30 years ago, the umbrella organisations of the German social security system opened a representation in Brussels.

We would like to celebrate this anniversary and are already pleased to present our conference on the topic:

140 years of social insurance – 30 years of the single market

Bismarck on the move: Get digital. Go green.

The conference will take place:

on 27 June 2023 from 12.00 - 16.00

at the Representation of the State of Hesse to the European Union, Rue Montoyer 21, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

The conference will feature two panel discussions, one on digitalisation and the other on climate change and its impact on social systems in Europe.

Programme

12:00-12:30     

Registration and lunch

12:30 - 13:00       

Welcome and opening

• Friedrich von Heusinger, Director of the Representation of the State of Hesse to the European Union
   

• Ilka Wölfle, Director of the German Social Insurance European Representation
   

13:00 - 13:15

Keynote Speech

• Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health
   

13:15 - 14:15

Panel 1: "Europe to go - mobile working in the digital transformation"

In the first panel, we will focus on the digitalisation of social security systems to support labour mobility, increasing interoperability and how Europe can shape and strengthen access to social protection in times of digital transformation in the world of work. Panelists:

• Gundula Roßbach, President of the German Federal Pension Insurance
   

• Joost Korte, Director General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission
   

• Gabriele Bischoff, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
   

• Dr. Carsten Stender, Head of Directorate-General European and International Employment and Social Policy at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
   

14:15 - 14:45

Coffee break

14:45 - 15:45

Panel 2: "Wind of change - social insurance in climate change".

This panel will focus on the impact of climate change on health and social protection and related discussions and initiatives at the European level to ensure a fair and equitable transition to climate neutrality. Panelists:

• Dr. Doris Pfeiffer, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association on Statutory Health and Insurance Funds
   

• Dr. Edlyn Höller, Deputy Director General of the German Social Accident Insurance
   

• Frank Siebern-Thomas, Head of Unit for Fair Green and Digital Transition and Research at the European Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission
   

• Francesca Colombo, Head of Health Division at the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
   

15:45                      

Closing remarks on the conference

• Ilka Wölfle, Director of the German Social Insurance European Representation
   

Moderator and journalist Conny Czymoch will guide through the programme.

Evening reception

Following the conference, we cordially invite you to a festive evening reception at 18:00 at the Palais de Charles de Lorraine, Rue du Musée 1, 1000 Brussels.

We are delighted to welcome Marion Finke from the Cabinet of Dubravka Šuica, European Commission and Dennis Radtke, Member of the European Parliament and Coordinator for the Group of the European People's Party within the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.