Hybrid Event
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Summer Workshop
EU Autonomy and Competitiveness: Agrifood, Health, and the Digital Sector

Brussels, 24 June 2026
Hybrid Event


Given the current geopolitical uncertainty, it is essential for the European Union to achieve strategic autonomy and ensure the safety of its citizens across a range of areas. In particular, in the agri-food, health, and digital sectors, the EU is developing highly ambitious initiatives that will affect various areas of the economy and society. It will be crucial to get off to a good start and avoid any missteps. 

Connact’s “summer” event will provide food for thought, bringing together representatives of European institutions and economic stakeholders to discuss in depth the key issues under consideration and their impact on the Italian economy, with a particular focus on the sectors most affected. 

Health policy and food safety will be the focus of two working groups, which will discuss their implications for the pharmaceutical industry on the one hand and for the agricultural and food sectors on the other. A third working group will focus on policies for the digital sector, addressing both the infrastructure measures and the regulatory framework required to ensure the EU’s autonomy and security in this field. 

Programme

Time Connact summer workshop 2026
10:30 am

Thematic sessions

1. Agri & Food
2. Pharma
3. Net & Tech e Media

Time Connact Agri & Food 2026
10:30 am

Food safety: from agriculture to the food industry

As part of its policy to simplify procedures and reduce the administrative burden on businesses, the European Union is updating its 2026 food safety measures, with a focus on a risk-based approach, regulatory simplification, and sustainability. To this end, the European Commission presented the Omnibus proposal in December 2025, aimed at simplifying EU rules on food safety, plant health, and controls, thereby reducing administrative burdens by 25–35%.  At the same time, work is underway to develop a new system to ensure that consumers receive adequate nutritional information about products.

The Agri-Food working group focuses on these two issues, without overlooking the impact of the disruption to global trade caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—through which a third of the raw materials for fertilisers pass—leading to a 30–40% rise in fertiliser prices, the risk of a food crisis, and higher prices for basic commodities.

Keynote Speech

Elisabeth Werner
EU Commission, Director General DG AGRI

Elisabeth Werner is Director-General for the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). This department supports and promotes a knowledge and evidence-based green and digital transition towards a sustainable, competitive, and resilient EU agriculture, rural areas and food systems, including food security. It is responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Ms Werner, an Austrian national, was Deputy Secretary-General at the Secretariat-General of the European Commission. Prior to this, she was Director for Land Transport at the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) where she was responsible for interinstitutional relations, communication and coordination. In earlier stages of her career, she was senior expert and then Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Georgieva (2014-2016) focusing on HR, budgetary matters and anti-fraud. She also took on several Head of Unit positions at DG MOVE and the Directorate-General for Budget (DG BUDG). Ms Werner joined the European Commission in 1996.

Speakers

Stefano Bonaccini
MEP, S&D/PD

p

Salvatore De Meo
MEP, EPP/FI

Gruppo del Partito popolare europeo (Democratici cristiani)
Italia - Forza Italia (Italia)
Presidente
DNAT Delegazione per le relazioni con l'Assemblea parlamentare della NATO
Membro
CPDE Conferenza dei presidenti di delegazione
SEDE Commissione per la sicurezza e la difesa
AGRI Commissione per l'agricoltura e lo sviluppo rurale
AFCO Commissione per gli affari costituzionali
DSAS Delegazione per le relazioni con i paesi dell'Asia meridionale
Membro sostituto
IMCO Commissione per il mercato interno e la protezione dei consumatori
DANZ Delegazione per le relazioni con l'Australia e la Nuova Zelanda

Carlo Fidanza
MEP, ECR/FdI

Gruppo dei Conservatori e Riformisti europei
Italia - Fratelli d'Italia (Italia)
Vicepresidente
DLAT Delegazione all'Assemblea parlamentare euro-latinoamericana
Membro
AGRI Commissione per l'agricoltura e lo sviluppo rurale
DCAM Delegazione per le relazioni con i paesi dell'America centrale, incluso il comitato parlamentare di associazione UE-America centrale
Membro sostituto
AFET Commissione per gli affari esteri
CONT Commissione per il controllo dei bilanci
TRAN Commissione per i trasporti e il turismo
EUDS Commissione speciale sullo scudo europeo per la democrazia
D-CL Delegazione alla commissione parlamentare mista UE-Cile

Cristina Guarda
MEP, GREENS/Verdi

Gruppo dei Verdi/Alleanza libera europea
Italia - Europa Verde - Verdi (Italia)
Vicepresidente
PETI Commissione per le petizioni
DAND Delegazione per le relazioni con i paesi della Comunità andina

Membro
AGRI Commissione per l'agricoltura e lo sviluppo rurale
D-AL Delegazione al comitato parlamentare di stabilizzazione e di associazione UE-Albania
DLAT Delegazione all'Assemblea parlamentare euro-latinoamericana
Membro sostituto
REGI Commissione per lo sviluppo regionale

Flavio Facioni
EU Commission, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi

Flavio Facioni is a member of the Cabinet of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi. He is responsible for pesticides and biocides, plant health, nutrition and health claims, and liaising with the European Parliament on food safety and animal welfare issues.


