John Kerry, three commissioners, ministers and mayors from CEE at Green transition forum 4.0

For three days, Sofia hosts the conversation on the future of the Green Deal immediately after the European elections and on the eve of COP 29.

For the fourth year in a row, Dir.bg and 3E News are organizing the most successful forum for green transformation - "Green Transition Forum 4.0 - New perspectives for Central and Eastern Europe", which will be held in Sofia on June 26-28, 2024, in Sofia Event Center, Paradise Mall, 3rd floor.

Right after the elections for the European Parliament, European Commissioners, six general and deputy general directors of General Directorates in the EC, newly elected members of the EP, ministers and mayors from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, representatives of international and multinational companies arrive for the event in Sofia.

At a key moment for the formulation of European policies, in the conversation about the future of the Green Deal and the transformations taking place - green, digital and demographic, the Executive Vice-President of the EC and Commissioner for the European Green Deal, Mr. Maros Šefčović, the Commissioner for Jobs and social rights Mr. Nikola Schmitt and the Commissioner for Innovation, Scientific Research, Culture, Education and Youth Ms. Iliana Ivanova.

In order to share the vision of global climate processes across the ocean, Green Transition Forum 4.0 will include John Kerry - Special Climate Envoy of the US President and former Secretary of State.

The fourth edition of the forum will also serve as a platform for a common position of the countries of the region for the upcoming world forum in Baku in the fall. In order to present the priorities of the hosts, Mr. Yalchin Rafiev - the main negotiator for COP 29 and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan - arrives in Sofia.

In the important panel on the energy transformation, the Bulgarian Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov will be joined by his colleagues from Romania - Sebastian - Ioan Burduya and Moldova - Victor Parlikov.

Confirmed panelists also include EIB Vice President Kyriakos Kakouris, EIF Deputy Executive Director Roger Havenit, Ambassador of the President of Poland and Special Envoy of the Three Seas Initiative Beata Dashinska, President of the International Climate Action Institute of Croatia Maria Pujo Tadic and Oliver Röpke – President of the European Economic and Social Committee. Addresses will be given by HRH El Hassan bin Talal - Prince of Jordan and Daniele Violetti - Senior Director at the UN Climate Programmes.

EC with support for Green Transition Forum 4.0 at an even higher level

In addition to the three commissioners, Kurt Vanderberge - Director General of DG Climate Action, Charlina Vicheva - Director General of DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Mark Lemetre - Director General of DG Scientific Research and Innovation", Matthew Baldwin - Deputy Director General of DG "Energy", Iliana Tsanova - Deputy Director General of DG "Budget", Mihail Dimitru - Deputy Director General of DG "Agriculture and Rural Development", Simeona Manova - Member of the office of the Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Ferreira and Isidro Lasso - member of the office of the Transport Commissioner Valean.

President Radev will open the forum, the Bulgarian position will be presented by ministers, employers' organizations and trade unions

President Rumen Radev will open the Green Transition Forum 4.0 at 9:00 a.m. on June 26, 2024. The Bulgarian position will be presented by ministers, employers' organizations and trade unions. The host of the participants in the "Smart Cities" panel - the mayor of Pristina - Preparim Rama and the deputy mayor of Athens - Nikos Chrysogelos, will be the mayor of Sofia, Mr. Vasil Terziev. The President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2012–2017) Rosen Plevneliev, the Prime Minister of Romania (2012–2015) Victor Ponta, the Deputy Director of the Energy Community Dirk Buschle and the CEO of Ukraininvest Maxim Bondarenko will speak in a special panel about the recovery of Ukraine.

Special focus on the labor market, new professions, innovation and moral aspects of AI on the third day of the forum

In this year's edition of the forum, the organizers also emphasize the accompanying Green Deal transformations - digital and demographic. That is why special guests at the event are the Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nikola Schmitt, and the Commissioner for Innovation, Scientific Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova. They are joined by Svetoslava Georgieva - Chairman of the Board of the EIC Fund, Federico Menna - Executive Director of EIT Digital and Sasha Bilic - President of Euritas.

Funding opportunities under European programs will be discussed by representatives of the Bulgarian ecosystem of start-up enterprises at a special round table with the Director General of the General Directorate "Scientific Research and Innovations' Mr. Marc Lemaitre.