EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Delegation to 30 September-2 October 2008 DRAFT PROGRAMME

Monday 29 September 2008

Individual arrival of Members and Staff in Suggested flight from Brussels: Brussels: 13h45 - Vienna: 15h30 - flight: OS 368 Suggested transfer flight: Vienna: 17h55 - Sofia: 20h25 - flight: FB 410

Individual Radisson Bus transfer from to Hotel Radisson SAS

Hotel chosen for the Delegation:

Radisson SAS Grand Hotel 4, Narodno Sabranie Sq. P.O. Box 549 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel +359 2 9334 334 Fax +359 2 9334 335 mail: [email protected]

Tuesday 30 September 2008

08h00-08h45 -Working breakfast with briefing from Ms Zinaida ZLATANOVA the European Commission Head of Representation, and Mr Toon STREPPEL Head of European Parliament Office in Sofia at the Flanagan restaurant Radisson SAS Grand Hotel

08h50 - Delegation to meet in hotel lobby, walk on foot to nearby Bulgarian National Assembly

09h00-10h00 - Meeting with representatives of the Local Self-Government, Regional policy and Urban Development Committee; the Permanent Subcommittee on the Utilization of the EU Funds and the Budget and Finance Committee of the Bulgarian National Assembly. Venue: Bulgarian National Assembly 2 Narodno Sabranie Square, 1169 Sofia

1 10h00-10h30 Coffee break

10h30-12h00 Meeting with the Bulgarian authorities responsible for management and implementation of EU Funds in Bulgaria: Mr. Asen Gagauzov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ms. Iskra Mihailova, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Mr. Dimcho Mihalevski, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Mr. Savin Kovachev, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Mr. Lubomir Datzov, Deputy Minisetr of Finance Ms. Boriana Pencheva, Director of Management of EU Funds Directorate, Ministry of Finance Ms. Vesela Gospodinova, Deputy Minister of Transport Mr. Chavdar Georgiev, Deputy Minister of Environment and Waters Mr. Vasil Margaritov, Director of Cohesion Policy for Environment Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Waters Ms. Shinka Marinova, Director of EU Funds for Environment Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Waters Venue: Bulgarian National Assembly

12h00-12h15 Statement to the media - Chairman of the REGI Committee Venue: Bulgarian National Assembly

12h15 - Walk to the Crystal Restaurant (take bus if raining) 12h15 - Meet the bus in the car park at the Church St. Alexander Nevski (Stand-by in case of rain)

12h30-14h00 Working lunch of the REGI delegation with Ms Meglena Plugchieva, Deputy-Prime Minister, responsible for the EU funds in Bulgaria Venue: Crystal Restaurant Str., Sofia 1000, tel. (02) 948 94 94

14h15-14h35 - Bus transfer to the Sofia Airport

14h35-15h10 Visit of the ISPA project 2000/BG/16/P/PT/002: Reconstruction, extension and development of Sofia Airport Venue: Sofia Airport

15h10-15h30 - Bus transfer from Sofia Airport to Sofia Municipality Building

15h30-16h30 - Meeting with the Mayor of Sofia Venue: Sofia Municipality, 33, Moskovska Str., Sofia 1000

16h30 - Delegation to meet in front of the building Walk to the National Museum of Archaeology,

2 16h45-17h45 Cultural visit in the city centre the National Museum of Archaeology (10 minutes walking distance from the Radisson Hotel) Venue: the National Museum of Archaeology 2, Saborna Str. Sofia 1000, entrance Batenberg Sq.

17h45-19h00 - Free time

19h10 - Delegation to meet in hotel lobby. Departure by bus to the Ariana Restaurant

19h30-21h30 - Official dinner given by the mayor of Sofia Venue: Ariana Restaurant, Borisova Gradina Park, (next to the Ariana lake)

22h00 - Return to Hotel

Radisson SAS Grand Hotel 4, Narodno Sabranie Sq. P.O. Box 549 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria Tel +359 2 9334 334 Fax +359 2 9334 335 mail: [email protected]

Wednesday 1 October 2008

07h00-07h45 - Breakfast and check-out from Hotel

07h45 - Delegation to meet in hotel lobby

8h00 - Bus transfer from the Radisson SAS hotel to the town of Gorna Orjahovica

On the road "presentation in movement" of the ISPA Project N°2000/BG/16/P/PT/001, Transit Roads Rehabilitation Project III, LOT 4, ROAD A- 2, 4 lanes, Pan-European corridor IV, Section Hemus motorway, 39 km

