TRANS-EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES ASSOCIATION

09:00-09:30
Arrival of participants

09:30-10:00
Chair, moderator and introductory words
Prof. Dr. DINKO DINKOV
BECSA President, Head of the International Relations Department and Jean Monnet lecturer at the University of National and World Economy – Sofia

Address on behalf of the Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA)

Official Address
“The ENP and Bulgaria’s EU membership”
Ms. EVGENIYA KOLDANOVA
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sofia

Questions and answers

10:00-10:30
The hot topic:
“A strengthened European Neighbourhood Policy: First responses and further steps to be taken by the Commission”
– focus on the Commission’s paper released on 5 December 2007
Ms. ANNA-CARIN KROKSTADE
European Neighbourhood Policy Directorate, DG “External Relations” of the European Commission, Brussels
(power point presentation)

Questions and answers

10:30-11:00
Coffee break

11:00-11:45
Chair and moderator
Mr. KRASSIMIR NIKOLOV
BECSA Secretary General, Jean Monnet chair in European Integration at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”

Speakers:

“Will changes introduced by the EU’s Reform Treaty in the field of foreign affairs and security make the ENP more efficient and effective?”
Prof. Dr. FABIEN TERPAN
Political Science Department, University of Grenoble – France

“The nexus of ENP-South, ENP-East and Black Sea regional cooperation”
Mr. OGNYAN CHAMPOEV
Head of Planning and Coordination Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia

“Maintaining the ENP’s single framework: pros and cons”
Mr. BORIS KOSTOV
Jean Monnet lecturer / Political Science Department, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BECSA member

12:15-13:00
Lunch break

13:00-14:30
Chair and moderator
Mr. BORIS KOSTOV
Jean Monnet lecturer / Political Science Department, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BECSA member

Speakers:

“Pre-accession, the ENP and Black Sea regional cooperation – are they reinforcing or conflicting processes in the case of Turkey?”
Dr. BURCU GULTEKIN-PUNSMANN
Senior Research fellow, Centre for European Studies, Middle East Technical University (METU) – Ankara, Turkey

“The quality of sub-regional cooperation and the expanding EU: The Balkans and the Black Sea area in a comparative perspective”
Dr. SVETLOZAR ANDREEV
M. Garcia-Pelayo Fellow, Centro de Estudios Politicos y Constitucionales (CEPS), Madrid – Spain, BECSA member

(to follow)

Speakers:

“The ENP’s principle of joint ownership and its implementation in the Eastern EU neighbourhood”
Mr. KRASSIMIR NIKOLOV
BECSA Secretary General, Jean Monnet chair in European Integration at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”

“The Eastern dimension of the ENP and its legal foundations”
Ms. MARIETA RABOHCHIYSKA
International Law and International Relations Department, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BECSA member
(power point presentation)

“Focusing eastwards: The ENP from the German to Czech EU presidencies”
Dr. VIT STRITECKY
Senior Research Fellow, Institute of International Relations – Prague, The Czech Republic [member institute of the Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) – Brussels]
(power point presentation)

(to follow)

Speakers:

“The role of the EU and its new member states in the Palestinian territories”
Mr. KAMEN VELICHKOV
Head of Political Issues Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia
(power point presentation)

“The ENP and EU actions in the field of conflict management: Comparing Eastern Europe and the Maghreb”
Dr. JEAN CROMBOIS
Department of Politics and European Studies, American University in Bulgaria – Blagoevgrad

15:30-16:00
Coffee break

16:00-17:00
Chair and moderator
Mr. MARIN LESSENSKI
Programme Director, Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) – Sofia

Speakers:

“Implementing the Black Sea Synergy: The need for a regional approach and the role of regional organisations”
Dr. PANAGIOTA MANOLI
Director of Studies, International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS) – Athens, Greece

“A multilateral approach to democracy promotion in the Black Sea region – the role of the ENP”
Ms. ELITSA MARKOVA, Programme Director, Open Society Institute – Sofia, BECSA member

“Mapping games and security: The EU and the Black Sea”
VLADIMIR SHOPOV, Guest lecturer / Political Science Department, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BECSA member

“The EU’s Black Sea synergy: From concept to implementation”
Mr. GEORGI KAMOV, South Eastern Europe Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia
(power point presentation)

18:00
Closure of the conference
Mr. KRASSIMIR NIKOLOV
BECSA Secretary General, Jean Monnet chair in European Integration at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”

18:15
Presentation of BECSA’s publication:

EUROPE ON THE BLACK SEA SHORE:
Opportunities and Challenges for Bulgaria

Contributions to the conference volume (without oral presentation during the event):

“Pre-accession, the ENP and Black Sea regional cooperation – are they reinforcing or conflicting processes in the case of Turkey?”
Prof. Dr. ATILA ERALP
Director of the Centre for European Studies, Middle East Technical University (METU) – Ankara, Turkey

“The ENP and multimodal transportation development in the Black Sea region”
Dr. ANTON PASHOV, Chief Expert, Bulgarian Maritime Administration

“The public diplomacy challenge to the ENP: What role for the new EU members in the Eastern EU neighbourhood?”
Mr. PLAMEN RALCHEV
Assistant Professor, International Relations Department at the University of National and World Economy – Sofia; BECSA member

“Black Sea Synergy – a key to the energy security in Europe?”
Ms. ELISABETH YONEVA
Doctoral Candidate, International Relations Department at the University of National and World Economy – Sofia; BECSA member

“Conditionality in a “reinforced” ENP: stumbling blocks and future challenges”
Ms. LORA BORISSOVA, European Institute of Public Administration – Antenna Luxembourg