AmCham EU’s 2010-2015 Agenda for Action

We are very pleased to present you with AmCham EU’s Agenda for Action. This represents the views of business leaders from over 140 of our member companies, and sets out our priorities for the next five years. Our aim was to come up with ideas to help pave the way towards a sustainable recovery and make Europe more competitive on the world stage.

In developing the Agenda, we also conferred with external stakeholders including the European Commission, the European Parliament, NGOs, the media and academics. We submitted the Agenda for Action to the Commission in response to its EU’s 2020 consultation process. We were pleased our comments were referenced and quoted by the Commission following their consultation, and that our ideas are fundamentally in alignment.

The agenda is in an e-book format and contains video segments of some of our business leaders outlining our five priority areas. Please make sure the volume on your computer is turned on to hear their remarks. 

See Agenda for Action

Please note Adobe Flash Player is required, download free copy  

As we start a new decade AmCham EU took a look ahead at what the next ten years will bring to the transatlantic economy with particular focus on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and green technologies at the fourth Transatlantic Conference on Thursday 4 March with over 150 attendees.

The conference started with a keynote address from The Honorable William E. Kennard, United States Ambassador to the EU. In his remarks the ambassador cited the importance of the transatlantic relationship and despite the financial downturn of over a year ago the economic relationship across the Atlantic is still founded on a powerful vision.

At the conference the Transatlantic Economy 2010, authored by Daniel Hamilton and Joseph Quinlan from the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University was launched. Daniel Hamilton presented the key statistics from this year's study which revealed that the EU and US are still eachother's biggest investors.

Following the opeining presentations were two panel discussions on Foreign Direct Investment and Innovation & Green Technologies. Both panels looked at how the EU and US can work closer together to seek converegnce on standards and norms and remain competitive in a globalised world in these sectors.

The conference concluded with a keynote address from David O'Sullivan, Director General for Trade at the European Commission during lunch. Mr. O'Sullivan took the opportunity to present some of the key priorities for DG Trade and during Commissioner De Gucht's mandate.

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In the presence of over 30 MEPs, representatives from 30 AmChams across Europe, representatives from several Permanent Representations and AmCham EU members the Transatlantic Economy 2010 study was launched at the European Parliament. In his opening remarks John Vassallo (Microsoft), Chair of AmCham EU emphasised the importance of the transatlantic economy, citing some of the key statistics in this year's study authored by Daniel Hamilton and Joseph Quinlan from the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University.

A call for closer cooperation between business and government was emphasised by Pilar del Castillo MEP, who hosted the launch event. In her remarks MEP Castillo highlighted the importance of the transatlantic economy in ensuring growth and jobs and in particular providing stability to the global economy.

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PHOTOS: (top) Pilar del Castillo MEP; (middle) (l-r) Jaime Malet, President, AmCham Spain, Pilar del Castillo MEP, John Vassallo (Microsoft) Chair AmCham EU, Susan Danger, Managing Director, AmCham EU, Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, Financial Times.

AmCham EU hosted a briefing and networking cocktail reception at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday 25 February on the transatlantic regulatory reform agenda for financial services. On hand to discuss and learn more were AmCham EU members, US government representatives and key assistants of MEPs from the ECON, JURI and IMCO Committees.

The assistants were briefed by Mathew Haarsager, US Treasury representative in Europe. This was followed by briefings from leading members of AmCham EU’s Financial Services and Company Law Committee including the Committee Co-Chair, Mitchell Coen (Barclays Capital), Penelope Naas (Citi), and Nick Collier (Morgan Stanley Int.).

PHOTO: (top) (l-r): Mitchell Coen (Barclays Capital) Vice-Chair AmCham EU Financial Services and Company Law, Mathew Haarsager, US Treasury.

AmCham EU’s plenary meeting on Tuesday 23 February 2010 focused on the EU 2020 and the potential impacts on business. A panel discussion moderated by Patrick Oliver (Accenture) Vice-Chair of AmCham EU included Žiga Turk, Secretary General of the European Council Reflection Group, Gerard de Graaf, Head of Unit for the Lisbon Strategy's 'Strategic Objective Prosperity', European Commission and John Vassallo (Micorsoft), Chair of AmCham EU.



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PHOTO: (top) (l-r): Susan Danger, Managing Director, AmCham EU; Odile Renaud-Basso, Deputy Chef de Cabinet, President Van Rompuy ; John Vassallo (Microsoft) Chair, AmCham EU. (bottom): Gerard de Graaf, Head of Unit for the Lisbon Strategy's 'Strategic Objective Prosperity', European Commission Patrick Oliver, (Accenture) Vice-Chair of AmCham EU ; Žiga Turk, Secretary General of the European Council Reflection Group