Професионална автобиография:

Elena Krastenova is a lawyer with 30 years of legal experience in the field of labour law, corporate law and administrative law. Mrs. Krastenova has participated in social dialogue as a representative of employers' organization in the National Council for Tripartite Partnership. She has over 20 years of professional experience in promoting entrepreneurship and (self) employment. Elena Krastenova is a coordinator for Bulgaria in the network ENSR (European Network for Social and Economic Research), being a researcher under numerous EU projects on labor market with a focus on women, aging workforce, social entrepreneurship, migration, disabled, etc.

Post graduate specializations:

Certificate Seminar for legal practitioners “EU law on equality between women and men in practice”, Academy of European Law, Trier, Germany (2010); Certificate course on European Law, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ghridskr' (2009); Diploma course on international labour standards, International Labour Organization (1997); Diploma Course on Small Business Policy in Japan, Osaka, Japan (1997); Diploma Course on Project Planning and Financial Resources Management. Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands (1994); Diploma Course on Industrial Relations and Settlement of Labour Disputes, Department of Labour, Washington, USA (1993); Specialization on Industrial Relations, DAG, Dusseldorf, Germany (1992); Postgraduate Specialization on Maritime Law, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski" (1987-1989)

Academic / Lecturing experience:

School of Management with the New Bulgarian University (2009 - ongoing); Institute for Public Administration, Part-time lecturer on European Integration, (2000); University for National and World Economy (Lecture course on Business environment – Joint program of UNWE and Tames Valley University, UK (1996-1998).

Professional experience

Attorney at Law (1998 - ongoing)

Member of the Board of Founders and Legal Counsel of the Foundation of Entrepreneurship

Development (1997 - ongoing)

Union for Private Economic Enterprise, Legal Adviser and Deputy Director of Euro Info Centre (1992 - (997)

National Culture Monuments Institute, Legal Council (1989-1990)

Bulgarian Shipping Agency “Inflot”, Senior Legal Adviser (1993 - 1989)

Major relevant projects:

• Research on the employment in community based social care services

• Evaluation of project proposals submitted before the European Integration Fund

• Case studies on OP Human Resources Development and OP Transport under the European Parliament Study "Member State Difficulties with Structural Funds management and control.

• The Interaction between Local Employment Development and Corporate Social Responsibility

• Family Business in Bulgaria

• Survey on seasonal migration of labour force in Bulgaria

• Accommodation of Disabled in Europe

• Social Capital and Job Creation in Rural Europe

• Interim Evaluation of the USAID Ethnic Integration and Conflict Resolution Program

• Good practices of workers mobility and employment

• Technical Assistance to the Project "Alternative Employment" under the 2003 Phare Programme

• Impact Assessment of SMAEP (Steel and Mining Areas Employment Project)

• Promotion of women entrepreneurship in Bulgaria (Institute for Advanced Studies / Austrian Government)

• Study on Women in Business in Bulgaria (ILO)

• Policy Paper on Social Assistance Policy in Bulgaria. Open Society Institute - Budapest LGI Fellowship (2003-2004)

• Preparation of Phare 2001 ESC project fiches in the field of Human Resources Development

• Contribution to the preparation of National Monitoring Report on Equal Gender Opportunities for the European Commission (2001)

Publications (individual and as a co-author):

"SME: Policy in Bulgaria" (1996); "State of SME in Bulgaria (1996, 1997); "Bulgarian Exporting SMEs” (1997); "Annual Report of the Bulgarian Agency for SME (1996-1999)”, "Women Entrepreneurs in Bulgaria"(2000); “SMEs and Competitiveness” (2001); "Annual Report of the Bulgarian Agency for SME (2000-2001), "Collective Labour Bargaining (2002); "Start Your Business" (2002); "Pre-accession Instruments of EU”(2003); “Age and Employment in New Member States, Bulgaria and Romania” (2006), ”Social Capital and Job Creation in Rural Europe (2007); "Labour Relations and Employee Security" textbook (2009); "Doing Business in EU”(2012); “Restructuring in SMEs: Bulgaria”(2012); “Job Creation in Social Care Services” (2013)

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