He contributed to the preparation of the Omnibus package on food and feed safety, as well as other key legislative dossiers within the remit of DG SANTE.


He has over fifteen years' experience working in European institutions, including many years at the European Parliament as a policy adviser. In this role, he participated in parliamentary proceedings and negotiations relating to important legislation adopted by the European institutions.

Antonios Nestroras
EPIC, Founder and Director

Antonios Nestoras is a recognised European thinker at the crossroads of security, technology, and industrial strategy. With 20 years of experience in academia, think tanks, and public administration, he is an influential voice in EU policymaking whose work has been featured in the Financial Times, Politico, and Euronews, among others.

He has authored or edited over 40 publications, from policy reports to peer-reviewed articles and books, and is the Founder and Chief Editor of the Future Europe Journal. He holds a double PhD in Social and Political Science from VUB and the University of Antwerp and is a recipient of the prestigious Huygens Scholarship at Leiden University.

Antonios now leads the European Policy Innovation Council, EPIC: a next-generation thinking movement reshaping Europe with evidence-based policies.

Q&A with Connact organisers

Simona Caselli
Legacoop Agroalimentare, Head of EU Affairs


Simona Caselli graduated with honours in Economics and Business. She is an auditor and a full member of the Italian National Academy of Agriculture. She is currently the chair of the Granlatte cooperative, the parent company of Granarolo Spa, and the vice-chair of Granarolo Spa. She is also the head of European affairs at Legacoop Agroalimentare.



She is also Chair of the Research Centre for Animal Production (CRPA).



From 2015 to 2020, she served as Regional Councillor for Agriculture, Hunting and Fishing for the Emilia-Romagna Region, and from March 2025, she will serve as Chair of AREFLH – the European Network of Fruit and Vegetable Regions for nine years.



She is also currently a member of the board of directors of CIRFOOD, a leading company in the HoReCa sector; Progeo, an agricultural production and animal feed company; and the Il Biologico Consortium, which represents leading Italian organic food companies.



She is an honorary member of the National Association of Women in Fruit and Vegetables and the National Association of Women in Wine.



Throughout her long career in the Italian cooperative system, which began in 1984, she worked in the financial sector for decades at the national financial consortium CCFS (now Fin4Coop).



In 2011, she was elected President of Legacoop Reggio Emilia and Legacoop Emilia Ovest. She held this position until 2014 and, during this time, also represented the cooperative economic system on the Board of Directors of the University of Parma.


Leonardo Pofferi
Confcooperative, European Affairs and International Relations Director

Born in La Spezia on 3 March 1970, he graduated with honours in Political Science from the University of Bologna and went on to complete a Master’s degree in European Union Law and Policy at the Collegio Europeo in Parma. Since 1999, he has worked at Confcooperative’s Brussels office, where he is responsible for relations with EU institutions and European cooperative associations. In 2014, he took over as head of the office, and in 2020 he was appointed Head of European Affairs and International Relations. He has been an alternate member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2020, as well as Vice-President of Cogeca, the European association of agri-food cooperatives, and a member of the board of Cooperatives Europe. Member of the Board of Directors of Social Economy Europe

Romina Raucci
Federalimentare, Responsabile Ufficio di Bruxelles
Graziano Scardino
CIA Agricoltori italiani, Member of the Executive Committee, President of the Centre for Agricultural Assistance and of CIA Sicily

Graziano Scardino is an agricultural entrepreneur and trade union leader at Sicilian and national level.


He is a graduate in agronomy and runs an organic farm with his brother in the Enna area. The farm specialises in cereals, fodder and livestock. He has also been at the helm of a company specialising in the promotion and marketing of organic products for over twenty years.


He has been actively involved with CIA-Agricoltori Italiani for many years and served as director of CIA Sicilia Orientale. He was elected regional president of CIA Sicilia in 2022 and re-elected in 2026. He is also the national president of CAA-CIA, an organisation that helps agricultural businesses manage European funding applications and grants. He is also a member of the National Executive Committee.


