Students of Varna Free University were introduced to the role and priorities of the Customs Agency during the EU presidency
The students of Varna Free University were introduced to the role and priorities of the Bulgarian customs administration during the EU presidency in a presentation given by the coordinator of the Customs Agency on the preparation of the Presidency Ginka Konyarska.
The Rector of Varna Free University Prof. Galya Gercheva , D.Sc. opened the public lecture highlighting the good cooperation between the university and the Customs Agency. We are doing our best to provide knowledge that can be applied in practice. One of our partners with which we have successfully developed master's degree programmes in Tax and Customs Control , Customs Intelligence and Investigation is the Customs Agency, said Prof. Gercheva.
Mr Stoyan Pasev, regional governor of Varna region also attended the event and in his speech to the students offered to work on the opening of a new master‘s degree programme related to the customs in Varna. The regional administration is also your partner to rely on, the governor was categorical.
More than 220 students took part in the two lectures at Varna Free University. The students from the Smolyan branch were the first (on 26.11.217) who attended the lecture. It was also of special interest to the future master’s degree students of Customs Intelligence and Investigation.
In the first half of 2018, Bulgarian customs experts will actively work on several topics, including a proposal for regulations to combat illicit trafficking in cultural assets in the EU, as well as a new regulation on the control of cash flow which comes inthe Union or goes out of it. It is expected during the Bulgarian presidency that the Council of the EU should start negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission or the so-called "trialogue", explained to the students Ginka Konyarska. Another focus of the work will be the exchange of information between the EU and third parties related to the customs. A high level seminar within the framework of the EU Customs 2020 programme will be also dedicated to this priority and will be held in 2018. During this seminar, the 50th anniversary of the Customs Union of the EU will be celebrated.
The lectures in Smolyan and Varna are part of a series of presentations on the eve of the Presidency of the Council of the EU by the Republic of Bulgaria.
About the project
The project entitled Raising Awareness among Students on the Topic of the Forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the Eu from the Perspective of the Customs Administration is implementing the Communication Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for the European Union and the Work Programme for 2017. Its aim is to strengthen the partnership with the academic circles and student organizations by raising awareness of the activities of the Customs Agency on the occasion of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the period 1.01-30.06.2018 and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the EU Customs Union.
About the lecturer
Ginka Konyarska is the coordinator of the Customs Agency in preparation for the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU in 2018.
Mrs Konyarska has a master's degree in Law and has specialized in International Economic Relations. Since 1993 she has been in the Customs Agency and since June 1996 she has been Head of the European Relations Department at the International Relations Directorate. She is a member of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
She is the Head of Working Group 24 Customs Union and Customs Cooperation of the Council for European Affairs at the Administration of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria. Until 2007, she was responsible for bringing the national legislation into compliance with the acquis in the customs field, and after the accession of Bulgaria to the EU - for all customs related activities related to membership, incl. the EU's external relations. She takes part in the EU's Customs 2020 activities. She teaches International Customs Relations at the National Training Center of the Customs Agency. Among her many additional qualifications and courses, she has completed the Management Change of Administration course at the French Higher School of Administration (ENA).
