Programme

8th edition of the Day of the Liberal Professions 2024 - Conference on Professional Support for the EU Blue Deal

10.30 – 11.00 Opening session

Welcome address: Rudolf Kolbe, Spokesperson of the Liberal Professions Category

Keynote speech 1: The contributions of liberal professions towards a water-smart society

• Klaus Thürriedl, President of the European Council of Engineers Chambers

Keynote speech 2: Innovation to address climate change water threats: emerging blue engineering technologies

• Pietro Francesco De Lotto, President of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change

11.00 – 12.00 Panel 1: The Blue Deal: a cross-sector approach based on different professional services

Moderator: Maurizio Mensi, Member of the Liberal Professions Category

The public health aspect: how to ensure high quality and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services

• Jan Semenza, Head of the Health Determinants Programme at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Synergies with the Blue Deal and the UN sustainable Developments goals

• Anikò Szalai, Professor of International Law at the University of Szeged

The planning aspect: safeguarding water, food and energy security through sustainable water management

• Christian Berretta, Coordinator of the Water Sciences Division, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa

The financial aspect: empowering effective blue transition processes

• Josef Baumüller, Professor at the Vienna University of Economics

12.00 – 13.00 Panel 2: How liberal professions support the management of water threats: from flooding to water scarcity and drought

Moderator: Martin Böhme, Member of the Liberal Professions Category

Spatial planning and engineering expertise as a basis for the successful management of water-related risks

• Sue Arundale, Director General of the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations

Blue surveying: the role of geodetic surveyors in the prevision, prevention and action - CLGE Seville Declaration

• Enrico Rispoli, Vice President of the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors, General Secretary of the National Council of Italian Surveyors

Sustainable landscape design and management of water threats: The benefits of excellent landscape planning solutions

• Katerina Gkoltsiou, President of IFLA Europe (International Federation of Landscape Architects, European Region)

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch Break

14.30 – 15.45 Panel 3: Creating a water-fit framework for Europe

Moderator: Ágnes Cser, Member of the Liberal Professions Category

Overcoming legal challenges in the implementation of the Blue Deal

• Luca De Pauli, Partner at Ponti & Partners

The importance of a cross-sectoral strategy covering social, health, security, legal, financial, planning and engineering aspects: current status and way forward in Europe

• Horst Lenz, President of the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Engineers

New (professional) skills for the Blue Deal

• Victoria Ortega, President of the Spanish Interprofessional Organisation (Unión Professional) and First Vice President of CEPLIS
• Elena Córdoba Azcárate, Director International Relations of the Spanish Interprofessional Organisation (Unión Professional)

Water as fundamental element of European agriculture: professional support requirements

• Emese Szabó, System Development Director of KITE Agricultural Service and Trading Co.

15.45 – 16.15  Summary and comments from the Liberal Professions Category

• Rudolf Kolbe, Spokesperson of the Liberal Professions Category