He primarily focuses on water crises and infrastructure, safeguarding farmers’ incomes, combatting rising production costs and promoting insurance schemes and strategies for adapting to climate change.

Andrea Sorbello
Barilla, Public Affairs Director

Director Public Affairs, Crisis, Scientific and Sustainability communications for the Barilla Group. A professional in Institutional Relations and Crisis Communication with over 10 years of experience, he has worked in Brussels, dealing with European affairs, as well as in Parma and Amsterdam.


Graduated in European Studies from the University of Turin

Francesco Tramontin
Ferrero Group, Vice President Global Public Affairs

Francesco Tramontin is Vice President at Ferrero, where he leads Global Public Affairs and the European Government Affairs and Communications team. Since joining in 2020, he has driven the company’s external engagement on food policy, sustainability, responsible marketing, and health and nutrition, particularly with EU institutions.

Previously, he spent 15 years at Mondelēz International (formerly Kraft Foods) in Brussels, Zurich, and Chicago, where he held senior roles in public affairs and sustainability at global and regional level. He began his career with Cargill and Eridania Beghin-Say, focusing on environmental, trade, and agricultural policy.

Francesco holds a degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste. He lives in Brussels with his wife and two daughters.

Moderate

Marco Liberati
AAP Group journalist

A journalist with the AAP Group, he has worked in the information sector for over 20 years and has gone through the transition from print to digital communication.

As a communication manager, he deals with integrated communication plans and offers advice as a SEO copywriter, both for small and medium-sized companies in need of a fast and effective migration to the technological era.

Time Connact Pharma 2026
3:00 pm

EU policies on health and the pharmaceutical sector

The drive towards greater integration among the 27 Member States in the field of health, which arose from the fight against COVID-19, did not fade once the pandemic had passed but has maintained its momentum, recognising that new common challenges will need to be addressed, starting with the strengthening of autonomy in the pharmaceutical sector.

The proposals announced by the European Commission in the field of health place the emphasis on prevention—which involves healthy eating and lifestyles as much as advanced diagnostic capabilities—without, however, neglecting the pharmaceuticals and medical devices sector, with initiatives such as the Critical Medicines Act, proposals to streamline regulations on diagnostic and therapeutic devices, the anticipated Biotech Act II and Cardiovascular Plan. What impact will this have on the sector? What other measures are needed to ensure autonomy, security, the ability to innovate, and competitiveness with other global players?

Keynote speech

Csaba Kontor
EU Commission, Policy Assistant at Commissioner Várhelyi's Cabinet

Speakers

Ruggero Razza
MEP, ECR/FdI

European Conservatives and Reformists Group

Italy - Fratelli d'Italia (Italy)

Chair
DMAG Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, including the EU-Morocco, EU-Tunisia and EU-Algeria Joint Parliamentary Committees

Member
CPDE Conference of Delegation Chairs
BUDG Committee on Budgets
SANT Committee on Public Health

Substitute Member
D-TR Delegation to the EU-Türkiye Joint Parliamentary Committee
DMED Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean

Tomislav Sokol
Eurodeputato, PPE/HDZ

Group of the European People's Party


Croatia - Hrvatska demokratska zajednica


Member

SANT - Committee on Public Health

IMCO - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

D-TR - Delegation to the EU-Türkiye Joint Parliamentary Committee

D-RS - Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee


Substitute

ENVI - Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety

AFCO - Committee on Constitutional Affairs

D-ME - Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

Joan Madia
University of Oxford, Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics

Joan is a Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics and Policy Evaluation at the Center for Health Economics Services and Organisation (CHSEO) and the Health Economics group in the Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences. Additionally, he holds a non-stipendiary affiliate membership at the Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (FBK-IRVAPP) in Italy.


His research interests focus on drawing causal inference from non-randomly selected samples; especially in settings of imperfect compliance, the analysis of inequality in health and human capital development, and the evaluation of public policies.

Q&A with Connact organisers

Andrea Bonetti
Chiesi Group, Global Public Affairs, Head of EU Office

Andrea Bonetti is Head of the EU Office at Chiesi Farmaceutici, where he leads the company’s public affairs strategy at European level across key healthcare policy areas. Since opening Chiesi’s Brussels office in 2020, he has strengthened the company’s engagement with EU institutions, contributed to major policy discussions and supported its positioning on issues affecting patients and healthcare systems.


