Schedule of Events from 3 to 9 May

MONDAY, 3 May

STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament is to start its first plenary session in the newly-enlarged EU. The agenda includes the confirmation of ten European commissioners from the EU newcomers, including Slovenia's Janez Potocnik. Slovenia's Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor is to attend a formal ceremony ahead of the parliament's session. The session is to wrap up on Wednesday.

LJUBLJANA - Heads of deputy groups are scheduled to meet ahead of Thursday's extraordinary session of parliament. The session has been called at the request of opposition lawmakers.

PORTOROZ - A two-day international conference on the 5th Pan-European Corridor, organised by the Transport Ministry, is set to get underway, gathering transport ministry officials from Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia.

LJUBLJANA - FM Dimitrij Rupel is to receive Director of the NATO Office of Security Wayne Rychak.

LJUBLJANA - A series of week-long events leading to Europe Day on 9 May are to kick off.

LJUBLJANA - EU Ambassador to Slovenia Erwan Fouere is to attend a ceremony marking Slovenia's accession to the EU, which will be organised by the Zavod sv. Stanislava, a Catholic school in Ljubljana.

LJUBLJANA - Labour Ministry officials and representatives of organisations for disabled people are to meet to discuss the convention on the rights of the disabled.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Red Cross is scheduled to hold a press conference on the Red Cross week.

BRNIK - Hungarian flag carrier Malev is set to begin daily flights between Ljubljana and Budapest.

LJUBLJANA - The Automobile Association of Slovenia (AMZS) is to present its views on the draft version of the amended road safety act.

LJUBLJANA - World Press Freedom Day.

TUESDAY, 4 May

STRASBOURG, France - Mayors from capital cities and major regional centres from the ten new EU member states, including officials from Slovenia, are to start a two-day meeting.

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Andrej Logar is to pay a visit to Budapest as part of regular bilateral consultations between Slovenia and Hungary.

LJUBLJANA - European programmes on mobility and international cooperation are to be presented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

LJUBLJANA - The results of the project "Natura 2000" in Slovenia are to be presented by the Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy.

WEDNESDAY, 5 May

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ladislav Lipic is to attend a two-day annual meeting of NATO chiefs of staff.

DUBLIN, Ireland - Ministers from the member countries of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED) are to start a two-day meeting. Represented by FM Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenia will be participating for the first time as a EU member state.

LJUBLJANA - Economics Minister Matej Lahovnik is to present the ministry's long-term vision on Slovenia's economy policy, the current situation of Slovenia's economy and the ministry's priorities until the end of its term.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission for international and European affairs is to discuss a bill on Slovenia's relations with Slovenians living abroad.

LJUBLJANA - Swedish Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Policy Ulrica Messing is to pay an official visit at the invitation of Slovenian Minister of the Information Society Pavel Gantar.

AJDOVSCINA - A ceremony is set to mark the anniversary of the first Slovenian government.

MARIBOR - The newspaper house Vecer is to launch its on-line archive.

THURSDAY, 6 May

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly is to hold an emergency session at the request of a group of 25 lawmakers of the opposition parties SDS, NSi, SNS and SMS. MPs are expected to take a fresh vote on the income tax bill after it was vetoed by the National Council. The session is to focus on suspicions of corruption by holders of public office in the management of state-owned public companies.

LJUBLJANA - The government is to hold its regular weekly session.

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy committee is to discuss a bill on the ratification of the convention on data access, alongside a series of topical bills and proposals.

KOPER - New facilities at the border check point of the port of Koper are to be officially opened. Government Secretary General Mirko Bandelj is scheduled to hold a speech on this occasion.

PORTOROZ - An international conference on the English language and literature studies in the context of the European language diversity is set to be held in the coastal city of Portoroz.

VALLETTA, Malta - Minister of Structural Policy and Regional Development Zdenka Kovac is scheduled to start a three-day visit to Malta.

BERLIN, Germany - Culture Minister Andreja Rihter is to attend a ministerial meeting on Europe's cultural diversity.

FRIDAY, 7 May

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission is scheduled to hold its regular weekly session for the first time in its new formation of 30 commissioners, including Slovenia's Janez Potocnik.

MARIBOR - The Party of European Socialists (PES) is to hold a meeting organised by the Maribor Municipality. Interior Minister Rado Bohinc is scheduled to present Slovenia's view on inter-regional and cross-border cooperation in the EU. EU Ambassador to Slovenian Erwan Fouere is also expected to attend the event.

MARIBOR - Young painters, writers and photographers participating in a competition "Europe through Culture and Sports" are to be awarded as the "Europe in School" event wraps up. EU Ambassador to Slovenian Erwan Fouere is expected to attend.

SATURDAY, 8 May

SROMLJE PRI BREZICAH - Defence Minister Anton Grizold is to attend a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the detachment Kozjanski odred, which led to the liberation of the Brezice region after World War II.

LJUBLJANA - The students' organisation of the University of Ljubljana is to host the Million Marijuana March as part of a project dubbed "Prohibition Makes You Blind".

LJUBLJANA - International Red Cross Day.

SUNDAY, 9 May

LJUBLJANA - Europe Day.

KILLARNEY, Ireland - Agriculture Minister Milan Pogacnik is expected to attend a three-day informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers.