There is just a little over a month to inaugurate the sixth European Economic Congress (EEC). As it was in previous years, organizers expect about six thousand guests from Poland and abroad as well as representatives of the largest local companies and global giants.
The list of Polish companies include Grupa Azoty, Enea, Lotos, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, Orlen, PGE, PKP, Tauron while the global brands will be represented by Alstom, ArcelorMittal, ING, Kapsch, Microsoft, Orange, Siemens, among others.
The EEC will take place from 7th to 9th of May, in a period important to the European Union. The 9th May is celebrated as the Europe Day, and also in May it has been 10 years since the biggest enlargement of the EU by ten countries, including countries of Central Europe and the Baltic Republics.
The subject matter of the congress will be connected with such topics as: Europe in the face of global competition challenges, new EU finances, industrial and power policy, migrations and labour market, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as well as a global expansion of Polish companies (China, Africa).
Among the most important events accompanying the European Economic Congress 2014 in Katowice are: III European Union – China Economic Cooperation Forum, II Africa – Central Europe Economic Cooperation Forum and I Pakistan – Central Europe Economic Cooperation Forum as well as giving awards in Top Communal Investments and Top Investment in Public Space 2014 competitions.
So far participation in the European Economic Congress 2014 in Katowice has been confirmed by: Fatima Haram Acyl, Commissioner for Trade and Industry in African Union Commission, Zdeněk Bakala, Vice-President, Director of New World Resources (NWR), co-founder of BXR Group, Essossimna Legzim-Balouki, Trade and Private Sector Promotion Minister of Togo, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Development of the Republic of Poland, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, main EU negotiator of trans-Atlantic partnership, Miftah Ismail, Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, President of the Board of Investment, Pakistan, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Trade Minister of Pakistan.
Invitations have also been accepted by: Włodzimierz Karpiński, State Treasury Minister of the Republic of Poland, Mari Kiviniemi, Prime Minister of Finland in 2010-2011, Lena Kolarska-Bobińska, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland, Jan Kulczyk, President of the Supervisory Board of Kulczyk Investments, Vice-President of the Council of Directors of CEEP, Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, ambassador of the United States as well as Lech Wałęsa, President of the Republic of Poland in 1990-1995.
At Jerzy Buzek’s invitation, the Congress guests will be, among others: László Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy. Thanks to Janusz Piechociński, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Poland, trade ministers of Central European countries will take part in the Congress debates.
Apart from the 6 000 participants, about 700 speakers as well as 500 accredited journalist from Polish and international editorial teams are being expected by the organizers during the three congress days.