EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG

A SOCIAL EUROPE FIT FOR GLOBALISATION

A conference organised by the European Commission in

cooperation with the Centre for European Policy Studies

Background and Objectives of the Conference

Globalisation is an opportunity for economic and social progress and yet many
citizens across the European Union apprehend it and fear its negative social
impact. Policy makers have to take these concerns seriously and to commit
themselves to creating the necessary conditions for citizens to make the most of
the opportunities offered by globalisation.
To tackle these issues, the Commission is holding a conference 'A Social Europe
Fit for Globalisation' in Brussels on 16 April 2008. The Conference will bring
together policy makers, senior representatives of international organisations,
social partners, NGOs, academics and independent experts.
This high-level event should be seen as part of the Commission's preparations
for a renewed Social Agenda. It will look at the social challenges that accompany
globalisation and explore what policies are needed within the Member States and
at the level of global governance to ensure that globalisation becomes a force of
social progress.
The event will take place in Brussels at the Charlemagne building, Rue de la
Loi 170. The conference will be conducted with interpretation from and into
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Slovenian.

Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.
http://ec.europa.eu/
 A SOCIAL EUROPE FIT FOR GLOBALISATION

Conference in Brussels, 16 April 2008

Venue: Charlemagne Building, Rue de la Loi 170

09.00-10.00 Registration and coffee

10.00-10.15 Welcoming and opening speech
Nikolaus van der Pas, Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs
and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission
10.15-11.45 Session 1: The issues and the evidence - Main results from the
study on the social impact of globalisation in the European Union
Moderator: Nikolaus van der Pas, Director General of DG Employment,
Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission
10.15-10.45 Iain Begg, Professorial Research Fellow, London School of Economics, Co-
author of the CEPS Study on 'Social impact of globalisation in the European
Union'
10.45-11.15 Reactions:
Joël Decaillon, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union
Confederation
Jørgen Rønnest, Acting Director for Social Affairs of BUSINESSEUROPE
Fintan Farrell, President of the Social Platform, Director of the European Anti
Poverty Network
Jan Andersson, MEP, Chairman of the Committee for Employment and
Social Affairs of the European Parliament
11.15-11.45 Questions and answers
11.45-12.45 Session 2: Towards better policies at the national and global
level
First Part: Becoming fit for globalisation – What Member States
need to do and how the European Union can support them?
Moderator: Allan Larsson, former Director General of DG Employment
and Social Affairs of the European Commission
11.45-12.30 Kari Välimäki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and
Health of Finland
Embracing globalisation without fear: The Finnish experience
Sophie Boissard, Deputy head of cabinet of Christine Lagarde, Minister for
Economy, Finance and Employment of France, former Director General of
the Centre d'Analyse Stratégique
Besieged by globalisation? Is France right to be afraid?
Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe, former Prime Minister of Poland
Jumping into the global economy: How does Poland benefit?
12.30-12.45 Questions and Answers

2
12.45-14.15 Lunch
14.15-16.00 Continuation of Session 2
Second part: Shaping the social dimension of global governance
Moderator: Karl Falkenberg, Deputy Director General for Trade
14.15-15.00 Pier-Carlo Padoan, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD
Susan Ariel Aaronson, Associate Research Professor, Graduate School of
Business and the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington
University
José-Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Director for the Employment
Sector of the International Labour Organisation
15.00-16.00 Discussion among the panel with all speakers of session 2 and with the floor
16.00-16.30 Coffee break
16.30-17.15 Round table: Turning globalisation into an opportunity for social
progress – The role of the European Union
Moderator: Shada Islam, journalist and analyst at the European Policy
Centre in Brussels
Vladimir Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal
Opportunities
Marjeta Cotman, Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia
Hans-Gert Pöttering, MEP, President of the European Parliament
17.15-17.30 Concluding speech
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission