14th Central European Round Table of Green Local Councilors , 8th-10th November 2018

Programme - FINAL

Central European Round Tables of Green Local Councilors (CERT) take place in Vienna annually since 2005, with approx. 50 local officeholders from Central Europe, several West Balkan countries and guests from Western Europe.

ORGANIZERS: MEP , Greens/EFA Group, Grüne Bildungswerkstatt Wien (Green Foundation, Vienna), Die Grünen Vienna.

DATE 2018: Thursday, 8th November 2018, 3:00 - 6:00 pm (excursion I) Friday, 9th November 2018, 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Saturday, 10th November 2018, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (incl. excursion II)

LOCATIONS: Friday + Saturday: Hotel "Mercure Wien Westbahnhof", Felberstrasse 4/Löhrgasse 2, 1150 Vienna (close to Westbahnhof Railway Station). Friday evening: Haus der Europäischen Union, Wipplingerstrasse 35, 1010 Vienna.

PARTICIPANTS: - Greens and Green-affiliated officeholders and activists from (and Vienna). - Green MEP's from Central and Eastern Europe. - Elected Green Local Politicians and civil society representatives from , , , Slovakia, , , , , Republic of , , Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania. - Representatives of EGP (), Greens/EFA Group in the , CDN (Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe), ENGS (European Network of Green Seniors), Green Foundations, etc.

More info on the previous Round Tables (reports, presentations, photos etc.) can be found here: http://greeningthecities.wordpress.com/central-european-round-table/

1 AGENDA

Thursday, 8th November 2018, 3:00 - 6:00 pm Excursion I Visit to "neunerhaus" "neunerhaus" is a social NGO that provides shelter, medical care and a self-determined life for homeless people and people who are at risk of poverty. In Vienna, three buildings with over 150 flats are serving this purpose. We are visiting the "health center" and the café of the project in Margaretenstrasse 166, 1050 Vienna.

Friday, 9th November 2018: Location: Hotel "Mercure Wien Westbahnhof", Felberstrasse 4/Löhrgasse 2, 1150 Vienna (close to Westbahnhof Railway Station).

9:00 - 9:30 am: Opening by Monika Vana (MEP), Elisabeth Kittl (Grüne Bildungswerkstatt Vienna) and David Ellensohn (Spokesperson of the Green Group in the Vienna City Assembly). Welcome by Michal Berg (Committee Member of EGP-European Green Party, Czech Republic).

9:30 - 10:00 am: Steps towards a European "Social Union" (Monika Vana, MEP, Austria).

10:00 - 10:45 am: Workshop "Avoiding Waste and plastic. Local and European Efforts", moderated by Urša Zgojznik and Katja Sreš, "Ecologists without Borders" (Ekologi brez meja), Slovenia.

10:45 - 11:00 am: Coffee break.

11:00 am - 1:00 pm: Civil society resistance against corruption in "illiberal democracies" Moderated by Pam Bartlett-Quintanilla (T & D - Transparency and Democracy Working Group, Greens/EFA Group). Inputs by Michal Berg (Czech Republic, local councilor in Vsetín, EGP Committee Member), Silviu Dehelean (MP of USR-Save Romania Union), Rebeka Szabó (Hungary, Párbeszéd- Dialogue, Deputy Mayor of Budapest district XIV., Zugló) and Hrista Najdanov (Macedonia, DOM, municipal councilor in Skopje). Afterwards discussion in 2 workshops, on ideas for concrete steps on the local level.

1:00 - 2:00 pm: Lunch.

2:00 - 2:45 pm: Macedonia - a country returning to rule of law and good governance Moderated by Gerhard Jordan (Local assistant to MEP Monika Vana, local councillor in Vienna-district 21). How opposition parties and civil society managed to get rid of the authoritarian Gruevski government in the Republic of Macedonia, contrary to the trend in many other European countries. Presentation by Maja Moračanin (MP and president of DOM-Democratic Renewal of Macedonia) and Hrista Najdanov (Municipal councilor in Skopje, vice-president of DOM).

2 2:45 - 3:00 pm: Coffee break.

