EFNI 2014: on security and competitiveness of Europe

PRESS RELEASE
21 July 2014, Warsaw
EFNI 2014: on security and competitiveness of
Europe
The fourth edition of the European Forum for New Ideas will be held on 1-3 October
2014 in Sopot. This international congress of business milieus will gather more than
1000 foremost representatives of business, state administration, culture and science
from Poland and other countries. The Forum motto is: “Secure and competitive Europe
– realistic goal or unattainable dream? A business perspective.” The conference has
been organised since 2011 by the Polish Confederation Lewiatan in cooperation with
BUSINESSEUROPE, the City of Sopot, institutions, and business partners.
This year’s European Forum for New Ideas will be held at a special time. Although it seems that the
economy is slowly recovering, the signs of the economic revival are still too week and the
unemployment is too high to think calmly of the future. Moreover, the new balance of powers in
the European Parliament and the success of Eurosceptics necessitate even greater mobilisation of
the supporters of common Europe. “We want EFNI to become a platform from which their voice will
carry particularly loud and clear. In the year of the 10th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the
EU, we want to demonstrate that Polish business leaders and the leaders of the country speak with
one voice on the development directions of the European project, and they all strongly support
greater integration,” says Henryka Bochniarz, President of the Polish Confederation Lewiatan.
The main objective of the European Forum for New Ideas is multilateral analysis of the problems
faced by the Old Continent. This year, EFNI will present the new European authorities with a set of
proposals – put forward by European businesses – regarding economy and EU integration. These
proposals will be announced in the Sopot Declaration, and discussed in more detail in the
Recommendations – a publication summarising the conclusions of the EFNI debates. We will
forward the Recommendations to the new EU authorities, international opinion-making
organisations, and the media.
EFNI 2014 Programme (agenda)
Forum talks will revolve around key challenges that Europe and its economy are facing these days.
Political, economic, energy and digital security; today’s threats to freedom; the future of
democracy; the need to rebuild the relations between financial markets and the real economy;
the ramifications of deepening social inequality; culture as one of the most obvious platforms for
building European identity and public opinion – these are only some of the topics that will be
touched upon by the panellists and participants of EFNI 2014.
In addition to three plenary sessions and seventeen panel discussions, the Forum agenda will
include: night owls discussions (late-night informal debates with EFNI panellists), special report
premieres, breakfast and dinner debates, and round tables. Two new programme events will
present further opportunity for networking: EFNI Networking Evening and Inspirations for Europe –
a meeting with Polish entrepreneurs who have been successful in the European market. Overall,
the organisers have planned more than 66 hours of programme events.
This year’s conference will see even more agenda events hosted by EFNI international partners.
A Weimar Triangle Business Meeting will be dedicated to finding ways of stimulating European
economy. A BUSINESSEUROPE panel discussion will focus on determining energy security
requirements in Europe. In a panel discussion, the OECD business committee will present OECD
projects on regulatory reform, trade, and investment. A European network of liberal think tanks has
planned a Ralf Dahrendorf Roundtable on the future of a European welfare state. At the
European Publicists’ Forum, media representatives will share their opinions on how to report on
the EU in order to bring it closer to its citizens. A list of Visegrad Group 100 Challengers will
also be announced, while the EESC Employers' Group – an EFNI partner since its first edition –
will examine the opportunities and threats arising out of an EU-US trade agreement (TTIP),
currently under negotiation.
Associated events at the European Forum for New Ideas will feature: Konkordia – one of the largest
conferences in Poland on cross-sectoral cooperation with the participation of non-governmental
organisations; Final Gala of the Visionaries 2014 Competition; Award Ceremony honouring
managers who have taken bold business decisions; a conference on Innovative Europe – Future of
R&D. Residents of Sopot and tourists will be able to take part in Bays of Dialogue – personal
meetings with EFNI panellists.
