
This section offers 60 key texts and background documents on the EU accession process of Slovenia, covering key EU documents, books and articles as well as a special section on the Slovenian-Croatian border dispute. More general documents on the EU's enlargement process can be accessed here.
The major agreements between Slovenia and the EU throughout the accession process, from the Europe Agreement to the Accession treaty:
- Accession Treaty
- EC, Accession Partnership, 2001/2002
- EC, Accession Partnership, 1999/2000
- Europe Agreement (signed 1996, entered into force 1999)
Key European Council conclusions
The European Council, as the highest decision making body of the EU, took key decisions on EU enlargement, resolving issues that member states could not agree on at a lower level. Here is a selection of key European Council conclusions that were of crucial importance for Slovenia:
- Copenhagen European Council presidency conclusions on the "big-bang" enlargement of 1 May 2004 (12-13 December 2002)
- Helsinki European Council presidency conclusions on opening accession negotiations with Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia (10-11 December 1999)
- Luxembourg European Council presidency conclusions on launching the accession process with 10 CEE countries and opening negotiations with Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Cyprus (12-13 December 1997)
In 1998 the EC began issuing so-called "composite papers" reporting on the enlargement process in the different candidate countries. These were later replaced by "Enlargement Strategy Papers". Here are the ones which covered Slovenia:
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2002 (9 October 2002)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2001
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2000
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1999 (incl. Annex 1)
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1999 – Annex 2
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1999 – Annex 3
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1999 – Annex 4
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1999 – Annex 5
- EC, Composite paper on the regular reports 1998
All official reports on Slovenia prepared by DG Enlargement, including the "opinion" on Slovenia's application in 1997.
- EC, Comprehensive Monitoring Report on Slovenia, 2003
- EC, Regular Report on Slovenia, 2002
- EC, Regular Report on Slovenia, 2001
- EC, Regular Report on Slovenia, 2000
- EC, Regular Report on Slovenia, 1999
- EC, Regular Report on Slovenia, 1998
- EC, Opinion on Slovenia's application, 1997
Pre-accession funds and European Funds
For the European Commission's annual reports on the EU's pre-accession funds, click here. For annual reports on EU structural and cohesion funds since Slovenia's EU accession, see here.
The Slovenian-Croatian border dispute
There is hardly any information on the dispute that does not originate from one of the parties involved. The Slovenian side has been more proactive in making its position available on paper while Croatia has kept its cards – namely, its arguments and supportive evidence – closer to its chest.
Slovenian documents
- Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Non Paper – Chronology of Slovenia-Croatia Border issue" (22 February 2009)
- Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenian comments on two Croatian memos on Slovenian-Croatian relations (13 February 2009)
- Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Information on prejudices in certain negotiating chapters of accession negotiations for Croatia's membership of the EU" (18 December 2008)
- Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Aide Memoire" (June 2006, Precis of the Slovenian position)
- Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, White Book on the Border between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia (Bela Knjiga o meji med Republiko Slovenijo in Republiko Hrvasko), 2006 (Slovenia's 442 page documentation in support of its position in the dispute; English translation [without the original documents]).
- ANNEX XIII of the Europe Agreement between the EU and Slovenia (Spanish Compromise), Exchange of letters between Slovenia and the European Community otherwise know as the Spanish Compromise, which ended Italy's veto of Slovenia's Europe Agreement.
- Dimitrij Rupel, "Europska komisija neka postupa u interesu EU", Delo (Sovenian daily), 7 May 2009, in which the former Slovenian Foreign Minister suggests that it is the EU's duty to side with Slovenia in its dispute with Croatia. The EU, argues Rupel, should do Slovenia's bidding and not act as an independent arbitrator. An English summary is available on the website of the Slovenian government's communications department.
Croatian documents
- Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, "Chronology of the Border Dispute between Croatia and Slovenia", Zagreb, 16 March 2009 (presentation outlining Croatia's position and criticising Slovenia's).
- Factual information on Croatia as provided by its government, including its Maritime Code, can be found at this United Nations website.
UN Documents
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 10 December 1982, articles 15 (delimitation of bays), 21 (innocent passage), and 22 (sea lanes and traffic separation schemes) are of special note.
- An overview on UNCLOS and a range of related documents are available at the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea Website.
- A number of academic institutions deal with oceans and the law of the sea; some of them are listed on the UN's website.
- Information on arrangements between states in complex geographic configurations in enclosed or semi-enclosed seas can be researched on the UN's website on legislation and treaties
Academic Analysis
- Jozef Kunic, "The Slovenian-Croatian Border Question – Is the Path to Solution the Right One?", International institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies, Ljubljana, 29 January 2009.
- Davor Vidas, The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the European Union and the Rule of Law. What is going on in the Adriatic Sea?, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, 10 December 2008.
- Matej Avbelj and Jernej Letnar Cernic, "The conundrum of the Piran Bay: Slovenia v. Croatia – The case of Maritime Delimitation", in: The University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law & Policy, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2007; an electronic copy is freely available.
- Bruno Lopandic and Bojko Bucar, "Zagabria e Lubiana, duello sull'Adriatico", LIMES, No.6/2003, pp. 131-139.
- Bojko Bucar, "The Issue of the rule of law in the EU enlargement process: aspects of Slovenian Italian relations", published in Development and Developing International and European Law. Essays in honour of Konrad Ginther on the occasion of his 65th birthday, Peter Lang (publisher), 1999, pp. 341-353.
Books, reports and articles on Slovenia's EU accession
A selection of various texts on Slovenia's EU accession process, including reports from the 1990s (unfortunately, many of these are not available online):
- Janez Potocnik, Fedor Cerne, Emil Erjavec and Mojmir Mrak, "The Accession of Slovenia to the EU", in: George Vassiliou, The Accession Story. The EU from 15 to 25 Countries, Oxford Univ. Press, 2007, pp. 343-370.
- Vladimir Lavrac and Boris Majcen, Economic Issues of Slovenia's Accession to the EU, Ljubljana, Institute for Economic Research, September 2006.
- Bojko Bucar and Irena Brinar, "Slovenia – Political Transformation and European Integration", in: Anselm Skuhra (ed.), The Eastern Enlargement of the European Union. Efforts and Obstacles on the Way to Membership, Studienverlag, 2005, pp. 93-133.
- András Inotai and Peter Stanovnik, "EU Membership: Rationale, Costs, and Benefits", in: Mojmir Mrak, Matija Rojec and Carlos Silva-Jáuregui (eds), Slovenia. From Yugoslavia to the European Union, World Bank, 2004, pp. 353-366.
- Joze Mencinger, "Transition to a National and a Market Economy: A Gradualist Approach", in: Mojmir Mrak, Matija Rojec and Carlos Silva-Jáuregui (eds), Slovenia. From Yugoslavia to the European Union, World Bank, 2004, pp. 67-82.
- Janez Potocnik and Jaime Garcia Lombardero, "Slovenia's Road to Membership in the European Union", in: Mojmir Mrak, Matija Rojec and Carlos Silva-Jáuregui (eds), Slovenia. From Yugoslavia to the European Union, World Bank, 2004, pp. 367-380.
- James Gow and Cathie Carmichael, Slovenia and the Slovenes. A Small State and the New Europe, Hurst, 2000.
- World Bank, Slovenia. Economic Transformation and EU Accession, Volume II: Main Report, 1999.
- M. Mrak, M. Rojec and J. Potocnik, Slovenia: Strategy of the Republic of Slovenia for Accesssion to the European Union, Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, 1998.
- V. Bobek, J. Potocnik, V. Ravbar, M. Rojec, P. Stanovnik and F. Stiblar (eds.), Slovenia: The Strategy of International Economic Relations – From Associated to Full-fledged Membership in the EU, Ministry of Economic Relations and Development, 1996.
- Ministry of Economic Affairs, Strategy for Increasing Competitiveness Capabilities of Slovenian Industry, 1996.
- Janez Potocnik, Marjan Senjur and Franjo Stiblar, Approaching Europe – Growth, Competitiveness and Integration, Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, 1995.
A number of resource pages for further information and documents:
- Gateway to information on Slovenia – a portal on Slovenia with information on a wide variety of topics, as well as links to many institutions, from government to business and culture (managed by the Government Communications Office)
- State portal of the Republic of Slovenia – a similar, somewhat more formal portal managed by the Ministry of Public Administration
- Government office for European Affairs (archive on EU accession) – besides information on new developments on Slovenia and EU policy, the site includes many background documents, including the Slovenian negotiation position and Slovenia's National Programme for the Adoption of the Aquis.
- Negotiating team website (including negotiation positions, etc.) – the old website of the Slovenian negotiation team; not very extensive, but provides some interesting information on the structure of the negotiation process, organisational flow-charts and the composition of the negotiation team
- Slovenian EU Presidency 2008