the EU bank

Session I: 

Policy Strategies for Regional Development

• Strategies for regionally balanced development in the new Member States, and lessons from past experience in the EU.
• Current discussion about the future EU budget and support for new Member States.
• Main lessons from the European Commission report on social cohesion.
• Contribution of the new Member States to an economically more dynamic Europe.

Session II: 

Regional Infrastructure

• Priorities of National Development Plans for infrastructure.
• Trans-European Networks for transport and communications.
• Investment for meeting EU environmental standards.
• Investment in educational infrastructure.
• Investment trends and challenges.

Session III: 

Restructuring and Modernizing Industry

• Opportunities for modernizing industry and strengthening competitiveness and attendant challenges.
• Contribution of FDI to modernization.
• Trends in and changing markets for FDI.
• The region's human/ scientific potential and importance of this for attracting foreign investors.
• Policies and practical approaches for attracting investors.
• Opportunities for investing in high-tech industries and activities with high value added.

Session IV: 

Innovative Financing

• Financing infrastructure.
• Co-financing with structural funds.
• Experiences with public-private partnerships.
• Industry's and SMEs' access to finance.
• Availability of long-term finance.
• Risk-capital for R&D and Innovation.
• Prospects for joining the euro zone and the impact on banking and capital markets.