On September 28, 2001 the Center for the Study of Democracy hosted a meeting of Prof. Edward Best with representatives of Bulgarian public administration. Prof. Best delivered a lecture and introduced the participants to the European institutions and issues related to the EU integration process. Among the issues discussed were the Nice Treaty, the EU Institutional Reform, the Agenda after the Nice Treaty and the fundamental challanges the EU will be facing in the future.

One of the leading European experts in the field of EU research, Professor Edward Best is teaching since 1988 in the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Since 1999 he is a professor and Head of the European Governance and Policy Processes Unit in the same institute. Prof. Best is also an active research worker, consultant, and author of teaching programs.

The meeting was held within the framework of cooperation between the CSD and the Institute of Public Administration and European Integration and was attended by state administration senior officials, engaged in Bulgaria's EU accession process.