He represents Chiesi on policies related to rare diseases and chronic respiratory conditions, working closely with EU stakeholders and industry partners to advance patient access and innovation. With more than 15 years of experience in health and environmental policy, he also contributes to initiatives on planetary health, in line with Chiesi’s values, and collaborates with cross-functional teams on the implementation of the company’s strategic priorities. Andrea is currently chairing different environmental working groups in different trade associations.


Prior to his current role, he served as a Policy Officer at Federchimica's EU office, where he developed advocacy strategies for the Italian chemical industry and represented the federation in various EU trade associations, covering a wide range of files related to energy, climate and chemicals.


Andrea holds a Master's degree in International Relations with a specialization in International Economics from the University of Trieste - Italy, and a Master's in Business Administration and Communication.

Emanuele Degortes
Menarini Group, Global Head of Access Policy, Patient Advocacy & Engagement

Emanuele is the Global Head of Access Policy, Patient Advocacy & Engagement at Menarini. In his role he is responsible for managing the company's relations with policy makers and patient advocacy groups.

Originally from Sardinia, he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford Univeristy and EU Politics at the London Schoold of Economics.

He started his career in government affairs working for some of the largest horizontal trade associations - from the Confederation of British Industries to Confindustria to the American Chamber of Commerce.

Following a stint at FTI Consulting he has worked for the pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Vifor Pharma before joining Menarini.

In his spare time he organises a Film Festival on the Island of Tavolara off the coast of Sardinia.

Moderate

Lorenzo Robustelli
Director of Eunews

Director and co-founder of Eunews, the first Italian publication with a central editorial office in Brussels and correspondents from Rome and other European capitals.

Time Connact Net & Tech e Media 2026
4:45 pm

Digital security and sovereignty: the EU’s challenges regarding autonomy and competitiveness

Digital security and sovereignty are crucial issues for the European Union’s strategic autonomy and progress, all the more so in the context of the current geopolitical instability. Both infrastructure investment and regulatory decisions in the sector are essential to drive economic and social development, ensure public safety and boost business competitiveness.

The Net & Tech working group focuses on available resources and regulations, with particular attention to the Cloud and AI Development Act, as part of the Technological Sovereignty package, while also addressing the ongoing debate on the DNA and its implications for infrastructure and digital services.

Keynote speech

Lucrezia Busa
EU Commission, Head of Unit Markets, Competition and Roaming at DG CONNECT

Head of Unit Markets, Competition and Roaming of the EU Commission.

Speakers

Brando Benifei
MEP, S&D/PD

Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament

Italy - Partito Democratico (Italy)

Chair
D-US Delegation for relations with the United States

Member
CPDE Conference of Delegation Chairs
INTA Committee on International Trade
AFCO Committee on Constitutional Affairs
D-BR Delegation for relations with the Federative Republic of Brazil

Substitute Member
IMCO Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
JURI Committee on Legal Affairs
DMER Delegation for relations with Mercosur
DLAT Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

Marco Falcone
MEP. EPP/FI

Gruppo del Partito popolare europeo (Democratici cristiani)

Italia - Forza Italia (Italia)

Membro

ECON Commissione per i problemi economici e monetari

HOUS Commissione speciale sulla crisi degli alloggi nell'Unione europea

DMAG Delegazione per le relazioni con i paesi del Maghreb e l'Unione del Maghreb arabo, comprese le commissioni parlamentari miste UE-Marocco, UE-Tunisia e UE-Algeria

Membro sostituto

PECH Commissione per la pesca

D-IN Delegazione per le relazioni con l'India

Gaetano Pedullà
MEP, LEFT/M5S

The Left Group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL

Italy - Movimento 5 Stelle (Italy)

Member
ECON Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
D-CN Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China

Substitute Member
ITRE Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
IMCO Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
LIBE Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
D-UK Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly

Francesco Torselli
MEP, ECR/FdI

European Conservatives and Reformists Group

Italy - Fratelli d'Italia (Italy)

Member
INTA Committee on International Trade
EMPL Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
D-MX Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee
D-UK Delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly

Substitute Member
ITRE Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
DLAT Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

Alberto La Bella
Italy Permanent Representation to the EU, Coordinator for TLC and Transport

Alberto La Bella is an Italian diplomat who currently serves as First Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU in Brussels.
 
Within the Representation, he serves as Coordinator for the Telecommunications and Transport sectors.

Q&A with Connact organisers

Vincenzo Ferraiuolo
Fastweb+Vodafone, Head of EU Public Affairs
Angela Gargani
FiberCop, Public Affairs Director

Angela Gargani is Public Affairs Director at FiberCop. She has extensive experience in the telecommunications sector, particularly in managing relations with local, national and international institutions, trade associations (primarily Confindustria) and the third sector.


