Europuls is pleased to invite you to the 11th edition of the EUROSFAT Forum
The largest annual European business forum in Romania
Europuls - European Expertise Center, founder and coordinator of the EUROSFAT forum, represents a non-governmental organization established in 2010 in Brussels by a group of young Romanian experts in the field of European affairs. The organization's mission is focused on promoting European integration in Romania and on strengthening a European public space through publications and studies, alongside the organization of debates, workshop sessions and high-level conferences.
Every year since 2013, Eurosfat marks that vital moment when Europe, in all its forms,
becomes the most important topic on Romania's agenda. We intend to continue our mission to
brings the European Union closer to the Romanian citizens, especially in these difficult times.
becomes the most important topic on Romania's agenda. We intend to continue our mission to
brings the European Union closer to the Romanian citizens, especially in these difficult times.
Under the patronage of
The forum represents, year after year, a model of success in connecting the citizens of Romania with the European agenda, being a forum for debates between decision-makers at the European, national and local level, civil society, journalists, the business environment and the academic environment.
Strategic partners
Strategic sponsors
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EUROSFAT 2023
Organized by EUROPULS – EUROPEAN EXPERTISE CENTER
The European Union and the constant threats to its borders have always been in the attention of Brussels decision-makers, leading to complex debates about the European Union’s relations with its Eastern neighbourhood. However, the prospects for real enlargement of the Union remained more of a long-term goal than an immediate priority due to the complex consequences that this decision entails.
Thus, almost a decade has passed since the last enlargement of the Union, Croatia being the last country to enter the EU in 2013. A decade has also passed since the EUROSFAT forum was created, the largest EU affairs forum in Romania, under the patronage of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the EU. Organised by Europuls - Center of European Expertise, the forum was designated, on its tenth anniversary, National Winner of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize, for its efforts to promote European political, economic, cultural and social values in Romania.
The forum has become, year after year, a successful model in connecting Romanian citizens with the European agenda, being a platform for debates between decision makers at the European, national and local level, representatives of the civil society, journalists, business and academia representatives. Europuls - Center of European Expertise considers European integration an essential mission, and our organisation aims every year to innovate the way we bring the European agenda in Romania and actively tackle euroscepticism.
Thus, almost a decade has passed since the last enlargement of the Union, Croatia being the last country to enter the EU in 2013. A decade has also passed since the EUROSFAT forum was created, the largest EU affairs forum in Romania, under the patronage of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the EU. Organised by Europuls - Center of European Expertise, the forum was designated, on its tenth anniversary, National Winner of the European Charlemagne Youth Prize, for its efforts to promote European political, economic, cultural and social values in Romania.
The forum has become, year after year, a successful model in connecting Romanian citizens with the European agenda, being a platform for debates between decision makers at the European, national and local level, representatives of the civil society, journalists, business and academia representatives. Europuls - Center of European Expertise considers European integration an essential mission, and our organisation aims every year to innovate the way we bring the European agenda in Romania and actively tackle euroscepticism.
This year, the EUROSFAT forum encompasses 2 innovations:
- A local dimension - For the first time, the EUROSFAT Forum will take place in various cities of Romania:
28 September - Bucharest
13-15 October - Timișoara
9-10 November - Craiova
13-15 October - Timișoara
9-10 November - Craiova
- A regional dimension - For the first time, the EUROSFAT Forum will cross the border to the Republic of Moldova.
28 November - Chișinău
29-30 November - Bălți, Ungheni, Cahul, Comrat
29-30 November - Bălți, Ungheni, Cahul, Comrat
November 9 - 10, 2023Craiova
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2
Days
41
Speakers
11
Sessions
Craiova November 9
Opening remarks
Speakers
Representative of the Embassy of Spain in Romania
Prof. Univ. Dr. Edmond Gabriel Olteanu
Dean of the Faculty of Law
Lecturer univ. dr. Sorin Cazacu
Vice Dean of the Faculty of Letters,University of Craiova
Vice Dean of the Faculty of Letters,University of Craiova
Tana Foarfă
Executive Director, Europuls
How to become a judge - from Craiova to Strasbourg
Speakers
CO-ORGANIZERS
11:30 – 11:45 – Coffee break
Combatting human trafficking – from theory and principles to reality
Speakers
Representative of the Embassy of Spain in Romania
Anca Amza
Specialist Inspector, National Agency against Trafficking Persons, Craiova Regional Center
Specialist Inspector, National Agency against Trafficking Persons, Craiova Regional Center
Aurora Martin
Vice President of the International Institute for Human Security, Founder of the Mobile Museum of Modern Slavery
Loredana Urzică-Mirea
Executive Director, eLiberare
CO-ORGANIZERS
13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch Break
Let's talk about money - how and in what to invest?
