Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 5/4/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** SI4006

SI4006

**Slovenia**

**Agricultural Situation**

**Dr. Milan Pogacnik Appointed Agricultural Minister**

**2004**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Sarah Hanson

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Andreja Misir

**Report Highlights:**

On April 20, 2004, Dr. Milan Pogacnik was appointed the Minister of
Agriculture, Forestry and Food, replacing Minister Franc. His background
includes 33 years of active participation in the field of education,
research and professional work in veterinary medicine. The following
report includes a brief biography of Minister Pogacnik.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Vienna \[AU1\]

\[SI\]

On April 20, Dr. Milan Pogacnik was appointed the Minister of
Agriculture, Forestry and Food, replacing Minister Franc.

The following is a short biography of Minister Pogacnik.

***First name and family name: Milan Pogačnik***

***Born:*** 30 August 1946 in Celje, Slovenia

***Last Position:*** Professor of pathological morphology, forensic and
administrative veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Faculty in
Ljubljana; Dean, and a Chairman of a Institute for pathology, forensic
and administrative veterinary medicine at the Veterinary Faculty

***Academic Background:***

1965 - graduated from high school (2.gimnazija in Ljubljana)

1971 - graduated at the Veterinary Department of a Biotechnical Faculty

1978 - was awarded a Masters degree in the field of pathological
morphology

1984 - received a doctorate (Ph.D.) in the field of pathological
morphology

***Occupational Promotions:***

1984 - elected assistant professor (reader) of forensic and
administrative veterinary medicine and pathological morphology

1989 - elected senior lecturer (associate professor) of forensic and
administrative veterinary medicine and pathological morphology

1990 - Dean of a Veterinary Faculty

1993 - re-elected as a Dean of a Veterinary Faculty

1994 - elected as University professor of forensic and administrative
veterinary medicine and pathological morphology

1997 - re-elected as a Dean of a Veterinary Faculty

1994 do 1998 - member of a Council for Higher Education

1995 do 2001 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of University of
Ljubljana

1996 do 2002 - member of a Council for veterinary medicine within MAFF
(Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food)

from 1996 - Governor of VetNEST

from 1996 - member of a Commission of the Council of Europe for the
protection of animals during lab researches

1999 to 2003 - member of a Council of the Republic of Slovenia for
Science and Technology

from 2000 - Member of an Executive Board of EAEVE (European Association
of Establishment of Veterinary Education)

from 2002 - Chairman of VetNEST (Veterinary Network of Exchange Students
and

> Teachers)

2001 to 2005 -- re-elected as a Dean of the Veterinary Faculty

2003 - Chairman of a Council for Veterinary Medicine within the MAFF

2003 - member of a Joint Policy Committee EAEVE - FVE (Federation
Veterinaire Europeaene)

2003 - member of a Scientific Advisory Committee - ECVAM (European

> Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods)

2004 - April appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in
the Republic of Slovenia

***Acknowledgements and Awards:***

1999 Honorary Symbol of Liberty of the Republic of Slovenia

***Projects:***

1990 to 1994 - Slovenian-United States collaboration project
Agroforestry Development

1990 to 1994 - Project TEMPUS \"Veterinary medicine\"

1994 to 1999 - Integrated Rural Development -- Re-cultivation of no
longer cultivated Karst and hill areas with environment friendly
programmers of animal husbandry and animal health

1999 to 2001 - Slovenian - Chinese collaboration project in Guizhou and
Guangxi Provinces \"Re-cultivation of no longer cultivated Karst areas
with small ruminants\"

1999 to 2001 - TEMPUS project \"Introducing credit system of studies in
veterinary medicine\"

2000 to 2002 - Slovenian-Bosnian Herzegovina project \"Re-cultivation of
overgrown areas with small ruminants

2001 to 2003 - Project EU Socrates Design of veterinarian profiles
identified by

> market needs for the year 2020

2002 to 2006 - Project Concerted Action SRTSE. European network for
surveillance and

> control of TSE in Small ruminants (5th Framework Programme)

# Career Background

# In his 33 years of active participation in the field of education, research and professional work in veterinary medicine, Dr. Pogačnik took an active part in preparative arrangements of certain documents, e.g. strategy and the development of agriculture, preparation of statutory and implementing acts in the field of veterinary medicine and animal husbandry. In past years, he developed a multidisciplinary research and development group, which is active in the preparation of research and technological programmes of a sustainable use of no longer cultivated agricultural areas with the use of animals, in particular in Karst regions. Technologies have been successfully introduced also in several other countries, such as China. He participated as a national co-ordinator in various research projects in the EU, e.g. project Development of a veterinary medicine in the EU until 2020. 

In many years of managing the Veterinary Faculty, Mr. Pogačnik was in
charge of an integration of profession in the field of education,
research and operative activity. Thus, he led the Veterinary Faculty to
the verification of programmes of studies according to EU standards in
1998, and in 2000/2001 also to the integration of the most
exacting/demanding veterinary activities in Slovenia into one single
institution. The EU experts rated the latter effort as the optimum form
of organization of a small profession in a small country, which was
later introduced in certain other countries, e.g. Macedonia. In parallel
with those activities, he organized processes which enabled the
accreditation of the Veterinary Faculty in the filed of conducting the
entire organization and the work of diagnostic laboratories in
compliance with Slovenian and EU standards, which was achieved by the
Veterinary Faculty in 2002.