She is an active member of numerous representative bodies. She is member of the General Council of Assolombarda, Unione Industriali Torino, Unindustria, Unione Industriali Napoli, Asstel and Anitec-Assinform, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Cotec. In the past, she held the same position on the Board of Directors of Telsy S.p.A.


Over the years, he has participated as a panellist and speaker at numerous round-table discussions organised by Confindustria (both at central and regional level), as well as by other associations and foundations, including UNCEM, the Marisa Bellisario Foundation, Anima for Social Responsibility in Business Values, the John Paul II Foundation for Youth, Confcommercio and Cotec.


She has held positions of increasing responsibility at TIM S.p.A., including that of Head of Public Affairs for the Network Division in the two-year period 2023–2024, with the task of leading the process of separating the Public Affairs function from TIM. From 2019 to 2023, she was Head of Relations with Confindustria, trade associations, think tanks, foundations and the third sector. From 2006 to 2015, she also led relations with the associative sector within the Public Affairs function at Telecom Italia.



Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a particular aptitude for building and strengthening professional networks within institutional and associative contexts, distinguishing herself through her ability to understand and effectively represent the needs of businesses to relevant stakeholders.


She holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and qualified as an EFQM Assessor in Brussels. In 2023, she completed an Executive MBA at Luiss Business School. She is married and has two children.

Carolina Lorenzon
MFE-MediaForEurope, Director of Media Policy and Regulatory Affairs

Carolina Lorenzon began her career as public affairs specialist in 1991, after a traineeship at the EC’s space policy unit (DG XIII). She setup the Fininvest Group’s Brussels office. Recently appointed Director of Media Policy and Regulatory Affairs at MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE, she leads the development and coordination of shared EU policy and regulatory priorities across five Member States. Her work focuses on fostering local content production, supporting trusted news, and safeguarding the sustainability of advertising-funded broadcasting and VOD services in an evolving media landscape.

Francesco Nonno
Director of Regulatory and European Affairs at Open Fiber

A graduate in economic and social disciplines from the “Luigi Bocconi” University in Milan, Francesco Nonno has almost 30 years of experience in telecommunications, regulation, and antitrust. After graduating, he worked for about 10 years in consultancy companies specialising in the communications sector, in Italy and France, as project manager for strategic analysis and positioning projects for telecommunications products/services.

Subsequently, he participated in the start-up phase of the Communications Guarantee Authority, where he worked for about six years, and also served as Head of the Telecommunications Operators and Services Office within the Supervision and Control Department. In particular, from 2004 until his entry into Open Fiber, he worked at the Telecom Italia Group, initially as Head of Telecom Sparkle's Regulatory Affairs, and from 2005, as Head of Telecom Italia's Antitrust Affairs, to which he added over time various roles in defining and representing the group's position also in Regulatory and/or Privacy matters at national and European level.

Most recently, he was responsible for relations with national authorities from 2012 to 2015, and since 2016, he has been Head of Antitrust and Regulatory Affairs for wholesale and energy services. He is currently Head of Regulatory and European Affairs at Open Fiber and President of the FTTH Council Europe, a European association representing the entire optical fibre value chain.

Fabio Parola
A2A, European and International Public Affairs Manager

Fabio Parola is a European and International Public Affairs Manager at A2A Group.

Fabio has worked since 2020 on EU energy and climate legislation and policymaking in various capacities across the private sector, think tanks, and the European Commission. He began his professional career as a journalist at Corriere della Sera.

Fabio holds a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the University of Trento and has completed executive training in the regulation of energy utilities at the Florence School of Regulation of the European University Institute.

Giacomo Robustelli
TIM, Vice President European Affairs & Economic Studies

For more than 25 years he has held managerial roles, from business development to external relations, in large companies (Poste Italiane and Tiscali), medium-sized companies (Business International) and start-ups (Aria).

He joined TIM in 2019 where he is in charge of European affairs and economic studies. He founded Eunews and was an athlete in the national sabre team.

Moderate

Stefano Da Empoli
I-Com, Institute for Competitiveness, Founder & President

Stefano Da Empoli is an economist, founder and current President of the Institute for Competitiveness (I-Com), a think tank with offices in Rome and Brussels specialising in innovation, digital technology, energy and health.
 
He is a lecturer in political economy and economic policy at the Roma Tre University.

Teaser

Location

European Parliament Altiero Spinelli Building – Room 1H1
Rue Wiertz 60, 1047
Brussels,Belgium+ Google Map

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Contacts

Would you like to receive more information? Our team is available at the following contacts

connact@connact.it
+39 366 759 5782