FOI annual conference launched

Last week, the FOI launched its forthcoming conference entitled "Europe - most competitive economy by 2010; How will Malta benefit from this process?", which will be held during the afternoon of Friday, October 31, at the Corinthia San Gorg, St Julian's.

The conference will focus on the Lisbon Strategy, which touches on almost all of the EU's economic, social and environmental activities. The European Council set this strategy in March 2000 in Lisbon and it aimed at making the EU the world's most dynamic and competitive economy by 2010.

Under the strategy, a stronger economy will drive job creation alongside social and environmental policies that ensure sustainable development and social inclusion.

Both Philippe de Buck, secretary general of the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE) based in Brussels, and Jussi Mustonen, director and chief economist of the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (TT), have both confirmed their participation in this conference.

Other keynote personalities participating at the conference will be Dr Lawrence Gonzi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Policy, who will be presenting the social aspect of the Lisbon Agenda and the developments in Malta as an accession country.

John Dalli, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, will focus on the possible ways to develop a competitive knowledge-based economy in Malta; and Gordon Cordina, of the University of Malta's Economics Department, will be discussing how the Lisbon Agenda targets could be met.

The conference will consist of two intensive sessions. The second session will take the form of a discussion panel co-ordinated by Joe Grima, a former minister and a well-known TV and radio personality.

To discuss the local scene in a more holistic approach, the federation has invited the two major trade unions and economist Professor Edward Scicluna to take part in the discussion panel, together with the foreign guest speakers and the FOI president, who will also be making a presentation on the topic.

The FOI will be launching its own detailed report that gives extremely interesting comparisons of Malta's current performance under the numerous Lisbon statistical indicators in relation to those of the EU15 and the other ten countries that will be acceding to EU membership status together with Malta.

The varied combination of expertise of the keynote speakers and the discussion panel participants on their different perspectives of the Lisbon Strategy will surely give conference participants the opportunity to understand better what this strategy is all about, where locally-based industry and the economy stand in relation to its competitors and the directions in which the country can strengthen its position.

A registration fee of Lm10 is being charged to FOI members for the conference; all other participants will be charged Lm15.

Interested readers wishing to register and receive a conference programme can contact Anna Xuereb at the FOI Secretariat on tel: 2123-4428, 2122-2074 or e-mail: info@foi.org.mt.