COFACE Seminar

‘Dependent persons in the European Union:

who cares about their family carers?'

Sofia, 20 October 2009

Venue:

Sheraton Hotel (room Royal 1)

5 Sveta Nedelya Square

1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Agenda

09:30 - 10:00: Registration and welcome coffee

10:00 - 10:15 : Welcome

- Mrs Anna Maria Comito, President of COFACE-Handicap

- Mrs Tatyana Kmetova, Executive Director of the Center of Women's Studies and Policies,

Bulgaria

10:15-10:45 : Keynote speeches

- Mrs Valentina Simeonova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria

- Mrs Zinaida Zlatanova, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in

Bulgaria

10:45-12:45 : Session 1: Challenges and best practices at national level (moderator: Mr

Jacques Lodomez, Vice-President of COFACE-Handicap)

Panel: 6 NGO representatives from:

- Bulgaria (Mrs Angela Ilieva, Association ‘We exist also')

- Slovakia (Mrs Slavomira Marekova, Club of Large Families)

- Italy (Mrs Anna Maria Comito, Coordinamento Familiari Assistenti "Clelia" Onlus)

- Spain (Mr Jesъs Maria Rodrigo, Confederaciуn Espaсola de Familiares de Enfermos de Alzheimer

y otras Demencias)

- Luxembourg (Mrs Sylvie Hirtz, Association des parents d'enfants mentalement handicapйs)

- Ireland (Mr Frank Goodwin, Carers Association)

Discussion

12:45 - 14:15 : Lunch break

14:15-16:15 : Session 2 : The role of the European Union (moderator: Mrs Chantal Bruno,

Vice-President of COFACE-Handicap)

Panel:

- Mr Ionut Sasu, Policy Officer, Social Protection and Social Services Unit, DG Employment,

Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, European Commission

- Mr Robert Anderson, President of EUROCARERS

- Mr Philippe Miet, COFACE-Handicap

Discussion

16h15-16:30 : Conclusions and closing

- Mr William Lay, Director of COFACE

- Mrs Tatyana Kmetova, Executive Director of the Center of Women's Studies and Policies,

Bulgaria

* Simultaneous interpretation is foreseen in English, French and Bulgarian

EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DG Employment, Social Affairsand Equal Opportunities

This Seminar is supported under the European Community Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013)http://ec..europa.eu/employment_social/progress/index_en.html