AmCham EU’s recommendations to the Spanish presidency are now available online and in brochure format. In this document you will find the policy priorities of our 15 committees listed in Council formation. For further information on AmCham EU's presidency group events please contact Sara Webber at the secretariat.

Recommendations to the Spanish presidency

From 26-28 January, twenty members of AmCham EU’s Presidency Group, lead by Rory Macmillan from Nike, gathered in Brussels for a series of meetings with the key stakeholders for the incoming Belgian presidency.

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On 2 February, AmCham EU committee chairs/vice chairs met with US Ambassador to the EU, William E. Kennard, to brief him on key issues facing US companies operating in Europe.

After an exchange of information and ideas, the ambassador expressed interest in meeting again with members in the near future to further identify areas where the Mission and AmCham EU could work together to produce tangible results. 


PHOTOS: (top) US Ambassador to the EU, William E. Kennard and AmCham EU chairman, John Vassallo (Microsoft). (below) AmCham EU chairs and US Mission to the EU personnel.

On Tuesday 26 January AmCham EU hosted a well-attended panel discussion on risk mitigation at the monthly plenary meeting.

The keynote speaker was David Wright who is the current deputy director-general for the Internal Market and Services in the European Commission. Wright has been at the epicenter of the ongoing wave of legislative initiatives on financial services regulation and supervision. Wright predicted that the new Commissioner, Michel Barnier, might surprise his critics. Among the key priorities of the new Commissioner are derivatives and crisis management. Wright also discussed other major dossiers with AmCham EU members, including supervision of the financial services sector, remuneration, accounting standards, and corporate governance.
 

PHOTOS: (Top) David Wright, Deputy Director-General, Internal Market and Services, EC (Below) Panellists: Richard Kaye (JP Morgan) co-chair AmCham EU's financial services and company law committee; Kurt Schäfer, vice president Daimler Treasury Risk Management; Patrick Pearson, head of unit, financial markets infrastructure, EC; Kay Swinburne, MEP; and Roger Cogan, director of European Policy, ISDA

AmCham EU along with the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Digital Europe, TechAmerica Europe and the Japan Business Council in Europe are concerned about the lack of adequate consultation or impact assessment regarding the proposal to expand the scope of the RoHS Directive. This would set a dangerous precedent and a clear step back from the principles of better lawmaking endorsed by the EU institutions.

Position statement: Business’ concerns about the absence of an impact assessment on the proposed ‘open scope’ of the RoHS directive

The new US Ambassador to the EU, William E. Kennard paid a visit to AmCham EU to meet the staff and its members on Thursday 21 January. This unique networking event gave AmCham EU members an opportunity to meet the Ambassador and learn more about his priorities. After the US Mission and AmCham EU teams were introduced, the Ambassador delivered some brief remarks and stated that he thought "AmCham EU is probably the best AmCham in the world!"

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