Ministerial Reunion & High-Level Conference

Saatja: "Cabinet Ministru" <[email protected]> Saaja: "Jürgen Ligi - RAM" <[email protected]>, "Triin Tomingas - RAM" <[email protected]> Teema: [DKIM katki]Ministerial Reunion & High-Level Conference on Cohesion, Bucharest, November 21 Kuupäev: 2025-11-02 10:36 Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada. HOIATUS! See e-kiri võib olla liba-, õngitsus- või pahaloomuline, kuna on saadetud asutusest, kus meiliserver on vigaselt seadistatud. Rohkem infot: KKK | teenusveeb <https://teenused.rit.ee/et/kkk> -> E-post ja kalender. Dear colleagues, As we have not yet received confirmation regarding the participation of Minister Jürgen Ligi or another political representative of Estonia at the Ministerial Meeting and High-Level Conference on the Future of Cohesion Policy in Bucharest, we would like to kindly follow up on our previous message sent on 6 October. We have received confirmation of participation from Mr. Jorgen Talkop, on behalf of the Permanent Representation of Estonia to the European Union, for which we are sincerely grateful. We would nevertheless be very pleased if Estonia could also be represented at a political level during this important event. Please find attached the updated version of the agenda. The programme will begin with a high-level dinner on 20 November, followed by a ministerial meeting in the morning and the main conference throughout the day. The final agenda, along with the conference PIN and all relevant logistical details, will be shared with confirmed participants in the coming days. We would be delighted to welcome Estonia’s participation in Bucharest. Thank you very much for your kind cooperation. Warm regards from Bucharest, On behalf of Minister Dragoș Pîslaru Cabinet of the Minister Ministry of Investments and European Projects Government of Romania 7 Menuetului Street, Sector 1, Bucharest November 2025 High-Level Conference on Future of Cohesion Policy “Cohesion 2027+: an enabler of long-term development, inclusive economic competitiveness and resilience throughout Europe” November 21st, 2025, Bucharest, Romania Organisers Ministry of Investments and European Projects Minister Dragoș PÎSLARU Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister Oana ȚOIU Ministry of Finance Minister Alexandru NAZARE Event venue Bucharest Sheraton Hotel 5-7 Calea Dorobanți Google Maps 📍 Confirmation Invited participants who have not yet confirmed their attendance are invited to do so at their earliest convenience. To facilitate logistics and ensure proper protocol arrangements, please confirm your participation using the following simple form: https://tinyurl.com/Cohesion2027ROConference. Your confirmation will greatly assist us in finalizing the conference agenda and bilateral meeting schedule. We look forward to welcoming you to Bucharest for what promises to be an important and forward-looking discussion on the future of cohesion policy in Europe. Pre-event high-level dinner event (by invitation only) National Bank of Romania 25 Lipscani Street Google Maps 📍 Thursday, November 20th, 19:00 – Hosted in the elegant halls of the National Bank of Romania, the High-Level Dinner will bring together around 35 distinguished guests — European Commissioners, ministers, Members of the European Parliament, and institutional leaders — for an evening of meaningful dialogue and exchange. Beyond protocol, the evening will celebrate partnership, trust, and shared purpose — values that lie at the heart of European cooperation. The event aims to foster genuine connections among decision-makers and to set the tone for the Cohesion 2027+ High-Level Conference taking place the following day. Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 1  November 21st, 2025 - Friday 09:00 – 10:45 Ministerial Cohesion Round Table: The role of the traditional policies in the context of the new MFF (1+2 format) Host country: 5 minutes • Mr. Dragoș PÎSLARU Romania Minister of Investments and European Projects European Union: 5 minutes each • Mr. Raffaele FITTO European Commission Executive Vice-President | Cohesion and Reforms • Mrs. Roxana MÎNZATU European Commission Executive Vice-President | Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness • Mr. Siegfried MUREȘAN European Parliament Member, MFF Rapporteur • Mrs. Kata TÜTTŐ European Committee of the Regions President Member States: 3 minutes each • Mrs. Nataša MIKUŠ ŽIGMAN Croatia Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds • Mr. Petr KULHÁNEK Czechia Minister for Regional Development • Mr. Nikos PAPATHANASIS Greece Alternate Minister of Economy and Finance • Dr. Tibor NAVRACSICS Hungary Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development • Mr. Stefan ZRINZO AZZOPARDI Malta Minister for European Union Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme • Mr. Samuel MIGAĽ Slovakia Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization 2 Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025.  • Mr. Aleksander JEVŠEK Slovenia Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development • Mr. Tomislav DONCHEV Bulgaria Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovations and Growth (TBC) • Mr. Makis KERAVNOS Cyprus, Incoming EU Council Presidency Minister of Finance (TBC) • Mr. Jürgen LIGI Estonia Minister of Finance (TBC) • Mrs. Françoise GATEL France Minister of Spatial Planning and Decentralization (TBC) • Mr. Tommaso FOTI Italy Minister for European Affairs, NRRP and Cohesion Policy (TBC) • Mr. Arvils AŠERADENS Latvia Minister of Finance (TBC) • Mr. Januš KIZENEVIČ Lithuania Vice-Minister, Ministry of Finance • Mrs. Monika SIKORA Poland Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy • Mr. Daniel LILJEBERG Sweden State Secretary, Ministry of Climate and Enterprise • Mrs. Mercedes CABALLERO FERNÁNDEZ Spain Secretary General for EU Funds, Ministry of Finance • Mr. Georg SCHADT Austria Head of Directorate, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry • Dr. Claudia KUTZSCHBACH Germany Head of Division ID2 – European Cohesion and Structural Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy • Mr. Tjerk OPMEER Netherlands Director for Innovation, Ministry of Economic Affairs • Mr. Gaetan POELMAN Belgium General Representative, Delegation of Flanders to the EU • Mrs. Anni STÅHLE Finland Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Finland in Romania Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 3  • Denmark (TBC) • Ireland (TBC) • Luxembourg (TBC) • Portugal (TBC) Conclusions: 5 minutes • Mr. Dragoș PÎSLARU Romania Minister of Investments and European Projects 10:45 – 10:50 Family Photo 10:50 – 11:00 Coffee break 11:00 - 11:30 Opening Remarks: 5 minutes each • Mr. Nicușor DAN Romania President (TBC) • Mr. Ilie BOLOJAN Romania Prime-Minister (TBC) • Mr. Raffaele FITTO European Commission Executive Vice-President | Cohesion and Reforms • Mrs. Roxana MÎNZATU European Commission Executive Vice-President | Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness • Mrs. Oana ȚOIU Romania Minister of Foreign Affairs • Mr. Alexandru NAZARE Romania Minister of Finance (TBC) Host: • Mr. Dragoș PÎSLARU Romania Minister of Investments and European Projects 11:30 – 12:00 Press Statement / Coffee Break 4 Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 12:00 – 14:30 Plenary Session: Positioning Cohesion Policy in a newly proposed EU budget landscape Theme: The future of the Cohesion Policy: how to maintain its strategic value? (choices, priorities and trade-offs). This session provides a political overview of the future architecture, linking all three pillars at the strategic level. Speakers: 5 minutes each • Mr. Siegfried MUREȘAN European Parliament Member, MFF Rapporteur • Mrs. Kata TÜTTŐ European Committee of the Regions President • Mrs. Nataša MIKUŠ ŽIGMAN Croatia Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds • Mr. Petr KULHÁNEK Czechia Minister for Regional Development • Mr. Nikos PAPATHANASIS Greece Alternate Minister of Economy and Finance • Mr. Victor NEGRESCU European Parliament Vice-President • Mrs. Antonella BASSANI World Bank IBRD & IDA Vice-President, Europe and Central Asia • Mr. Dan BARNA European Parliament Member (TBC) • Mrs. Monika SIKORA Poland Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy • Mr. Januš KIZENEVIČ Lithuania Vice-Minister, Ministry of Finance • Dr. Claudia KUTZSCHBACH Germany Head of Division ID2 – European Cohesion and Structural Policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy • Mr. Alejandro BLANCO FERNANDEZ European Court of Auditors, Rapporteur Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 5  Moderator: • Mrs. Teodora PREOTEASA Investments and Development Bank, Director of European Funds Administration 14:30 – 15:30 Lunch time & Networking 15:30 – 16:30 Parallel Session #1: Economic Pillar Cohesion, Competitiveness and Convergence – How can they work together? Theme: Delivering on the green, digital and industrial transitions while reducing disparities. Focuses on cohesion as an enabler of Europe’s competitiveness and industrial renewal. Speakers: 5 minutes each • Mrs. Nataša MIKUŠ ŽIGMAN Croatia Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds • Mr. Petr KULHÁNEK Czechia Minister for Regional Development • Mr. Stefan ZRINZO AZZOPARDI Malta Minister for European Union Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme • Mr. Victor NEGRESCU European Parliament Vice-President • Mrs. Mercedes CABALLERO FERNÁNDEZ Spain Secretary General for EU Funds, Ministry of Finance • Mr. Daniel LILJEBERG Sweden State Secretary, Ministry of Climate and Enterprise • Mr. Tjerk OPMEER Netherlands Director for Innovation, Ministry of Economic Affairs • Mr. Radu BURNETE Presidential Administration of Romania Presidential advisor – Department of Economic and Social Policies • Mr. Sorin MAXIM West Regional Development Agency, Director General • Mr. Emil BOC Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, CoR Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget Vice-President (TBC) 6 Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025.  Moderator: • Dr. Corina-Andreea MURAFA-BENGA Bucharest University of Economic Studies, University Lecturer 15:30 – 16:30 Parallel Session #2: Social Pillar People at the centre – Cohesion Policy for skills, inclusion and social equity Theme: How can Cohesion Policy better respond to Europe’s social transformation? Grounded in people-centred cohesion – social investment, human capital, and equal access. Speakers: 5 minutes each • Ms. Ana Maria DOBRE European Commission, Directorate- General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Director • Mr. Florin ZAHARIA Ministry of Finance State Secretary (TBC) • Ms. Ștefania ANDREESCU Ministry of Labor, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, Director General • Mr. Roman ZHUKOVSKYI World Bank Senior Social Protection Specialist • Mr. Sterică FUDULEA Economic and Social Council of Romania, President • Member States representatives, upon request Moderator: • Mr. Florian MARIN European Economic and Social Committee Member, President of the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Romania 15:30 – 16:30 Parallel Session #3: Territorial Pillar A future for all places – Cohesion Policy as a driver of spatial justice Theme: Reinforcing the place-based logic in an enlarged, complex and asymmetric Europe. Strategically anchors the territorial dimension in enlargement, resilience, and multilevel governance. Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 7  Speakers: 5 minutes each • Dr. Tibor NAVRACSICS Hungary Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development • Ms. Orsolya Maria KÖVER Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, State Secretary • Mr. Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO European Committee of the Regions – Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget, President (TBC) • Dr. Wiktor SZYDAROWSKI European Spatial Planning Observation Network - European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, Director • Mr. Marcel-Ioan BOLOȘ North-West Regional Development Agency, Director General • Mr. Alexandru VĂRZARU Eurocities / Timișoara City Hall Head of International Affairs (TBC) • Member States representatives, upon request Moderator: • Mr. Alexandru KELEMEN Jiu Valley Integrated Territorial Development Association, Executive Director 16:30 – 16:45 Coffee Break 16:45 – 18:00 Plenary Session: Making Cohesion a Success Story. Delivery, Results and Strategic Drivers Theme: Rethinking delivery: how cohesion is financed, managed, and measured Speakers: 5 minutes each • Mrs. Carmen MORARU Romania State Secretary, Ministry of Investments and European Projects • Ms. Sofia ALVES European Commission Director, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (TBC) 8 Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025.  • Mrs. Anna AKHALKATSI World Bank Director for the EU, Europe and Central Asia, ECA • Mrs. Teodora PREOTEASA Investments and Development Bank, Director of European Funds Administration • Mr. Marius CARA European Investment Bank Head of EIB Group Office in Romania • Mr. Vasile ASANDEI North-East Regional Development Agency Director General • Member States representatives, upon request Moderator: • Mr. Dragoș DINU World Bank Senior Public Sector Consultant 18:00 – 18:15 Closing Remarks: • Mr. Dragoș PÎSLARU Romania Minister of Investments and European Projects 18:15 – 19:00 Networking Cocktail Reception A dedicated time slot for bilateral meetings will be available on the day of the conference, between 11:30 and 18:00, at the same venue — Sheraton Bucharest Hotel. Our team will provide logistical support to facilitate these meetings upon request. Draft agenda – Updated November 1st, 2025. 9