EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS DISCUSS EU’S FUTURE AT THE “SPRING FOR EUROPE” CONFERENCE

"Spring for Europe" shall be held on May 27 from 14.30 to 19.00 p.m. at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. The forum is organized by the Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer foundations. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, former president of the French Republic and former president of the Convention on the Future of Europe, MEPs and EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva will attend the international event.                                                                                                       

The conference was opened by the Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov and the French and German Ambassadors to Bulgaria - Etienne de Poncins and Michael Geier.

At 15.00 p.m. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing will speak before the Bulgarian audience about the European Union after the Lisbon Treaty. D'Estaing led the work on the drawing up of the draft EU Constitution, which was rejected by France and Holland and did not come into force. The document became the basis of the Lisbon Treaty which has already been ratified by 14 Member States and, if ratified by all 27 EU Members, must come into effect in 2009.

French MEP Alain Lamassoure, former representative of the European Parliament at the European Convention, took part in the first module of the forum with a speech on the advance of the European project.

EU Commissioner Meglena Kuneva will deliver a speech on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty as a major phase of the European upsurge. MEP Elmar Brok will render a presentation on the role of the EP for the EU upsurge.

The second session: Round table "Europe, is it adapted to the challenges of the 21st century?", with moderator Juliana Nikolova, director of the European Institute in Bulgaria. Denis Simmoneau and Bernard Poignant will speak about the emphases during the upcoming French EU Presidency. Constantine Dimov will express views on the Euro-Atlantic friendship and Bulgarian MEP Nikolay Mladenov will talk about the role of the EU on the world stage.