Speakers
Dan Preda
Accounting expert and Judicial Tax Consultant
BCR Representative
CO-ORGANIZERS
Freedom of press - How to resist temptation?
Speakers
CO-ORGANIZERS
16:30 – 17:00 – Coffee Break
Spotlight stories: The art of succesful young people
Speakers
Alex Calangiu
Actor
CO-ORGANIZERS
Craiova - November 10
Dialogue about bullying
Speakers
Roxana Știubei
President, Association Media pe Bune
CO-ORGANIZERS
The fight against money laundering – what does the new EU regulation entail?
Speakers
Raluca Prună
Head of unit, Financial Crime Department, European Commission (online intervention)
Adrian Cucu
President, National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering
Lawyer Dr. Ivan Dragoș Lucian
CO-ORGANIZERS
13:00 – 14:00 – Lunch break
Negotiations simulation – how do we adopt laws at the european level?
Speakers
CO-ORGANIZERS
15:30 – 15:45 – Coffee Break
The National Strategic Plan – what funds reach farmers in Oltenia?
Speakers
CO-ORGANIZERS
The plan for just transition – will Oltenia manage to keep up?
Speakers
Gabriel Vlăduț
President of the Dolj Chamber of Commerce and Industry
CO-ORGANIZERS
October 13, 2023Timișoara
Strategic Partners
Strategic Sponsors
2
day
41
speakers
6
sessions
Opening remarks
Timișoara is the first city to transform the dimension of the EUROSFAT Forum into reality. In the introduction to the Forum, we will emphasize the importance of promoting European values in the face of the wave of Euroscepticism that is crossing the entire European continent and which in Romania is increasingly a danger.
Speakers
Ana Hernández Sierra
Deputy Head of Mission, Spanish Embassy in Romania and the Republic of Moldova
Tana Foarfă
Executive Director, Europuls
The European Year of Competences – How do we answer the needs of the labour market?
We are in the European Year of Skills, and the young generation is at the crossroads between innovation and opportunities, but also social difficulties and unpredictability. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for digitization in the lives of young generations so that they can access sustainable and innovative jobs , regardless of the socio-economic environment they are part of. The future of work is shaped around the development of young people's digital skills, their integration into a lifelong learning process, having the necessary digital infrastructure at their disposal. Thus, this panel will address the strategy and key reforms that will lead to a quality workplace for the young generation
Speakers
Cosmin Boiangiu
Head of the European Labor Authority
Irina Macsinga
Prof. univ. dr., Dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Psychology at the West University of Timișoara
Paula Roxana Kașai
Executive Director, AJOFM Timiș
Executive Director, AJOFM Timiș
Moderators
Francesca Cristea
Head of Policy and Programs, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Workshop: Negotiation. How do the European institutions work?
The training on European Institutions organized by Europuls - the European Expertise Center aims to familiarize the participants with the decision-making processes at the level of the European Union.
Divided into two parts, the training approaches this topic from both a theoretical and practical perspective, through a simulation.
After learning exactly what the roles of the European Institutions are and how they work, the participants have the opportunity to become the spokespersons of the Institutions themselves and to debate various topical issues, such as the introduction of the YouthTest, the lowering of the voting age to 16 and more.
Facilitators
Echipa Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
How do we combat disinformation? Tips and tricks
In recent years online disinformation has become a serious issue that threatens people's right to authentic information. To secure the preservation of European ideals and democratic systems, combating the propagation of false and misleading information online is essential.
Facilitators
Cristiana Bulgariu
Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Young demo
October 14, 2023Timișoara
Meet your decision-makers!
The year 2024 is a very important electoral year for Romania. For the first time in the history of our country, all the local, parliamentary, presidential and European parliamentary elections are held in a single year. The European Parliament elections start the electoral year. The year 2022 was the European Year of Youth, the year 2023 is the European Year of Skills, but we ask ourselves the question more and more often: are young people really a priority for national and European decision-makers? In this panel, we will discuss with Romanian MEPs about youth policies and the role of young people in decision-making.
