As part of the preparation for the Presidency, the Government Communication Office also carried out activities to raise awareness among the population of the importance of the Presidency and of Slovenia’s perspective as a member of the European Union in general. We wished to devote special attention to young people; however, the originally planned activities had to be adapted due to the changed circumstances caused by the novel coronavirus. We held two competitions and also provided young people an opportunity to work as liaison officers.

Europe at School competition

The Europe at School competition has been one of the successful activities; in the competition, primary and secondary school students participate by submitting literary, art, photo, video and online contributions. During the school year preceding the Presidency, the competition theme was linked to the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency and to Sustainable Development Goal 12. Primary and secondary school students reflected on what food waste is, how it is produced,



how it affects the environment and how to solve the problem. The competition is organised by the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.

Cooperation with universities and higher education institutions

In the 2020–2021 academic year, a competition for the best final paper in first and second cycle university studies was organised in collaboration with universities and other higher education institutions. The competition aimed to encourage writing and creating final papers on the topic of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Social and natural sciences students were invited to submit their final papers on various topics, including organisational and promotional aspects of the Presidency, European policies, and the programme priorities of the Slovenian Presidency, while art students could participate with artwork.

Liaison officers

Liaison officers were the main link between the visiting delegations and the organisers of

📌 Opportunities for promotion (Italia)
🏢 Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Skopje
📍 Italia