Maroš Šefčovič

Keynote Speaker

Executive Vice President of the European Commission, in charge of the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations, and Foresight

Maroš Šefčovič (born in 1966) is a Slovak politician and a career diplomat, who since August 22, 2023, has served as Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations, and Foresight. Before that, since December 1, 2019, he served as Vice‐President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. In this capacity, he leads the Commission’s work on the European Green Deal, interinstitutional relations, better policymaking, strategic foresight, and the European Battery Alliance. He is also responsible for the European Union’s relations with Western non‐EU countries, notably Andorra, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Lichtenstein, San Marino, and Switzerland. He also co-chairs the EU‐UK Partnership Council under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the EU‐UK Joint Committee for the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement. European Affairs have been at the centre of Mr Šefčovič’s career for almost two decades. In 2014, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. From 2010 to 2019, he was Vice‐President of the European Commission, initially in charge of Interinstitutional Relations and Administration, and then the Energy Union. In 2009‐2010, he was European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture, and Youth. From 2004 to 2009, he was the Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the European Union, steering the country’s integration in the European Union, such as its entry into the Eurozone and the Schengen area. As a diplomat by profession, he served between 1992 and 2004 in Zimbabwe and Canada and as Ambassador of Slovakia to Israel. He graduated from the University of Economy in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Moscow State Institute for Foreign Relations. He holds a degree as Doctor of Law and a PhD of European Law from Faculty of Law at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He also undertook training in diplomacy at Stanford University, USA. A book Driving the EU Forward: Talks with Maroš Šefčovič focuses on his first mandate as the Commission Vice‐President. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Pan‐European University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Mr Šefčovič is married and the father of 3 children, Helena, Martina, and Maroš. Two dogs and a cat are also part of the family.