Speakers
Dacian Cioloș
Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe group
Moderators
Andreea Bunache
Head of Communication, Europuls
Storytelling with ukrainean journalists: Wartime Dialogue
Speakers
Oksana Baldina
Journalist, writer, videographer, content maker, podcast author, Hromadske Radio
Vita Kopenko
Editor of the website Nizhny Sirogozy City, Kherson region, temporary occupied territory of Ukraine
Daria Verenova
Economic editor of the site
«24 Channel»
Nadia Chernukha
Editor in chief, RFI Ukraine
Moderators
Angela Grămadă
President, ESGA
CO-ORGANIZERS
October 6, 2023
Representation of the European Commission in Romania
1
day
30
speakers
7
sessions
RRF Monitor - halfway balance sheet
Romania has obtained the approval of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and is in the midst of implementing it until 2026. We are halfway through, a journey that has had deviations related to delays in sending payment requests and receiving the corresponding tranches.
However, this midpoint also offers us a new opportunity for new reforms and investments: REPowerEU, in the form of a new chapter in the PNRR, provides an additional 1.4 billion euros to Romania for investments in energy efficiency, diversification of energy sources, and renewable energy.
The Romanian Government recently submitted a modified PNRR to the European Commission, which includes a new REPowerEU chapter and also transfers 4 investments to the cohesion policy.
We seek to discover what the implementation of the PNRR looks like at this moment and what form it will take in the coming years. We will listen to the impressions of representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Romanian Government, as well as civil society members who are part of the PNRR Monitoring Committee.
However, this midpoint also offers us a new opportunity for new reforms and investments: REPowerEU, in the form of a new chapter in the PNRR, provides an additional 1.4 billion euros to Romania for investments in energy efficiency, diversification of energy sources, and renewable energy.
The Romanian Government recently submitted a modified PNRR to the European Commission, which includes a new REPowerEU chapter and also transfers 4 investments to the cohesion policy.
We seek to discover what the implementation of the PNRR looks like at this moment and what form it will take in the coming years. We will listen to the impressions of representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Romanian Government, as well as civil society members who are part of the PNRR Monitoring Committee.
Speakers
Adrian Câciu
Ministru al Investițiilor și Proiectelor Europene (MIPE)
Dragoș Pîslaru
Europarlamentar Renew Europe
Teodora Preoteasa
Secretar de stat MIPE
Cătălin Costache
Director General, Direcția Generală Management Mecanism de Redresare și Reziliență
Marius-Mihai Vasiliu
Fost Secretar de Stat al MIPE și coordonator al PNRR
Reprezentanți Comitetul de Monitorizare al PNRR
Moderator
Tana Foarfă
Director Executiv, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
September 28, 2023
JW Mariott Bucharest Hotel
European horizons in 2024 - How can we tackle eurosceptisim?
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a challenge for the European continent, but also an opportunity for the European Union to prove its creativity in finding innovative recovery instruments and become more resilient. It has proven a challenging mandate for the European Commission, and taking into account the elections that will take place next year, it is essential to strive to find the most accurate strategy in order to build on a sense of togetherness at the European level. Considering citizens’ concerns expressed during the Conference on the Future of Europe and dealing with the root causes of the polarization of political attitudes are two of the elements that could enable the EU to combat Euroscepticism and gain trust despite challenging times. To this end, mechanisms of combatting disinformation and learning lessons from the past are the key to achieving the highest level of confidence in the European project.
Consequently, speakers will be invited to assess the current level of trust of European citizens in the EU and its institutions and their main arguments for their beliefs, to discuss potential risks if the issue is not timely addressed and to look forward to measures that will enhance unity beyond national borders.
The conclusions of the debate will be published on the first Romanian platform to tackle Euroscepticism. The platform, which will be launched during the EUROSFAT Forum 2023, will provide a space where citizens and institutions may engage in discussions, share best practices, combat disinformation and strengthen the cooperation between different actors.
Consequently, speakers will be invited to assess the current level of trust of European citizens in the EU and its institutions and their main arguments for their beliefs, to discuss potential risks if the issue is not timely addressed and to look forward to measures that will enhance unity beyond national borders.
The conclusions of the debate will be published on the first Romanian platform to tackle Euroscepticism. The platform, which will be launched during the EUROSFAT Forum 2023, will provide a space where citizens and institutions may engage in discussions, share best practices, combat disinformation and strengthen the cooperation between different actors.