11h30-12h00 - Visit of the Daily Centre - Gorna Orjahovica, PHARE project BG 2003/004-937.01.4-02 "Improvement of quality of life of people with mental disabilities" Venue: 1, Drujba Str. Gorna Orjahovica 5100

12h05 - Bus leaves for Waste water plant

12h15- 12h45 - Visit of the Waste Water Treatment Plant - Gorna Orjahovica ISPA Project 2001/BG/16/P/PE/005: Regional Waste Water Treatment Plan for , Dolna Oryahovitsa and Liaskovets

3 12h50 - Bus leaves for Arbanasi, National Architectural Reserve, near Gorna Orjahovica and

13h00-14h00 - Working Lunch in Arbanasi. Lunch and a short presentation on the current state of the Bulgarian economy will be given by the Minister of Economy. (to be confirmed)

14h00-14h30 - Visit of historical places in Arbanasi

14h45 - Bus transfer of MEPs and some staff to Gorna Orjahovica airport to board helicopter

15h00 - 17h30 - Flying visits of the following projects

Project PHARE BG 0102.04 "Roads access to tourism sites", Lot 3, Financial memorandum 2001, Panoramic road - "Founders of Modern Bulgaria" Complex – the Old Town– Shumen Fortress – Shumen

Project PHARE BG 0102.04 " Roads access to tourism sites", Lot 3, Financial memorandum 2001, “ – Starinite”-(3 кm reconstructed road under PHARE program, amounting 162 331,20 euro)

Project PHARE BG 2004-937.11.03-01.11 " Rehabilitation of Municipality Road MP III-2008 ()"

Project PHARE BG 0102.04 " Roads access to tourism sites", Lot 4, Financial memorandum 2001, ІV-90117 Bulgarevo village-Cape - (6,9 кm reconstructed road under PHARE program, amounting 431 670,34 евро)

16h10 Helicopter lands in

16h15 - 16h45 - Visit of Projects on Balchik Project PHARE BG 0102.04 " Roads access to tourism sites", Lot 4, Financial memorandum 2001, ІV-90017 Albena-The Palace-Balchik - (10,8 кm reconstructed road under PHARE program, amounting 1 127 147,15 евро)

Project ISPA 2002 BG 16 PE 017 "Balchik Integrated Water Project in Bulgaria"

16h50 Departure from Balchik

17h15 - Helicopter lands in Varna Airport

17h30 - Bus 2 leaves Varna airport for Varna Municipal Buildings

17h45 - Bus from airport arrives at Varna Municipality 17h45 - Bus from Sofia arrives at Varna Municipality,

 The rest of the group will go directly by bus to Varna.

4 Venue: Varna Municipality, 43 Osmi Primorski Polk Str., Varna 9000

18h00-19h00 - Meeting with the Mayor of Varna

19h30 - Transfer to the hotel Hotel Marina St. Constantine Resort, Sunny Day Complex Tel: (+359 52) 361 971/ 5, 361 258 Fax: (+359 52) 361 376 E-mail: [email protected]

20h30 - Official dinner offered by the Mayor of Varna, Hotel Palace Venue: complex Sunny Day

Thursday 2 October 2008

07h30 -8h15 - Breakfast and check-out

08h15 - Delegation to meet in hotel lobby

8h30 - Bus leaves for Municipal Buildings

9h00-10h30 - Meeting with representatives of socio-economic partners, business and academia in Varna, Varna Municipality Building Presentations: "Regional Innovation Strategy for North-East Region" - Mr. Dimitar Radev – Executive Director Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna with Hightechnology Business Incubator

"Environmental problems of Spatial Planning" -Mr. Lyudmil Ikonomov – Executive Director, Institute of Ecological Modernization and Head of the Environmental team, preparing the new Urban and Land-use plan of Varna municipality

“Riviera” Day Centre – good practice of partnership between local and central government, civil sector and business for the development of social services in the community" - Dr. Todorka Siderova – Executive Director, Association for Supporting People with Mental Disabilities

10h30 - Departure by bus to the Varna airport

End of Delegation and individual departures

Suggested flights: Varna 12:05 - Sofia 13:10 (FB 972)

Sofia 17:15 - BRU 19:00 (FB 407)

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