Conference on "The Priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2025", Megalopolis of Arcadia on March 29 and 30, 2025

The Priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council

of the EU in the First Half of 2025

Megalopoli, March 29 & 30

Programme

Saturday 29 March 2025

10:00 - 10:30 «Registrations»

10:30 Opening of the Conference

Coordinators:

Dimitra Chantzi, Head of Communication and Planning of E.O.S.P.

Eleni Lazarou, Journalist

George Stathis, Head of European Affairs of E.O.S.P.

Welcome Address:

Konstantinos Michopoulos, Mayor of Megalopolis

Keynote Speech

Wojciech Ponikiewski, Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, Rotating of the Council of the EU Presidency

Opening Remarks

Kostas Vlasis, Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Member of Parliament of Arcadia

Dimitris Ptochos, Regional Governor of Peloponnese

Nikolas Farantouris, Member of the European Parliament, Left

Yiannis Maniatis, Member of the European Parliament, S&D, (Video Message)

Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament, Left, (Video Message)

Georgios Papailiou, Member of Parliament of Arcadia

Pelopidas Kalliris, Administrator of the Special Service for Just Development Transition

Elvira Forte, Public Relations Officer of the European Parliament Office in Greece Vicky Inglezou, Head of Europe Direct Peloponnisos

Yiannis Panaritis, President of Laconia Chamber

11:30 - 13:30 « ENERGY TRANSITION»

«The Age of the Metallignite in Megalopolis - Jobs - Projects - Infrastructure - Culture - Tourism»

Coordinators:

Filippos Tampakopoulos, Deputy Mayor of Desalination Planning – Technologies – IT and Communications – Renewable Energy Planning of the Municipality of Megalopolis

George Stathis, Head of European Affairs of E.O.S.P.

Speakers:

Konstantinos Michopoulos, Mayor of Megalopolis

Odysseas Konstantinopoulos, Vice-President of the Greek Parliament, Member of Parliament of Arcadia

Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Member of the European Parliament, Poland (video intervention)

Costas Bakoyannis, President of the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Energy of the European Committee of the Regions (video intervention)

Theodora Zacharia, Head of Just Transition Observatory of Greece

Panagiotis Valasopoulos, CEO of ARKADIA AOTA

Nikolaos Totsis, Vice-President of Arcadia Chamber

Manolis Baltas, CEO of ReDePlan

Cooperation within the Ministry of the Interior and the European Union and International Organizations

Vasileios Spanakis, Deputy Minister of the Interior, Member of Parliament for B3' Southern Sector of Athens

The Role of Decentralized Administration in the Modern European Reality

Dimitrios Katsaros, Secretary of Decentralised Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece & Ionian

«Green Cities - the Role of Local Authorities»

Athanasios Vasilopoulos, Mayor of Kalamata, President of the Regional Association of Municipalities of Peloponnese

Michalis Vakalopoulos, Mayor of Sparti

Anargyros Patakakis, Deputy Regional Governor of Environment and Energy of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

Anastasios Adamopoulos, Deputy Regional Governor for Energy, Environment and Circular Economy of Peloponnese

Dimitris Kafantaris, Secretary General of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece

13:30 - 13:45 Break

13:45 - 14:45 «RESISTANCE TO EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE & MISINFORMATION»

Coordinators:

Vasileios Chinis, President of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Megalopolis

George Koulouras, Political Scientist, President of Regional Journalists Association of Greece

Speakers:

Elvira Forte, Public Relations Officer of the European Parliament Office in Greece

Dimitris Tsiodras, Member of the European Parliament, EPP

Nikos Papandreou, Member of the European Parliament, S&D

Dr. Katerina Mantzou, Official of the General Secretariat for Communication and Information of the Presidency of the Government

14:45 - 15:45 «DEFENCE AND SECURITY – PROTECTION OF PEOPLE AND BORDERS»

Coordinator:

Dimitrios Lagos, Emeritus Professor of the University of the Aegean

Speakers:

Pavlos Christidis, Parliamentary Representative of PASOK – Movement for Change, Member of Parliament for B3' Southern Sector of Athens

Manos Konsolas, Member of Parliament of Dodecanese (video intervention)

Kostas Ιfantis, Professor of International Relations at Panteion University, President of the Institute of International Relations

Mario Fava, President of the Association of Local Councils of Malta (video intervention)

16:00 Lunch

Sunday 30 March 2025

10:30 - 12:00 «COMPETIVE AND RESILIENT AGRICULTURE»

Coordinators:

Dimitrios Giotis, Deputy Mayor for Administration and Finance of the Municipality of Megalopolis

Panagiotis Karvouniaris, Journalist, Vice-President of Regional Journalists Association of Greece

Speakers:

Dionysios Stamenitis, Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Member of Parliament of Pella

Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Member of the European Parliament, S&D, (Video Message)

Dario Nardella, Member of the European Parliament, Italian, (video Message)

Neoklis Kritikos, Member of Parliament of Lakonia

Stathis Anastasopoulos, Deputy Regional Governor of Messinia

Andreas Filias, Deputy Regional Governor of Rural Development of Western Greece

Konstantinos Tsirigotis, Deputy Regional Governor of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Ionian Islands

Dimitrios Tsetsilas, Deputy Regional Governor of Primary Sector and Agricultural Economy of Thessaly, (Video Message)

12:00 - 13:00 «SAFEQUARDING SECURITY AND FREEDOM OF BUSINESS»

Coordinator:

Eleni Traka, Philologist, Journalist, Secretary of Regional Journalists Association of Greece

Speakers:

Stelios Kympouropoulos, Former Member of the European Parliament, EPP

Konstantinos Leventis, President of Ilia Chamber

Niovi Christopoulou, Professor of Law City University of New York, New York/Athens/Washington Attorney, partner AI. Fund Venture Capital Fund

Dimitrios Lagos, Emeritus Professor of the University of the Aegean

Vasilis Rokos, Political Scientist, Vice-President of the Greek-Indian Chamber of Commerce and Economy

13:00 - 13:30 CONCLUSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE

13:30 - 15:00 Lunch