The German Marshall Fund of the United States is organising a half-day conference on:

'From the CAP to Competitiveness: The Common Agricultural Policy and the European Budget'

The event will be held in cooperation with Groupe d’Économie Mondiale (GEM), Sciences Po and the Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce and will take place from 8:30am - 12:30pm on Tuesday June 23rd, 2009 at the Hotel Silken Berlaymont Brussels. To download an invitation to this event please click here.

To register please contact Trees Robijns at +32(0)2 238 5270 or trobijns@gmfus.org

Conference Agenda:

08.30 REGISTRATION AND LIGHT BREAKFAST

08.50 Introduction Jack Thurston, German Marshall Fund of the United States

08.55 SESSION 1 – EU Budget and Agriculture

Introduction, Patrick Messerlin, GEM Sciences Po

• Distribution of farm subsidies: the French experience, Pierre Boulanger,
• GEM Sciences Po Modeling the effects of the Common Agricultural Policy on the French economy,
• Patrick Jomini, GEM Sciences Po The new CAP budget,
• Patrick Messerlin, GEM Sciences Po General discussion

10.40 COFFEE BREAK

11.00 SESSION 2 – EU Budget and Competitiveness

Introduction, Charlotte Nyberg, Association of Swedish Chambers of Commerce

A business perspective on reforming the EU budget: "From CAP to Competitiveness" report and perspectives from the R&D world:

• Signhild Arnegård Hansen, Chairman of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and CEP of Svenska Lantchips
• Dr. Jan van den Biesen, Director Public R&D Programs, Philips General discussion

12.15 The Budget Reform – A stocktaking exercise (TBD)

12.30 BUFFET LUNCH