AmCham Slovakia

The headline of 2020 is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused great loses in all sectors of the economy. Moreover, the industry and energy sectors are facing long-term challenges, including decarbonisation and digitalisation. For Slovakia, the main economic subject on the table is the preparation of the plan on the use of almost six billion euro from the Recovery Fund. This funding is to help Slovakia recover from the pandemic and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. In the meantime, the negotiations on the new seven-year budget of the EU, which is supposed to start green investments, are coming to an end. 

Main questions:

• What challenges and opportunities do the Slovak stakeholders and European experts perceive in the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic?
  
• What position will industry and energy sectors have in the Recovery Plan, European Green Deal, and the national strategic documents (such as the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience)?
  
• How does the coronacrisis impact the industry in its efforts to meet the goals of decarbonisation?
  
• What measures are needed to provide active support from the green investments in the industry?
  
• What financial instruments do the European Union and the Slovak government offer for this purpose?
  
• What should the terms for absorbing the available funds be and who should have access to them?
  

Programme:

Day 1 | What shall the Green Recovery bring to the industry and energy sectors?
Monday, 30 November 2020 | 10:00 - 12:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the downfall of Slovak and European economies. According to the European Commission, the post-pandemic recovery can be an opportunity to set free of old economic models.

The Green Recovery of the European economies should be in line with the principles of the European Green Deal, which are to lead Europe in becoming carbon neutral by 2050. According to the EU, the industry has an important role to play in helping to achieve ecological and digital transformation. However, the fundamental changes, that Europe is planning to pursue, will not be possible without new technology powered by corresponding investments. 

Panel discussion will be held in Slovak with simultaneous interpretation to English.

• MAROŠ ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
• RICHARD SULÍK, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic
• BEATA JAVORCIK, Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• MARKUS KAUNE, Chairman of the Board of Directors at ZSE, a.s. and VSE Holding a.s.
• MIROSLAV KIRAĽVARGA, President of National Union of Employers

Discussion will be moderated by RADOVAN GEIST, publisher of EURACTIV Slovakia

Day 2 | Energy sector at a crossroads: Post-crisis recovery and decarbonisation
Tuesday, 1 December 2020 | 10:00 - 12:00

Panel discussion will be held in Slovak only.

For more information about the panel, please visit the event website.

Day 3 | How might the industry sector contribute to a sustainable recovery of Slovakia after the coronavirus crisis?
Wednesday, 2 December 2020 | 10:00 - 12:00

Panel discussion will be held in Slovak only.

For more information about the panel, please visit the event website.



Day 4 | Critical raw materials and decarbonisation: What is the role of critical raw materials in decarbonising and digitalising the Slovak economy?
Thursday, 3 December 2020 | 10:00 - 12:00

Panel discussion will be held in Slovak only.

For more information about the panel, please visit the event website.

REGISTRATION:

• To attend the online conference, please REGISTER HERE.
• Download the conference agenda in PDF version (in Slovak only).
• All EURACTIV Slovakia events can be found here.

For more information about the conference topics, please contact Irena Jenčová at jencova@euractiv.sk.

For more information about the technical details of the conference, please contact Štefan Bako at bako@euractiv.sk.