal meetings, Slovakia will chair about 20 informal meetings of ministers and ministerial conferences and 180 informal events at the expert level in our country, mainly in Bratislava and in the vicinity. During the Presidency, 20 events and one accompanying cultural event is going to be organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the SK.