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 each other's biggest investors.

Following the opening presentations were two panel discussions; one on Foreign Direct Investment and the other on Innovation and Green Technologies. Both panels looked at how the EU and US can work more closely to seek convergence on standards and norms and remain competitive in a globalised world.

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.

Press release

Key statistics presentation - Dan Hamilton

Video highlights

Photo album

Panel Discussions:

Panel I: FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: A COMMON WAY FORWARD?

Given the important role of the regulatory environment in facilitating and fostering enterprise and innovation in a global economy, this panel considers how the EU and US can contribute to securing sound, predictable and transparent regulatory frameworks for trade and foreign direct investment.

• MAURO PETRICCIONE, Director, Services and Investment, Bilateral Trade Relations,
  Directorate DGA1.B, DG Trade, European Commission
• DANIEL MULLANEY, USTR Senior Trade Representative, US Mission to the EU
• MIKAEL HAGSTRÖM, President, EMEA and Asia Pacific, SAS
• Moderator: JACKI DAVIS, Senior Adviser, European Policy Centre (EPC)

 
Panel II: THE EU & US: INNOVATION & GREEN TECHNOLOGIES

Following the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit and the establishment of the EU-US Energy Council, we plan to consider transatlantic co-operation in regards to innovation and climate change. This panel, ahead of the AmCham EU Innovation Conference (later in 2010) will concentrate on emerging green technologies and how the EU & US can set the global standard in this arena.

• STEFAN TOSTMANN, Head of Unit, Energy Technologies and Research
  Coordination, Directorate DDG1.C.2, DG Energy, European Commission
   
• JUAN VERDE, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe, U.S. Department of Commerce
   
• MICHEL BENSADOUN, Vice President and General Manager, EMEA Western Region, Symantec
   
• MAJA WESSELS, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, First Solar
   
• Moderator: FIONA HARVEY, Environment Correspondent, Financial Times