Assistance to Montenegro on Accession to the EU

Assistance to Montenegro on Accession to the EU

In the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation with Montenegro, a project “Support of development of resource efficiency policy” will take place in Podgorica between 5 and 7 June 2018. The project consists of inter-ministerial workshop in the field of strategic planning of sustainable development, circular economy and green public procurement. Representatives of the working group for the implementation of the Action Plan for Sustainable Development of Montenegro will get interactively acquainted with Slovenian/EU trends in this very important field for Montenegro as it is a strategic goal for Montenegro to lower the gap between resource efficiency and average of the consumption in the EU and therefore become a greener and more competitive economy in accordance with Europe 2020 agenda.

 

Project is part of CEP’s program activities financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.

Slovenia made a decisive step by implementing eInvoice in the EU standard

Slovenia made a decisive step by implementing eInvoice in the EU standard

Readiness of Slovenian eInvoicing – ROSE Action concluded today with a conference “e-Invoicing – Crucial factor of business digitalization” in Portorož. A year-long action, supported by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), was presented by the implementors Public Payments Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, ZZI d.o.o., Mojdenar IT d.o.o. and Centre for European Perspective.

The key outcome of the Action – readiness of Slovenia to receive eInvoices in EU standard – not only ensures compliance with the EU Directive on eInvoicing in Public Procurement 2014/55/EU, but also opens new opportunities for eBusiness, improves Slovenia’s connectivity in the Digital Single European Market, and eliminates market and trade barriers that are a result of different national rules and technical standards.

The conference brought together over a hundred representatives of public sector, business, civil society and other stakeholders that are involved in the e-Invoicing processes. Solutions presented simplify eBusiness in the EU at large.

Participants were first greeted by the Digital Coalition Managing Board President Igor Zorko. Jorgo Bertalanič of the Public Payments Administration presented the National Forum for eInvoices and Dušan Zupančič from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia illustrated the State of eInvoicing in Slovenia. Among the Action’s solutions, Alan Ružič of ZZI presented eSlog 2.0, Dr Rok Bojanc of ZZI introduced the national database of eInvoice recipients and Darinka Arh Pilih of PPA presented eVozlišče that enables users to receive eInvoice. The presenters also explained how newly developed approaches and tools improve business and digital competitiveness of Slovenia. Sabina Carli from the Centre for European Perspective, the coordinating institution, addressed future development of Action’s results and presented the potential of experiences gained during solution development for the countries of the Western Balkans.

Guest speaker Andreja Kajtaz, representative of FINA – Financial Agency, presented implementation of eInvoicing in Croatia. Usability of solutions for incoming and outgoing invoices and supply chain is crucial for the final users – user experience and good practice examples were presented by Luka Koper, Famm Co and Kemofarmacija.

In the conclusion, a round table discussion took place, where eBusiness development was discussed by Aleksandra Miklavčič, Director General of the Public Payments Administration; Dušan Zupančič, Director of the Association for Informatics and Telecommunications at the Chamber of Commerce; Aleksander Bastl, President of the ERP Section at the Association for Informatics and Telecommunications; Tomaž Okorn, Board Member of the Chamber of Accounting Services; and Darja Murkovič Žigart, Director, Sector for Informatics at Pošta Slovenije d.o.o.

ROSE Final Conference

20 start-ups, 20 success stories from BiH and Kosovo

20 start-ups, 20 success stories from BiH and Kosovo

In order to support the endeavor of the countries of the Western Balkans, the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) has been engaged in the entrepreneurial programmes for the last five years and its main objective is empowerment of young entrepreneurs from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Empowerment is understood in many layers –  support in development of their idea, networking with colleagues from the region and wider, introducing them and their ideas to investors from all over the world as well as enable them to connect with peers from all across their country. The ultimate goal is to unite them in an informal setting that offers framework for cooperation, discussion and shaping of national policies. Encouraging young ones to contribute their perception of the world to the national policy process is essential for brighter future in their homeland.

Programme started in beginning of the year with two workshops in Sarajevo and Pristina and continued with online challenge where entrepreneurs needed to present their idea, team and business plans. Workshops were well visited which resulted in high number of submitted applications – 75 from Kosovo and 34 from Bosnia and Herzegovina. A selection committee selected best 10 ideas from each country and invited two people from each to come in May to Slovenia. Their transport, accommodation and meals were organized, along with ticket for PODIM conference.

CEP prepared an intensive and interesting programme which included meetup with Ambassadors from their countries, representatives of Slovene Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for the Western Balkan policies, pitches in front of experienced investors, discussion with start-up mentors and experts for entrepreneurship development. On 15 and 16 May 2018 the group of young and promising entrepreneurs moved to Maribor to participate in the biggest networking event for start-ups in the Alps-Adriatic Region, to take part in the PODIM Challenge pitching competition and to meet PODIM investors and blue-chip partners.

Programme in Maribor involved a number of intriguing lectures, panels and round-table discussions on business, business development, investments, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, block chain technology and ICOs and other topics that are of high interest to the young entrepreneurs. As part of the programme, PODIM Challenge TOP 20 took place in which the best 20 start-ups attending the conference pitched their ideas in front of an expert jury – and there was as well one start-up from Bosnia and Herzegovina among them – Meerkiddo.

