Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák (source: TASR )
All goals aimed at improving the performance of civil servants in EU agenda have been met, Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák’s report states, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The matter was discussed by the cabinet at its session on May 4. Slovakia trained 1,092 employees from 27 central bodies of state administration between March 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 for dealing with its EU Presidency in the second half of this year. This number is 20 percent higher than the one envisaged in the original national project.
The staff concerned underwent an institutional-procedural course in which they improved their knowledge of the functioning of the Council as well as of other EU institutions and bodies. They also received training in communication and negotiating skills and took English and French language courses.
Sensible management of financial resources has made it possible for future chairs and vice-chairs of working groups to attend vocational internships directly in Brussels. The training courses were financed via a grant worth €1.67 million from the European Social Fund. Slovakia has spent €1.23 million of this sum so far, according to TASR.
