Franc Bogovič: There is no better place for quality of life than the European Union

If you want to be a member of the EU, you have to follow the rules. Politics in Slovenia could not confuse people as to which way to go. I don’t think there’s a better place than the EU. The main focus of the U.S. should therefore be clear. Countries need to come to an agreement, to resolve conflicts among themselves. The EU was created to reconcile countries that have been in conflict for decades, said Member of the European Parliament Franz Bogovic in a conversation with Goran Svilanovic on the second day of the conference.

According to him, when we talk about environmental projects such as municipal water treatment, it is important for municipalities to cooperate and work in a planned way, step by step. While projects like these do not directly benefit voters, they are vital to overall development. Also, it is necessary for municipalities, with the support of the state, to have clearly defined visions and programs, as well as professional solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of the local community

– I believe that a greater balance should be achieved between key aspects – economy, ecology and society. We focused too much on one area, although today competitiveness is more important than ever. The enlargement of the European Union requires a better adaptation of these priorities. For example, participating in a panel with representatives from Finland and Germany, it was emphasized that the main costs of the transition will fall on the economy and citizens – as much as 85% – while only a small part will be borne by the public sector. Their countries have already made all the necessary preparations back in 2008, while we have just begun – Bogovič continued.

As he said, this process takes time to adjust, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand still. On the contrary, we need to work and catch up with more developed countries, as the countries in our region do.

Slovenia is an excellent example of how EU membership can benefit from an open market and integration with other economies. Bulgaria, with a lower GDP per capita, receives a proportionately larger share of European funds – about 5% of its GDP. Bulgaria, on the other hand, contributes only about 1% of its GDP to the EU budget. This means that, as a less developed member, it receives many times more than it invests, which accelerates its development and convergence with EU standards.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are based on directing investments towards projects that bring significant savings or improve infrastructure, and in the long run relieve the budget and provide additional revenues. For example, a Slovenian city has modernized public lighting, which has reduced energy consumption by as much as 80%. The costs were covered through energy savings over the following years, and after a period of 7 years, the city had its lighting completely renovated with minimal maintenance costs. A similar model has been applied to heating in schools and hospitals, where energy costs have been reduced. In the specific case of the utility company, the municipality received a better plant worth about 30 million euros through PPP.

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