INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - EPP Congress, BONN 8-10 December 2009

The International Visitors Programme combines politicians, participants, and sponsors into discussion, networking and privileged observation positions. The Centre has brought great interest from politicians, business people, experts and foreign observers in this innovative project.

Following the successful International Visitors Programme Meeting in spring 2009 Warsaw, thanks to the quality of the participants and speakers and the support and trust of our sponsors, the Centre for European Studies intends to continue and deepen this scheme in the framework of the EPP Congress in Bonn, 8th-10th December 2009.

The Conference focused mainly on Research Theme II of the Centre: “Economic and Social Policy Reforms” and more specifically on the proposed discussion topic “The process of economic recovery in Europe”, setting the first steps to CES Economic Ideas Forum to be launched in 2010.

Encouraged by the sucessful the experience of the CES’ first IVP, which took place at the EPP Congress in Warsaw in April 2009, the Centre delivered a strong programme that enriched its sponsors and participants with the insights of highly- qualified heads of state and government, European Commissioners, ambassadors, parliamentarians, and scholars, all tackling the theme of Economic Recovery Post-Crisis.

As an integral part of the IVP, all participants were given access to the EPP Congress, where over one thousand delegates and participants from across Europe and around the world witnessed the adoption of the Party’s statutory documents on Social Market Economy, and celebrated the re-election of EPP President Wilfried Martens and Secretary-General Antonio López-Istúriz.

The IVP provided its guests the opportunity to participate in intimate panel discussions with speakers of the highest political-level, including President of European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, EPP President Wilfried Martens, Ukranian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Commissioners Viviane Reding, Stavros Dimas and Antonio Tajani, and many other distinguished political officials from across the policy spectrum, together enriching the debate on the subjects of

‘Leadership and Innovation in ICT and Telecommunication: A transatlantic common interest’

'For a competitive Europe'

'The green path to recovery- last call for Copenhagen'

These excellent panel discussions were framed by a Welcome Dinner in which hosts Wilfried Martens, Michel Barnier and Mario David analysed the EPP and its role in European policymaking, and a Working Breakfast on the final day, in which Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis discussed the global effects of economic stimuli within the context of the financial crisis.

The IVP is successful in uniting visitors from around the world by bringing them together into the heart of the EPP family, where meaningful policy solutions to today’s economic problems are discussed by those stakeholders who are active in the policy network of the centre-right. CES looks forward to providing future participants of the IVP an equally inspiring Programme.

The Centre for European Studies is currently in preparations to provide further opportunities for its friends to engage in European policy debate.