Apart from the plenary sessions four Working Groups were dealing with different issues. Here you can find information concerning the topics and the according chairman, rapporteur and contributors.

1. Crisis management under the European Union's external policy
   
2. The future of the Union's regional policy: competitiveness and the new financial perspective
3. Regions in global competition - advantages of economic cooperation
4. The Danube:Region of culture and creative industries

Working Group 1

“Crisis management under the European Union’s external policy”

Chair: François de Kerchove d’Exaerde, Director Security Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Brussels

Rapporteur: Sven Biscop, Director, EGMONT Royal Institute for International Relations, Brussels

Introductory Statements:
Franz Prucher, Head of Department at the Security Directorate for Lower Austria, St. Pölten
Pavlo Klimkin, Ambassador, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Ukraine, Kiev
Mario Nobilo, State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of
Croatia, Zagreb
István Gyarmati, Director of the International Center for Democratic Transition, Budapest
General Sir John McColl, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO, Brussels

Working Group 2

“The future of the Union’s regional policy: competitiveness and the new
financial perspective”

Chair: Hubert Wachter, Senior-Editor of the news magazine “NEWS“, Vienna

Rapporteur: Klaudia Tanner, Director of the Lower Austrian Farmers Association, St. Pölten

Introductory Statements:
Jana Fischerova, Member of Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic,
President of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic – Republic of Austria, Praha
Michael Schimek, Managing Director of the Arbeitskreis Wachau and Manager of Wachau-
Dunkelsteinerwald Leader Region, Spitz
Henriette Leuthner-Stur, Head of the EU-Regional Policy Office, Government of Lower Austria,
St. Pölten
Christian Helmenstein, Chief Economist, Federation of Austrian Industries, Vienna
 

Working Group 3

“Regions in global competition – advantages of economic cooperation“

Chair: Martin Gebhart, Chief Editor of the newspaper „Niederösterreichische Nachrichten“,
St. Pölten

Rapporteur: Christian Mandl, Head of European Policy Coordination Department,
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Vienna

Introductory Statements:
Wilderich von Droste-Hülshoff, Director, Office for Cross-border Co-operation and European
Affairs, Administrative District Freiburg/Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
Sava Dalbokov, Member of the Managing Board, Steiermärkische Bank and Sparkassen plc, Graz
Stefan Szyszkowitz, Member of the Executive Board, EVN AG, Maria Enzersdorf
Hubert Mierka, Entrepreneur, MIERKA Donauhafen Krems GmbH, Krems

Working Group 4

“The Danube:Region of culture and creative industries“

Chair: Martin Eichtinger, Ambassador, Director General for Cultural Policies, Federal Ministry
for European and International Affairs, Vienna

Rapporteur: Mercedes Echerer, Actress, Director EU XXL FILM, Vienna

Introductory Statements:
Gertrude Leimüller, Chairwoman creativ wirtschaft austria, Founder and Director Winnovation
Consulting GmbH, Vienna
Ursula Strauss, Actress, Vienna
Roman Patapievici, President “European Union National Institutes for Culture – EUNIC“, Director
of the Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest
Alison J. Clarke, Chair, Design History and Theory, University of Applied Arts, Vienna