Presentation of Slovenia

As a green and sustainable country, Slovenia ratified the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan in 1993, just two years after its independence and well over a decade before it became a full member of the European Union in 2004. Today, it is the country with the highest proportion of Natura 2000 sites in the EU, as much as sixty percent of its territory is covered by forests.

Slovenia supports the Blue Mediterranean vision: to provide a healthy coastal and marine environment, a sea free of plastic waste, including healthy fish stocks. To contribute to the promotion of a sustainable blue economy for a better quality of life for people sharing the sea by applying an ecosystem approach to development planning in transboundary river basins, coasts and seas. Improving water, food, climate and biosecurity can only be achieved through enhanced cooperation between Mediterranean countries.

Slovenia represents an example of good practice in the field of space and environment in relation to coastal and marine resource management. We are introducing an ecosystem approach to development planning, promoting the importance of ecological connectivity (blue and green corridors). In the framework of macro-regional cooperation in the Adriatic-Ionian region, Slovenia is one of the first countries in the EU to adopt the Slovenian Maritime Spatial Plan.

During its Presidency of the Barcelona Convention, Slovenia will encourage the Contracting States and international institutions to strengthen transboundary cooperation and will strive for the efficient use of financial resources to reduce pressures and impacts on the marine ecosystem, prevent pollution from marine accidents, enhance biodiversity and integrate sustainable coastal zone management with maritime spatial planning (ICZM/MSO)