Outstanding panellists
As in previous years, the European Forum for New Ideas will welcome more than 100 distinguished
panellists from the world of business, politics, science and culture. The following participants have
confirmed their attendance: Tim Bennett – Director-General/CEO, Trans-Atlantic Business Council,
Peter Chase – Vice President Europe, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Monica Frassoni – Co-Chair
of the European Green Party, Italy, William Eggers – world-famous authority on public-private
partnership; Director, Public Sector Research, Deloitte, Sylvie Kauffmann – Publishing Director
of a French daily Le Monde, Bernard Kouchner – former French Minister of Foreign and European
Affairs, Lukáš Macek – adviser to Czech politicians, Director of European undergraduate program
at Sciences Po Paris, Dijon, Emma Marcegaglia – President of BUSINESSEUROPE, the main
horizontal business organisation at EU level, Marie-José Nadeau – Chair, World Energy Council,
Christine Ockrent – columnist and writer, one of the foremost French-speaking journalists, Alan
Riley – Professor of Law, The City Law School in London, co-founder and Chair of the Europeanwide Competition Law Scholars Forum, Mikheil Saakashvili – former President of Georgia,
Jacques Séguéla – French political marketing guru, the man behind the campaigns for many
presidents, including Francois Mitterrand and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, for years with Havas PR
agency.
Polish panellists and guests include: Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, Jerzy Buzek, Maciej H.
Grabowski, Danuta Hübner, Adam Jasser, Katarzyna Kacperczyk, Teresa Kamińska,
Jacek Karnowski, Andrzej Klesyk, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Andrzej Koźmiński, Jacek
Krawczyk, Jacek Krawiec, Jolanta Kurska, Andrzej Olechowski, Janusz Piechociński,
Marek Prawda, Sławomir S. Sikora, Radosław Sikorski, Monika Smoleń, Wojciech Szpil,
Rafał Trzaskowski, Lech Wałęsa, Paweł Wojciechowski.
The President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski and the President of the European
Council Herman Van Rompuy have assumed Honorary Patronage of the Forum.
****
European Forum for New Ideas is an international congress of the business milieus attended by prominent
representatives of politics, culture, science, and media. It has been organised since 2011 by the Polish Confederation
Lewiatan in cooperation with BUSINESSEUROPE, the City of Sopot and Polish and foreign companies and institutions.
The forum aims at creating ideas for a strong Europe and competitive economy open to civilisation and technology trends.
The motto of this year’s EFNI edition, which will be taking place in Sopot on 1-3 October 2014, is the question: “Secure and
competitive Europe – realistic goal or unattainable dream? A business perspective.”
More information: www.efni.pl
Honorary Patronage
Institutional Partner
Strategic Partners
Opening Gala Partner
Main Partners
Supporting Partners
Main Knowledge Partner
Knowledge Partners
Logistic Partner
Official Carrier
Executive Producer
President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski, President of the
European Council Herman Van Rompuy
Marshal’s Office of the Pomorskie Voivodeship
PKN ORLEN SA, PZU, Totalizator Sportowy, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, TVP SA
Bank Pekao SA
ArcelorMittal Poland, Bloomberg Businessweek Polska, Citi Handlowy, EKES Grupa
Pracodawców, Forbes, Fortum, Google, Grupa Adamed, KPMG, Newsweek,
PKP Intercity, Samsung, Wardyński i Wspólnicy
AMS, Havas Worldwide, Onet, Orange Polska, Gazeta Giełdy Parkiet, Radio PIN,
Polpharma, Polski Związek Pracodawców Przemysłu Wydobywczego, Pomeranian
Special Economic Zone, Warsaw Business Journal Observer, Radio TOK FM, Digital
Technology Employers’ Association Lewiatan
THINKTANK
BIAC/OECD, demosEUROPA, ECFR, LIBERTÉ!, MSL Group, POLITYKA INSIGHT,
Stowarzyszenie Komunikacji Marketingowej SAR
Dell
PLL LOT SA
IDFX
MEDIA CONTACT:
Magdalena Słodownik, [email protected], mobile: 660 426 009