Informest, within the iCON project frame (www.icon-project.eu), has the pleasure to invite you to the italian-slovene joint business mission to Sofia, in Bulgaria, from 28^th to 30^th March 2012, in the occasion of the following events and workshops: Exhibition and Congress on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar South-East Europe Exhibition, Exhibition and Conference on Waste Management, Recycling and Environment “SAVE THE PLANET”.

After joining in 2004, the Central European countries have been neglected in part, in terms of control and verification of the consolidation of the preconditions both for the first of the three Copenhagen criteria, the so-called political criterion, and the second criterion concerning the capacity to fulfill the obligations of membership also in terms of policies. Countries were considered mature and functioning democracies when it is only the Czech Republic. The democratic "crisis" that has developed Hungary during 2011 stems in part from cultural and identity issues that are still open but is also composed of dynamics affecting also other NMSs which have been neglected.

In 2011 important objectives have been achieved in the frame of ADC (Adriatic Danubian Clustering) project: from May until October three strategic agreements have been signed, aimed at the development and strengthening of clusters in the 3 sectors of food-farming , mecatronics and modern housing, which have been identified during project implementation as the main promoters of development in the SEE area.

The agreements have been signed on the occasion of partnership meetings by 70 among clusters, enterprises, research centres, public bodies and local development agencies and thus represent a fundamental step forward toward the institution of efficient networks in the sectors identified. 

EUROSTAT data for the unemployment in the EU-27 denote a general increase of the index, both in terms of population groups and territories, as a direct consequence of the economic crisis. Thus, the decreasing dynamics started in 2003 was halted. The jobless rate reached in 2010 9.6 percent, increasing by 0.7 points, as a worsening of both the youth and the long-term unemployment rates. At national level, most countries have deteriorated their state, excepting for Austria and Netherlands. The top negative levels are in Spain, Estonia and Lithuania, with ten countries that presented a rate greater than the EU-27 range. Even larger appear the differentiations between the EU regions, varying from the 2.7 pc in the Zeeland and in the Bolzano province to the 23 percent’ exceeding indexes in some Spanish regions and French arrondissements. 

EUROSTAT data for the unemployment in the EU-27 denote a general increase of the index, both in terms of population groups and territories, as a direct consequence of the economic crisis. Thus, the decreasing dynamics started in 2003 was halted. The jobless rate reached in 2010 9.6 percent, increasing by 0.7 points, as a worsening of both the youth and the long-term unemployment rates. At national level, most countries have deteriorated their state, excepting for Austria and Netherlands. The top negative levels are in Spain, Estonia and Lithuania, with ten countries that presented a rate greater than the EU-27 range. Even larger appear the differentiations between the EU regions, varying from the 2.7 pc in the Zeeland and in the Bolzano province to the 23 percent’ exceeding indexes in some Spanish regions and French arrondissements.