Diana is keynote speaker in Bulgaria (Brigg, Goole and Scunthorpe Liberal Democrats)

Brigg, Goole and Scunthorpe Liberal Democrats <brenda.tyzack@dsl.pipex.com>

Diana is keynote speaker in Bulgaria

September 26, 2009 1:00 PM
Originally published by Diana Wallis MEP

Diana Wallis with a Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament Atanas Semov On 24th September Diana Wallis MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament, was the keynote speaker at a legal conference entitled "EU legislation and practice helping good policy decisions" organised by the Bulgarian Association on European Law (BAEL) in Sofia. She talked about the Stockholm programme on Freedom Security and Justice, outlining the issues raised in the Commission document, the aims of the Swedish Presidency of Council and the positions the Parliament is likely to take.

The conference was attended by high-level magistrates in key positions in the Bulgarian judiciary, including members of the Constitutional court, of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, judges and prosecutors, two Bulgarian MEPs and several MPs, including a Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian parliament. Participants identified some problems in the areas discussed and the organisers undertook to submit expert proposals for the use of the executive and legislative powers in Bulgaria.

The following day Diana Wallis was welcomed formally at the beginning of the plenary session by Bulgarian MPs in the country's National parliament. Afterwards she met with the Deputy Speakers, Atanas Semov and Georgy Pirinsky, and the Heads of the Parliamentary Committees for Foreign Affairs and Defence and for European Issues and Control Over the European Funds, Dimitar Chukarski and Svetlin Tanchev, with whom she had a discussion about the impending changes in the role of the national Parliaments after the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Before that Diana Wallis met separately with the Deputy Speaker, Hristo Biserov, and Secretary of the Parliamentary Group of the liberal party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Chetin Kazak, with whom she discussed the Stockholm programme on Freedom, Security and Justice.

After the meetings Diana Wallis made official statement for the media in the Bulgarian Parliament and answered some questions. There was wide media coverage of her visit, including an interview for Bulgarian TV.