Key Issues
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.