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Balkans & Black Sea Forum 2017
Stability | Growth | Cooperation
May 25-26, 2017 | Serres, Greece
Nationality : Bulgaria

Mr. Ivailo Kalfin

Director | Economy and International Relations Institute
  • Special advisor to EU Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger
  • Former Deputy Prime Minister Bulgaria
  • Speaker at Session III | Digital Economy & Innovation

 

Mr. Ivailo Kalfin is Director of the Economy and International Relations Institute, Sofia and Senior lecturer at Varna University for Management.

He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour and Social Policy (2014-2016) and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005-2009) in the Government of Bulgaria.

Mr. Kalfin was member elected at the Bulgarian Parliament (1997-2016) and Member of the European Parliament (2009-2014). The main areas of activity of Ivailo Kalfin were foreign policy, budgets – at national and EU level and digital policy.

He was Vice-Chair of the EP Budgets Committee and EP’s rapporteur on the current Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020). He was also member of the High Level Group on the Own Resources in the EU budget, chaired by Mr. Mario Monti.

Currently he is a special advisor to EU Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger.

Abstract

The digital economy - friend or foe of the regional cooperation

• The Digital Single Market policy of the EU – a strong driver of the digital economy in Europe
• The digital economy in Bulgaria – perspectives and limitations
• The potential of expanding the digital market to the countries in the region