Programme

OPENING OF THE MEETING

• Arno METZLER, president of group III Diversity Europe and member of the liberal professions category

PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION – From Rome to Brussels: summary of achievements and future actions

• Marina Elvira CALDERONE, spokesperson for the liberal professions category

Panel 1: Moving away from the cliché of “protectionism” and adapting the definition of “public interest” to societal developments

Moderator: Ágnes CSER, member of the liberal professions category

• Definitions of liberal professions
  • Carlos MATIAS RAMOS, member of the liberal professions category
• The liberal professions as important representatives of the values of European society
  • Victoria ORTEGA BENITO, president of Unión Profesional, Vice-President of the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS)   
• “Public interest” in a digitalised world:  the impact of liberal professional services on human life and the scope and limits of the proportionality test
  • Professor Giuseppe COLAVITTI, University of L’Aquila
• The relationship between the quality of and payment for professional services
  • Marina CHIARELLI, PhD University of Aquila
• Role and diversity of liberal professions in industry
  • Bernd DITTMANN,  member of the liberal professions category

Debate (15 minutes)

Panel 2: Does digitalisation change the essential needs of mankind and how does this affect the liberal professions?

Moderator: Tommaso DI FAZIO, member of the liberal professions category

• Digitalisation of services and public administration: the consequences for skills and professional services
  • Alessandro MUSUMECI, president of the Italian association of computer scientists
  • Dirk G. BOCHAR, Secretary General of the European federation of professional engineers (FEANI)
• Collaborative platforms, artificial intelligence and the transparency of the relationship with clients/patients : the consequences for professional ethical obligations and professional responsibility
  • Alex TALLON, Partner of the law firm Praetica, member of the Belgian Delegation to the CCBE (Council of European Bars) and member of the board of the OVB (Flemish Bar Organisation of Belgium)
  • François BLANCHECOTTE, president of European affairs, National Union of Liberal Professionals (UNAPL) and Vice-President of the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS)
• Impact of societal changes on gender equality in liberal professions
  • Birgit KURZ, Director of the- Research Institute for Liberal Professions at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Debate (15 minutes)

Panel 3: Restrictions on equity participation: no longer required or more necessary than ever? Investor interests versus professional requirements

Moderator: Arno METZLER, president of group III Diversity Europe

• Potential impacts of investor buy-outs of liberal professional companies
  •  Dr Peter ENGEL, president of the German federal states' dental chambers 
• Aggregation opportunities and society between professionals
  • Giovanni MARCANTONIO, national councillor at the National Council of Labour Consultants
• Restriction of equity participation: proportionality test, regulations and quality
  • Martin FROHN, European Commission, DG GROW, head of unit responsible for professional qualifications and skills
• Enhancing grassroots movements against astroturfing
  • Brieuc LITS, PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the Free University of Brussels

Debate (15 minutes)

CONCLUSIONS by Rudolf KOLBE, spokesperson for the liberal professions category