Since May 2004, Slovenia has been a member state of the European Union. Although trade barriers had been removed to a large extent with the progressing accession negotiations, participation in the EU is further fostering the European economic integration of the new member states. One important...

On 1 January 2007, Slovenia was the first new EU member state to enter the euro area. Since June 2004 the Slovenian tolar participated in the exchange rate mechanism ERM-II with a central parity of 239.64 against the euro. This parity was also the conversion rate upon euro area accession....

The recent financial crisis starting in 2007–2009 is the longest and the deepest recession since the Great Depression of 1930. The crisis that originated in the US subprime mortgage markets spread and amplified through international financial markets and resulted in severe debt crises in...