Opening statements
Tana Foarfă
Executive Director, Europuls
E.S. José Antonio Hernández Pérez-Solórzano
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain in Romania
Victor Negrescu
Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group
Alin Mituța
Member of the European Parliament, Renew group
Philippe Wieber
Counselor I, Embassy of the French Republica
Counselor I, Embassy of the French Republica
Anca Păduraru
Political counselor and spokesperson, European Commission's Representation in Romania
Larisa Bejan
Vice President, Romania Youth Council
Francesca Cristea
Head of Policy and Programs, Europuls
Guests
Representatives of the civil society
Moderator
Ioana Bara
Affiliated expert, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Where are our European funds and what do we do with them?
The absorption of European funds in Romania is consistently a subject of debate. After 16 years of EU membership, our bill to the EU has brought us a profit of over 50 billion euros. However, the gains could have been much higher, and the perception of Romanians is that a large part of the European funds do not go into concrete projects that benefit communities. If we were to analyse the balance sheet, we still have 25% of the European funds from the previous financial exercise (2014-2020) that we can spend until the end of this year.
For the next period, up until 2027, we have at our disposal over 50 billion euros in classic funds, along with almost 29 billion euros in funds from the PNRR. Unfortunately, two years after they were made available to us, we have not managed to absorb many funds, mainly due to delays caused by drafting operational programs and submitting payment requests. We will try to find out what projects are being prepared for the next period, how Romania has economically recovered after the pandemic, and what should be the new trends in areas where we should invest the European funds.
SPEAKERS
Dragoș Pîslaru
Member of the European Parliament,
President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, Renew Europe Group
Dragoș Anastasiu
President, Rethink Romania
Oana Bâra
Head of Financing Programs BCR
Ana-Maria Icătoiu
Vice President, OFA UGIR
Moderator
Tana Foarfă
Executive Director, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Workshop: The Absorption and diversification of the European funds
4 round tables on 4 areas of interest where facilitators will present funding opportunities in the respective field and will learn from participants about the challenges they face in implementing them, in the following areas:
- Sustainability and green transition
- Digitalization and innovation
- Development of start-ups
- SMEs Agriculture
SPEAKERS
Ana Maria Icătoiu
Vice President, Women Entrepreneurs Organization/ UGIR
Ionel Burtea
Founder Abund Berry
Bianca Chisulescu
SME Programs Expert, Raiffeisen Bank România
SME Programs Expert, Raiffeisen Bank România
Andreea Porojan
Sustainability&ESG Manager, Raiffeisen Bank
CO-ORGANIZERS
UEFISCDI, UGIR
The economy of platform work - Where do we stand?
The future of the labour market is based on how employees and employers are balanced with the help of social policies, which are meant to protect the rights of both parties. After the European Commission launched a package of proposals in December 2021 regulating the working conditions of people employed through platforms, we are at the point where the Council of the European Union is ready to negotiate with the European Parliament on the status of workers.
Thus, the ministers of the European Union member states have agreed that there is a need for continuous improvement of standards for workers. The recent proposal from the EU Council contains two changes:
● Determining a clear status for platform employees,
● Rules for the use of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace.
Thus, the ministers of the European Union member states have agreed that there is a need for continuous improvement of standards for workers. The recent proposal from the EU Council contains two changes:
● Determining a clear status for platform employees,
● Rules for the use of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace.
SPEAKERS
Dragoș Pîslaru
Member of the European Parliament,
President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, Renew Europe Group
President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, Renew Europe Group
Alin Stoica
President of USR Sector 6, former Prefect of Bucharest
Javier Aibar Bernad
Attaché for Labour, Migration and Social Security of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain to Romania (Online intervention)
Cătălin Codreanu
President of the Coalition for Digital Economy
Moderator
Alina Matiș
Editor-in-chief, Panorama.ro
CO-ORGANIZERS
About mental health - Youth in dialogue with Aluziva
Mental health was a priority in the EU even before the pandemic. A 2018 study shows that mental health problems affect around 84 million people in the EU. The pandemic has deepened these problems: from the reduction of the ability to manage stressful situations, to difficulties concentrating, making decisions, memorizing, which leads to decrease in productivity, to low processing of information and up to depression and anxiety.
Despite the universality and magnitude of mental disorders, the gap between the need, demand and supply of mental health services is huge, with very few of those in need actually accessing quality services. At the national level, the stigma associated with mental health services persists, which contributes to the low interest in accessing this type of service.
