OPEN DAYS 2010 - EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS AND CITIES

2010-10-06

W panelu dyskusyjnym BUSINESSEUROPE podczas Open Days 2010 pt. "The EU budget: what's in it for regions and industry?" udział weźmie Henryka Bochniarz.
THE EU BUDGET: WHAT'S IN IT FOR REGIONS AND INDUSTRY?

Date: 6 October 2010, 11.15 - 13.00
Venue: Brussels, Committee of the Regions, Room JDE62

Introductory Statement:
 Janusz Lewandowski, Commissioner for budget and financial programming

Panel discussion moderated by Joshua Chaffin, Financial Times (with Q&As)
 Francis Bailly, Vice-president of European Affairs, General Electric
 Henryka Bochniarz, President of PKPP - Polish Confederation of Private Employers - Lewiatan
 Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for regional policy
 Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank,
 Alain Lamassoure, Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Budget Committee

Concluding remarks
 Philippe de Buck, Director General of BUSINESSEUROPE

OUTLINE

The EU budget is a powerful tool to leverage resources and take forward competitiveness-enhancing reforms in the regions. But with public finances in tatters and severe economic challenges expected to persist over the next decade, the EU budget will have to assign clear priorities. Its structure and governance must be substantially reshaped to increase scope for action in areas where the European added value is clearly identified - e.g. research and innovation, skills and adaptability, mobility and transnational infrastructures. At the same time, it must be conducive to greater convergence across regions and help accompany the necessary process of industrial restructuring in the European internal market.

The seminar aims at debating the following questions: Does the EU budget mirror EU priorities in the post-crisis environment? How can we increase its leverage effect? What is the role of the EIB? How can cohesion policy be reformed to better respond to the needs of European regions and lead to industrial restructuring?