Youngsters concluded their visit with bunch of positive stories, new contacts and connections, and even new ideas for their future developments. They have promised to stay in touch, support each other and in return for great opportunity, share their expertise with new start-ups that are yet to emerge in their local surroundings.

Programme is part of the Centre for European Perspective’s activities that are supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.

 

 

 

List of the selected BiH and Kosovo selected start-ups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation of the programme of BiH participant – start-up Meerkiddo

Some tips and hints from Dr Jernej Pintar, Technology Park of Ljubljana

With Minister of Interior of Republic of Macedonia Spasovski about financial investigations

With Minister of Interior of Republic of Macedonia Spasovski about financial investigations

At the margins of high-level inter-sectorial workshop dedicated to financial investigations, on 18 May 2018 the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Macedonia Oliver Spasovski received the following Slovenian delegation: Mr Darko Majhenič, the Director of National Bureau of Investigation, Mr Harij Furlan, Head of the Group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organized crime at the Office of the State Prosecutor General of the Republic of Slovenia, and Ms Andreja Dolničar Jeraj, Programme Director at the Centre for European Perspective who lead the delegation. The Head of Sector for IPA and Community Programmes Mr Sasko Kocev and Advisor to the Minister Mr Veton Kranlievski also joined the meeting.

They discussed outcomes of the workshop and experiences of Slovenia with changes made to the legislation and implementation of financial investigations. Since the Ministry of Interior leads the project on Macedonian side, it was suggested Minister Spasovski would host autumn inter-sectorial meeting and consider future activities for cooperation in the next programming period.

Project is part of CEP’s program activities financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.

 

 

Final conference of the ROSE Action: eInvoicing – Crucial Factor of Business Digitalization

Final conference of the ROSE Action: eInvoicing – Crucial Factor of Business Digitalization

Conference
eINVOICING –  CRUCIAL FACTOR OF BUSINESS DIGITALIZATION
Slovenia made a decisive step by implementing eInvoices in the EU standard.
25 May 2018, Grand Hotel Bernardin – Portorož

The conference aims to present new opportunities in eBusiness and connectivity on the EU’s Single Digital Market in accordance with the goals of the EU Directive on eInvoicing in Public Procurement 2014/55/EU, such as elimination of market and trade barriers that are a result of different national rules and technical standards and implementation of the European eInvoice standard EN 16931. With the approaches, standards and tools for their inclusion in the business processes, we can ensure faster transfer of goods and procurement process and improve the money flows.

The partners of the ROSE Action – Readiness of Slovenian eInvoicing will present the solutions for simple electronic commerce within the EU. New upgraded standard eSlog 2.0, national database of eInvoice recipients and other solutions for eInvoicing will be presented.

Integral solutions for e-commerce contribute to efficient business environment and better business and digital comparative advantage of Slovenia.

The reason for joining us are the new solutions and tools, useful advices and examples of good practices from the Slovenian market.

The conference is organized in the framework of the ROSE Action – Readiness of Slovenian eInvoicing and is free of charge for all participants. Registration is mandatory.

REGISTER

Agenda

8:45 – 9:10 – Arrival and registration

9:10 – 10:30

Introductory remarks
Dr. Nejc Brezovar, State Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration

National Forum for eInvoices
Jorgo Bertalanič, Public Payments Administration

State of eInvoicing in Slovenia
Dušan Zupančič, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Association for Informatics and Telecommunications
Implementation of eInvoicing in Croatia

Andreja Kajtaz, Sector for Commercial Digital Solutions, FINA – Financial Agency

10:30 – 10:45 – Break

10:45 – 12:15

ROSE Action and Development of e-SLOG 2.0
Dušan Zupančič, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Association for Informatics and Telecommunications

e-SLOG 2.0
Alan Ružič, ZZI d.o.o.

National Database of eInvoice Recipients
Dr. Rok Bojanc, ZZI d.o.o.

eVozlišče – Receipt of eInvoice in EU Standard
Darinka Arh Pilih, Public Payments Administration 

Future of the ROSE Action

Andreja Dolničar Jeraj, Centre for European Perspective

12:15 – 13:15 Lunch

13:15 – 14:15

User Experience – good practice example (incoming invoices)
Martina Lovrečič, Luka Koper d.d. 

User Experience – good practice example (outgoing invoices)
guest speaker (TBC)

User Experience – good practice example (supply chain)
Zoran Lemut, Kemofarmacija d.d.

14:15 – 15:15

Round Table Discussion
mag. Aleksandra Miklavčič, Director General, Public Payments Administration
Dušan Zupančič, Director, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, Association for Informatics and Telecommunications
Aleksander Bastl, President of the ERP Section, Association for Informatics and Telecommunications
Tomaž Okorn, Board Member, Chamber of Accounting Services
Darja Murkovič Žigart, Director, Sector for Informatics, Pošta Slovenije d.o.o.