In the panel we aim to explore practical methods and public policies that could help citizens, especially the young generation to face this challenges.
SPEAKERS
Alina Greavu
Aluziva, fundraiser, activist, fondator Asociaţia ALUZIVA
Moderator
Andreea Bunache
CO-ORGANIZERS
More or less Artificial Intelligence?
A few decades ago, artificial intelligence (AI) was an exotic term accessible predominantly to a limited number of experts. In 2023, the use of AI has become an extremely relevant topic for almost all fields of activity, and debates about its regulation arouse the interest of the general public. Illustrative in this regard, any internet user can experiment with conversational assistants (chatbots) powered by artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT launched by OpenAI and Bard launched by Google (currently available only for authorized testing in the UK and the US).
In light of the European Commission's proposal, the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), there is a clear effort to regulate and balance the transformative potential of AI with its ethical and social implications. The proposal, similar to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), highlights the urgent need to understand and control the risks associated with AI technologies. With similar regulatory initiatives appearing in other parts of the world and in the context of the rapid growth of AI applications in various fields, the question arises: do we need more or less AI in our society?
SPEAKERS
Dragoș Tudorache
Member of the European Parliament, Renew group (Online intervention)
Cezara Panait
Government Affairs and Public Policy Lead for Romania & Moldova, AI Policy Lead CEE, Google
Alexandru Lăpușan
Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner, ZITEC
Ana Maria Stancu
CEO, Bucharest Promo Robots
Mihaela Constantinescu
Lecturer, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
Anda Bologa
Affiliated Expert, Europuls
Moderator
Corneliu Coteț
Affiliated expert, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Housing crisis: do you afford to live for free
The housing crisis has evolved into the world's most pressing challenge, whether we talk about urbanization, cities, social policies or generational differences. The inequality of income sources between social classes and the lack of financial education exacerbate the increased disparities of society. The consequence is that low-income or young families have few possibilities, thus forcing individuals to accept overcrowded, low-quality, unsustainable spaces.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes around the world, and some consequences are also now reflected in jobs (many have led to the disappearance of jobs or their transformation into remote work), housing exclusion for those who do not have more allowed to pay for their own space and many other economic-social issues.
SPEAKERS
Anca Dragu
President, Commission for Human Rights, Romanian Parliament
Ștefan Buciuc
Executive Director, BCR Social Finance
Doina Pârcalabu
Secretary of State, Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities
Claudiu Butacu
Co-founder of EFdeN
Cristian Ilie
General Director, Directorate „Energy Efficiency”, Ministry of Energy
Valentina Ciobanu
Vice president, Romania Youth Council
Mihai Dragoș
Vice president, Economic and Social Council
Sebastian Mîndroiu
Founder, Pick Two Studio
Moderator
Francesca Cristea
Head of Policy and Programs, Europuls
CO-ORGANIZERS
Data collected and purpose of processing
By completing the registration form for the EUROSFAT event 2023 edition and submitting, of your own free will, your personal data (name, surname, email address and telephone number), you implicitly express your consent for your data to be processed by Europuls - the Center of European Expertise in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The data you provide us will be used by EUROPULS only for the following purposes:
– to keep you informed by e-mail and/or telephone about the logistical and organizational details of the Eurosfat 2023 event;
– to send you other information related to your registration and/or participation in the Eurosfat 2023 event;
– to publish, in the form of a testimonial, if applicable, your opinions about participation in the Eurosfat 2023 event;
– to be able to contact you through the newsletter, so that we can inform you about other events or studies that we publish.
Data storage and data transfer
Personal data are kept for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes for which they are collected and processed. If we determine that we have a legitimate interest or legal obligation to continue processing, we will inform you accordingly. We generally store personal data in locations in Romania. In certain situations, it is possible to transfer data to countries in the European Economic Area - EEA (European Union, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), as well as outside it (if the servers on which we store the data or our partners provide these services outside EEA).
Your rights as a data subject
In all cases, in relation to the data processing carried out by us, you have the following rights, which we will respect without undue delay:
– the right to access your data, to rectify or delete them;
– the right to request the restriction of the processing and the right to withdraw your consent regarding the processing;
- the right to object to data processing.
Modification or deletion of data
You have the right to request information about your personal data or to request their modification or deletion. For this, you have the obligation to send your request to us, to the e-mail address [email protected].
The conditions presented on this page are supplemented by those in the Privacy Policy.
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