When

20/01/2023    

9:00 am – 1:30 pm

With this event AmCham Bulgaria aims to raise the topic of Rule of Law and its business perspective to the broad public, as well as to continue engaging with institutions, stakeholders and partners for making a better business environment and investment climate in Bulgaria.

About the event

Following up on one of our priorities – active advocacy for the real and thorough improvement of the rule of law in Bulgaria, and striving to have a judicial system that is free of any political or economic influence, AmCham Bulgaria, together with other major business organizations in the country, aims to reinvigorate the debate on rule of law and get the message out that the business community considers rule of law to be fundamental to the economic prosperity of the country.

Looking at the upcoming conference as another opportunity to make the voice of the business heard and contribute to the betterment of the business climate in Bulgaria, we would like to invite you to a debate among business representatives and legal experts on the impact that certain systemic problems undermining the rule of law in the country have on the economic situation. We will also discuss what type of reforms could have a positive effect on it the business environment in the country.

Partners

The conference is supported by CIPE – Center for International Private Enterprise, and by America for Bulgaria Foundation. It is endorsed by the British Bulgarian Business Association, Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Bulgaria, French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and German-Bulgarian Industrial Trade Chamber.

Agenda

Welcoming Remarks

Olivier Marquette, AmCham Bulgaria President

Opening Remarks

Krum Zarkov, Caretaker Minister of Justice – invited

H.E. Herro Mustafa, Ambassador of the United States to Bulgaria

H.E. Giuseppina Zarra, Ambassador of Republic of Italy to Bulgaria

Stephan Röken, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Keynote Speaker

Matthew Murray, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Harriman Institute; International Expert on Innovating Solutions to Systemic Corruption 

Business Environment Panel: Rule of Law and the Reality of the Business Environment in Bulgaria

Discussion of Rule of Law Issues impacting the business environment in Bulgaria.

Panelists:

Boni Bonev, Chairman, Bulgarian Swiss Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Maya Neidenowa, Vice President, German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Chair, Legal Commission of GBCIC

Angel Buzalov, Chair of Legal and Tax Committee, British Bulgarian Business Association

Domna Mancheva, Member,Confindustria Bulgaria

Bogdan Bogdanov, Executive Director, InvestBulgaria Agency

Ivan Mihaylov, CEO, AmCham Bulgaria

Other representatives of AmCham and the partnering chambers

Moderator: Ruslan Stefanov, Program Director, Center for the Study of Democracy

Legal Panel: Rule of Law in Bulgaria: Views and Recommendations from the Lawyer’s Perspective

Discussing some aspects of the topics of administrative justice, confiscation, criminal justice, and state taxes, focusing the debate on the impact of these issues on the business environment in Bulgaria and what type of reforms could have a positive effect.

Panelists:

Ass. Prof. Hristo Hristev, Ph.D, Sofia University

Alexander Arabadjiev, Judge at the Court of Justice

Yonko Grozev, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Bulgaria – tbc

Attn. Andrey Yankulov, Anti-Corruption Fund

Att. Georgi Atanasov,

Moderator: Omourtag Petkov, AmCham Bulgaria Board Member, Chairman, Rule of Law and Legislative Reform Committee, Partner, DGKV

You can register here.