About the seminar

The Green Deal of the EU aims to achieve the ambitious goal of climate neutrality by 2050, with interim target of 55% emissions reduction by 2030. It sets the course for green economic transition and more sustainable investments. In order to help the EU scale up sustainable investment and implement the European Green deal, in 2020 the EU adopted its so-called ‘EU Taxonomy’ regulation aiming to ‘classify’ economic activities as sustainable or non-sustainable. Thus, it would provide companies, investors and policymakers with appropriate definitions for which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable. The concretisation of this legislation has started via the adoption of delegated acts to actually classify economic sectors, products and services and will continue over the coming years.

The taxonomy classification will have tangible effects for more or less every economic operator including of course the private and public authorities that provide financial means for economic activities. It should create security for investors, protect private investors from greenwashing, help companies to become more climate-friendly, mitigate market fragmentation and help shift investments where they are most needed.

First of all, there is an obligation to report for large financial and non-financial companies (i.e. large listed companies, banks and insurance companies with more than 500 employees). They must disclose the extent to which their activities meet the criteria outlined in the EU Taxonomy Regulation. The reporting requirements will in the future apply to all companies.

Furthermore, there will be an impact on access to private investments and public funding (at EU and national level).

Against this background it is advisable for every economic operator to be well informed and well equipped to understand the repercussions of taxonomy in practice as they might well have an impact on strategic business choices to be made today and in future.

The seminar will explain where the file stands at EU level, how it is being implemented, what it means for business operators and public bodies and give insights as to how to best prepare.

About the speakers

Vicky Marissen is a Partner at EPPA S.A. Her legal background and long-standing experience in European Public Affairs make her the expert capable of assisting companies, trade associations and organisations active in highly regulated sectors, helping them close the procedural gap and regain impact on the EU decision-making process.

Besides providing legal and procedural input on files and assistance in developing and deploying engagement strategies, Vicky provides support in communicating often technical arguments in an understandable form to different target audiences (public, private, media, etc.). She is following the taxonomy and its implementation from the very beginning and advises companies and organisations on the subject.

Vicky is also Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, where she teaches a 30-hour course on Delegated and Implementing acts. She also teaches at the College of Europe in Natolin where she runs a simulation exercise. Vicky also intervenes at EDHEC Business School in Lille, running a course on Lobbying at EU level.

Ivelina Vasileva is a Senior Advisor at EPPA. She has a background of 10 years in the corporate business and 15 years in the public sector at different positions in the government and parliament of Bulgaria. She has been the Deputy Mayor of Burgas – one of the major cities in the country, after that Deputy Minister and then Minister of Environment and Waters in the government of Bulgaria. During her mandate as a member of the national parliament, she has been the Chair of the permanent committee of environment and waters and deputy chair of the EU affairs committee. Ivelina contributes to the EPPA team with her experience in policy making and legislative drafting and implementation at local, national and EU level.

She has vast experience in leading and facilitating the dialogue and interaction between institutions and various stakeholders, including business, academia and NGOs for a more sustainable future. Her focus is in the field of environmental protection, circular economy, climate policies, EU affairs and EU funded implementing programs.

Parvoleta Luleva is a Senior Advisor at EPPA. She has an extensive experience as a regulator and implementer in the field of EU, national and international legislation in chemical safety working for more than 14 years for the Bulgarian government. Her expertise covers the whole range of regulations and multilateral environmental agreements in the field of chemicals, applicable in the EU up to date. Over that time, she has been a member of international, European Commission, ECHA and national committees and working groups. She was a Member of the Management Board of ECHA (2015-2017) and Chair of the Competent Authority’s expert groups on REACH and CLP (2007-2017).

Development and implementation of the legislation gave her an opportunity to work closely with all stakeholders, including other legislators, implementing authorities, industry and NGOs. This process has thought her to walk in the shoes of the different players and to seek for working solutions in the best interest of the society, ensuring the protection of the environment and supporting the sustainable future of the industry.

In her work at EPPA, Parvoleta Luleva is devoted to the support of industry in executing its responsibility for the safety of its products and in shifting towards sustainable production and use of chemicals, so their investments become a leverage for the competiveness and innovation.

Vasilena Vasileva is an external expert. Over the last two years she has worked for KPMG Germany, where she has gained extensive experience in the implementation of the EU Tax Methodology Regulation and the requirements of the NFRD/CIRD, as well as in the implementation of the EBA Pillar III requirements.

In her work, she prepared a technical concept for the taxonomy disclosure as of the reporting date 31.12.2022, as well as for future disclosures as of the reporting date 31.12.2023. In addition, she supported the analysis of data requirements in the context of the new regulatory requirements (EU taxonomy disclosures, EBA Pillar III ESG disclosures) as well as the analysis of overarching organizational structures, sustainability KPIs and targets, non-financial reporting and the implications of the new regulatory requirements. The development and implementation of the new ESG regulatory requirements enabled her to embrace process transformation as well as governance adjustments to integrate strategy across the business organization and help build a framework for sustainability reporting.

EPPA S.A.

EPPA is a specialist management consultancy established in 1987. The organisation has the expertise to manage alignment and to develop consensus between business, European Union institutions and governments.

EPPA offers a deep know-how about regulatory processes and the politics driving them.

EPPA has built up expertise on Taxonomy and related files such as Corporate Sustainability Reporting and other EU files related to the EU Green Deal and sustainability overall, where we service several sectors and both large and smaller businesses. Furthermore, EPPA has a training branch -European Training Institute – which allows us to provide hands-on and strategic workshops to clients.

EPPA helps to seek solutions that build sustainable value and competitive advantage. This well-tested approach has positioned EPPA in a league of its own with an impressive track record in resolving challenges related to public policy and regulatory affairs.

www.eppa.com