The sixth edition of the Green Transition Forum (GTF 6.0) will be held from June 1 to 5, 2026 in Sofia, Sofia Event Center, (Paradise center, fl.3) on the theme “Europe’s Next Chapter: Competitive. Innovative. Secure.”
Within the framework of the Forum, from June 1 to 5, over 110 panels, round tables, fireside chats and spotlight interviews will be held on 4 stages with the participation of more than 450 speakers on the most current topics of the day.
Among the participants are European Commissioners, representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament, OECD, UNESCO, ministers from the region and the new Bulgarian government, business leaders, NGOs, ambassadors and representatives of academia.
For the first time this year, the organisers are hosting a Youth Forum (June 3-5).
Highlights of the program by day
Day 1 (June 1)
Discovery, European and global competitiveness, energy and transport security and connectivity
Day 2 (June 2)
Industrial development, regulations, SMEs, defense, Western Balkans
Day 3 (June 3)
Multiannual financial framework (MFF), Union of capital and savings, decarbonization, CBAM, circular economy
Day 4 (June 4)
Cohesion policy, sustainable cities, water resources, blue economy, adaptation and climate policies, innovation in agriculture
Day 5 (June 5)
28th regime and the Fifth Freedom, startups, deep tech, health innovations, future of education, digitalization and AI, Sofia Initiative
You can follow the preliminary program of GTF 6.0 here.
Special guests and speakers
The forum will be opened by Ms. Iliana Yotova – President of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The organisers have also invited the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria – Mr. Rumen Radev, as well as the relevant ministers from the new Bulgarian government as key speakers at the Forum.
The distinguished panelists include:
Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, author of the report “Much More Than a Market” – 4 June
Yessica Rusval, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Sustainability and a Competitive Circular Economy – 4 June
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation – 5 June
Raffaele Fito, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms – 4 June
Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport – 3 June
Kata Tuto, President of the European Committee of the Regions – 4 June
Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament – 5 June
Marjut Falkstedt, CEO of the European Investment Fund – 5 June
Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General, DG RTD, EC – 1 June
Andriana Sukova, Deputy Director-General Director, DG EMPL, EC – 2 June
Valer Moutarlier, Deputy Director-General, DG GROW, EC – 3 June
Mathieu Bousquet, Director for Enlargement Coordination, Strategy and Investment, DG ENEST, EC – 2 June
Antoineta Angelova-Krasteva, Director for Digital Education and International Cooperation, DG EAC, EC – 5 June
Mette Quinn, Head of Unit for Carbon Markets and Clean Mobility, DG CLIMA, EC – 3 June
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, European Coordinator of CESEC, former Deputy Director-General of DG ENER, EC – 1 June
Mario Mauro, European Coordinator of the Baltic Sea-Black Sea-Aegean Transport Corridor, DG MOVE, EC – 1 June
Special highlights
Visionary meeting “How Europe Can Win” to bring together 100 business leaders and representatives of chambers of commerce and industry in conversation with Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and author of the Report on the Future of the Single Market. The format will conclude with the signing of the Sofia Initiative – a package of concrete measures to increase the competitiveness of Central and Eastern Europe. – June 4 /by invitation only/
Prof. Philippe Aghion, Nobel Prize winner in Economics – June 3, 9:00 AM
Mo Gaudat, futurist and former Chief Business Officer of Google X – June 3, 6:30 PM
Tickets for Mo Gaudat’s lecture can be purchased here.