Slovakia to focus on fiscal integration, energy union and sustainable migration policy

During its presidency of the EU Council Slovakia will promote the deepening of the economic and monetary union, including fiscal integration, the energy union and the digital single market, sustainable migration and asylum policies and the development of trade policy. These are Bratislava's priorities as presented by Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák in front of the Parliament on Tuesday. Slovakia takes the rotating presidency on July 1 for a period of half a year. "Support for small and medium-sized enterprises is a key element. We also want to make progress in building the EU's capital markets. We will put emphasis on eliminating barriers on the development of the digital economy. Concerning the energy union, the goal is to have safe and clean energy at affordable prices for consumers", said Lajčák. Slovakia will also aim at steering the EU towards a sustainable immigration and asylum policy. It should be based on the protection of the external borders, the restoration of the Schengen free-travel area and on the cooperation with third countries. It will also focus on legal migration in order to make it more attractive stay in the EU for highly skilled migrants, such as the founders of start-ups and entrepreneurs.