12 Years of EU membership most successful period of Slovakia

The dozen years of Slovakia's membership of the EU can be described without any exaggeration as the most successful period in the country's history, announced the head of the European Commission Representation in Slovakia Dusan Chrenek on Sunday.

"The EU is the world's largest economy, with Slovak companies having unrestricted access to this market for 12 years now. Meanwhile, 85 percent of Slovak exports head to the other EU-member countries," explained Chrenek. In 2003, before Slovakia joined the EU, its GDP per capita was 55 percent of the EU average, while it's now at 77 percent.

"This has been possible to achieve partly thanks to European Funds, which provide co-financing for 80 percent of public investments in the country," said Chrenek, adding that many schools, hospitals and public transport systems have been modernized in this way, along with the construction of science parks and motorways and the creation of new jobs for young people.

Slovakia is set to be the presiding country of the Council of the EU for the first time ever in the second half of 2016.

"It's going to be a great opportunity. We can show our skills and potential," stressed Chrenek, noting that Slovakia will deal with important legislative proposals, for example the creation of the Energy Union.