Programme

Enlargement High-Level Forum

08:30 Registration and group picture

09:00-10:45 Opening session: the Enlargement High-Level Forum

  • Oliver Röpke, European Economic and Social Committee President
  • Moderator: Barbara Moens, Chief EU Correspondent at Politico, Brussels
    • Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
    • Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement
    • Niki Kerameus, Minister of Labour and Social Security of Greece
    • Naida Nišić, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Montenegro
    • Rolf Schmachtenberg, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs of Germany
    • Albana Koçiu, Minister of Health and Social Protection of Albania
    • Aleksandra Gajewska, State Secretary of the Ministry for Family, Labour and Social Policy of Poland
  • DISCUSSION

10:45-12:00 Session I: A vibrant civil society as a pre-requisite for successful enlargement

  • Scene setter: Elise Bernard, Head of Studies, Foundation Robert Schuman, Paris-Brussels
  • Moderator: Séamus Boland, Civil Society Organisations' Group President, EESC
    • Alexandrina Najmowicz, Secretary General, European Civic Forum, France-Belgium
    • Ivan Cooper, CEO of the Wheel (National association of charities, community and voluntary organisations and social enterprises), Ireland
    • Biljana Spasovska, Executive Director of the Balkan Civil Society Development Network, North Macedonia
    • Ayşe Yürekli, Senior Policy Advisor for European Affairs of the Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGIDER), Türkiye
  • DISCUSSION

12:00-13:15 Session II: Social dialogue – exchange of good practices and lessons learned - the way forward

  • Scene setter: Kostas Papadakis, Senior Specialist at the Social Governance, Labour Relations and Governance of Work Branch, GOVERNANCE, ILO
  • Moderator: Lucie Studničná, Workers' Group President
    • Kinga Grafa, Deputy Director General of Lewiatan, Poland
    • Suzana Radulović, Secretary General of the Employers Federation, Montenegro
    • Igor Zubcu, President of the National Trade Union Confederation, Moldova
    • Josef Středula, President of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (CMKOS), Czech Republic
  • DISCUSSION

Lunch -Buffet

14:45-16:00 Session III: The role of social partners in fostering a competitive, green and digital transition

  • Scene setter: Stavroula Demetriades, Senior Research Manager, EUROFOUND
  • Moderator: Stefano Malia, Employers' Group President
    • Mariya Mincheva, EESC member and Vice President, Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), Bulgaria
    • Oleksandr Yavorsky, Head of Competitiveness Department, Federation of Employers, Ukraine
    • Čedanka Andrić, President of the Independent Trade Union Confederation, Serbia
    • Fernando Luján de Frías, Vice Secretary General for Trade Union Policy of the Union of Workers (UGT), Spain
  • DISCUSSION

16:00-16:15 Closing Remarks

  • Short intervention by Oliver Röpke, President of EESC and Mario Nava, Director General of Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission

Interpreting: EN/BG/CS/DA/DE/EL/ES/ET/FI/FR/GA/HR/HU/IT/LT/LV/MT/NL/PL/PT/RO/SK/SL/SV

Enlargement Candidate Members' Initiative | EESC (europa.eu)

EESC-enlargement@eesc.europa.eu