2007
2007 Regional Conference: Business Environment Reform in South East EuropeZagreb, Croatia
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The South East Europe Regional Network of Policymakers was launched in September 2007 at the first regional conference held in Zagreb, Croatia. The conference brought together 60 top policymakers from across the region to assess the issues and challenges they face in reforming their business environments. The discussion focused on a range of issues including the role of regulatory reform in economic growth, increasing trade and competitiveness with the enactment of the Central European Free Trade Agreement, e-government as a catalyst for business environment reform, and the role of the private sector in business environment reform.
As the economies of South East Europe seek to compete in the global economy and regionally with other European Union members and aspirants, each is striving to simplify and streamline a patchwork of regulations affecting business start-up and operations in order to improve the business enabling environment. Lessons learned in one country are often readily applicable in others. The presentations from the conference are available here.
Conference agenda, including speakers' presentations and biographies:
- Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Modernizing Government – Improving Efficiency
- Stimulating Investment and Growth in SEE
- Regulatory Reform and Regional Integration
- Regulatory Reform: Improving the Quality of Regulation
- Strengthening Accountability - Linking Regulatory Reforms on the National and Sub-National Levels
- Improving Firm Competitiveness - Institutions and Processes Matter
- Improving Firm Competitiveness – Reducing Compliance Costs
- Options for establishing a regional BEE Reform Network of Policymakers
- Closing Session
