09:30 – 10:30 Opening by the EMS President and Welcome Addresses

Horst Böttger, EMS President
Hristomir Branzov, NIMH-BAS Director
Ekaterina Batchvarova, BMS President
Paulina Valchanova, AMC Bulgaria and BULATSA
Ivelina Vassileva, Minister of the Environment and Water, Bulgaria
Lilyana Pavlova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Bulgaria
Academician Stefan Vodenicharov, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Will Lang, ECAM
Ingeborg Auer, Climate Programme
Robert Mureau, PRIMET
The Association of Hydro-Meteorological Equipment Industry
Alexander MacDonald, AMS President

For profiles of the speakers please see: http://www.ems2015.eu/special_events/profiles_of_speakers_at_the_opening_session.html


10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break


11:00 – 13:00 Strategic Lectures

Deon Terblanche, World Meteorological Organization
Title: The WMO contribution towards minimizing risks from weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental events.

Stuart Goldstraw, Met Office
Title: Observing Initial Conditions and Hydro-Meteorological Impacts - how do we ensure both requirements are met in the coming years?

Fernando Prates, ECMWF
Title: Predicting high impact weather using ECMWF products

Michael Staudinger, ZAMG
Title: Multihazard early warning systems: What can European citizens expect from their NHMSs?

13:00 Closing