On 4 March 2021, from to CET, EIPA will hold an online conference on the ‘Challenges and opportunities for public administrations in times of recovery’, with keynote speeches from the EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, and the Portuguese Minister for Modernisation of the State and Public Administration, Alexandra Leitão, as well as individual panels with high-level experts from the European arena. This online event opens the year-round celebratory activities for EIPA’s 40-year anniversary.

Providing a platform for discussions around EU reform and recovery

The conference will contribute to the debate around some of the European Commission’s main priorities for the reform and recovery of public administrations. It will provide Member States, the European Commission and other relevant stakeholders with an informal platform to support national and regional public administrations, and identify good practices and the current challenges and opportunities raised by the new Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Target groups

Registration is open for participants from national and regional administrations contributing to the preparation of Recovery and Resilience Plans, national and regional schools of public administration, and international organisations. Participation is also open to other interested parties, including the general public.

The programme

Keynote speeches and Chair:
Elisa Ferreira, EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms,
Alexandra Leitão, the Portuguese Minister for Modernisation of the State and Public Administration and
Cecilia Wikström, Chair of EIPA’s Board of Governors and former Member of the European Parliament;

The impact of better governance on European recovery:
Klaus Gretschmann, President and founder of CATE and
Andrew Kakabadse, Professor of Governance and Leadership at Henley Business School;

A dynamic civil service delivering for tomorrow: what business needs from public administrations:
Jens Meyer, Adjunct Professor INSEAD and
Antonella Mei-Pochtler, Special Adviser to the Austrian Federal Chancellor and Head of ThinkAustria;

Digital transformation of public sectors:
Luís Viegas Cardoso, Senior Expert on Digital, Technology and Innovation at the European Commission,
Ursula Rosenbichler, Head of Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sports and
Elisa Roller, Head of Unit at SG RECOVER, European Commission;

The future of public administration and the 2021 work plan: what is there for Member States:
Daniele Dotto, Acting Director and Head of Unit at DG REFORM, European Commission.