Mr President, Commissioner, your rapporteur endorses the contents of the Commission’s report on Slovenia and notes that the criticisms expressed in 1998 gave the Slovenian authorities a salutary shock, prompting them to speed up adoption of the measures necessary for accession to take place. This change of pace has placed Slovenia among the countries whose preparations to enter the Union are most advanced, and so, in my opinion, it is highly likely that this country will be one of the first to join. Certain issues are still to be settled, of course, but they have been discussed on various occasions both at meetings between the parliamentary delegations and in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy. They are the subject of amendments which we are going to discuss tomorrow and include the closing down of duty-free outlets before the end of the year, the restructuring of public companies and the adjustment of banking law and the insurance sector, and, more generally, the modernisation of the entire sector of the administration of justice, which has to guarantee independence and impartiality, and all the public administrations. I call upon the new parliament, which will take up office a fortnight from now, and the new government to make these matters a priority. We must insist on a timely, appropriate information campaign for Slovenia as well, in order to make all the citizens aware of the benefits of joining the European Union. Parliament could contribute actively to these initiatives by opening documentation units and involving the public through schools and via their cultural, professional, social and working environments. Parliament’s resolution of April 1999 stressed the convergence of the positions of the European Union and Slovenia on economic policy and security, and in this past year Slovenia has indeed made a major contribution to the Stability Pact for South-East Europe. Slovenia supported the action of NATO and the Member States during the war in Kosovo and, considering the difficulty of making such a decision, this can be taken as evidence not only of the important role played by this country in the region but also of the convergence of its interests with those of the European Union. I would like to take this opportunity to invite Commissioner Verheugen to make representations to the Commission and the Council of Europe so that the European Union can revise its position and invite the Serbian opposition, which has just won the elections, not to stay away from the second ballot, for that would be to hand Milosevic a virtual victory on a plate without a political fight, potentially providing him with dangerous grounds for remaining in power. The stability of the entire south-east region depends on the disputes that divide different, neighbouring countries being resolved. It is therefore important for the Slovenian authorities to come to a swift agreement with Croatia in order to bring all bilateral disputes, particularly border disputes, to a close. This will ensure greater stability, improve the climate for bilateral relations and provide all the peoples concerned with enhanced opportunities for economic development.

Political group: PSE