3:00 - 4:15 pm: Workshop "Womens' mobilizations in Europe", moderated by Monika Vana, MEP. Inputs by Gosia Wochowska and Magdalena Gałkiewicz (Gals4Gals Łódź - a Polish womens' rights group), Izabela Możdrzeń (Polish Women's Strike) and Schifteh Hashemi (campaign "Frauen*volksbegehren 2.0", Vienna).

4:15 - 5:15 pm: Two parallel workshops: - "Air Quality", moderated by Morgan Henley (Greenpeace, Czech Republic) and András Lukács (Clean Air Action Group, Hungary). - Aspects of European Solidarity on the example of cross-border provision of 24-hour nursing for elderly people in need of care. Input by Katarína Staroňová (caregiver from Slovakia, working in Vienna).

5:15 - 6:00 pm: Proceeding to evening location "Haus der EU".

6:00 - 9:00 pm Location: "Haus der Europäischen Union", Wipplingerstrasse 35, 1010 Vienna (district 1). Supported by the representation of the European Parliament in Austria.

Evening event EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY - WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?

We have invited Green and progressive politicians from Central Europe, the Balkans and the Baltics to tell us what "European Solidarity" means for them by mentioning examples from their countries or fields of activity.

Speakers: Welcome by Monika Vana (MEP, Austria, Die Grünen) and Georg Koenne (Grüne Bildungswerkstatt, Vienna)

- Silviu Dehelean (MP of USR-Save Romania Union) - Arūnas Gražulis (Lithuania, LVŽS-Greens and Peasants Union, ex Vice-Minister of Interior) - Benedek Jávor (MEP, Hungary, Párbeszéd-Dialogue) - Karin Kadenbach (MEP, Austria, SPÖ/S&D Group) - Liljana Popovska (MP, Macedonia, DOM-Democratic Renewal of Macedonia) - Gosia Wochowska, Magdalena Gałkiewicz and Izabela Możdrzeń (Gals4Gals Łódź - a Polish womens' rights group, & "Polish Women's Strike")

Moderation: Barbara Neuroth (Die Grünen Vienna, Deputy Mayor of district 4, Wieden).

7:30 - 9:00 pm: "World café"-like talks with the speakers and buffet.

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Saturday, 10th November 2018: Location: Hotel "Mercure Wien Westbahnhof", Felberstrasse 4/Löhrgasse 2, 1150 Vienna.

Networking, Round-up and "Good Practices" from the countries present

Moderation: Raphaela Njie (Die Grünen Vienna, local councillor district 18).

9:00 - 9:15 am: Opening by Monika Vana.

9:15 - 10:00 am: "From Innsbruck to Greensbruck" - how Die Grünen became strongest party and got a Mayor elected in the capital of the Austrian province Tyrol. Presentation by Marcela Duftner (municipal councilor, Innsbruck).

10:00 - 10:15 am: coffee break

10:15 - 11:00 am: EU enlargement perspectives - environmental and budgetary aspects. Introduction by Monika Vana, input by Thomas Waitz (MEP, Austria) and "round-up": Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia.

11:00 - 11:15 am: Presentation of the Information Campaign of Greens/EFA (Dirk van den Bosch).

11:15 am - 12:00: The importance of strong Greens in the European Parliament for the local level. Input and moderation by Robert Godina (Greens/EFA Group), "round-up" discussion: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, …

12:00 - 1:00 pm: Round-ups & best practices ("poster fair") from participating countries. Presentations about campaigns, projects or green successes are put on pin boards and discussed with those who are interested in.

1:00 - 1:30 pm: Short feedback round and closing remarks (next steps, further cooperation).

1:30 - 2:30 pm: Lunch.

3:30 - 5:00 pm: Excursion II Visit to "magdas HOTEL" "magdas HOTEL", located in a former retirement home in Laufbergergasse 12 (district 2 of Vienna, near Prater) is a social enterprise, founded in 2015 by "Caritas Vienna", where people from 14 different nations, some of them with refugee experiences, work together. Their cultural backgrounds and skills contribute to the open and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Registration: Non-Austrian participants: [email protected] Austrian participants: [email protected]

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