Rule of Law and the Business Environment in Bulgaria

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