On 15-16 May, AmCham EU welcomed 12 of its Executive Council members to Brussels for their annual Spring Plenary meeting. Following the Internal Plenary, ExCo members participated in an information session with Accenture on AmCham EU’s upcoming Agenda for Action. They met with Arancha Gonzalez, Chief of Staff to Director General Pascal Lamy, WTO, before attending the opening plenary of the European Business Summit. The day ended with a dinner with The Hon. William E. Kennard, US Ambassador to the EU, and Jean-Luc Demarty, Director General for Trade, European Commission at which the main topic of discussion was on the TTIP. 

At a press conference at the European Business Summit today, AmCham EU, AmChams in Europe, BUSINESSEUROPE, EUROCHAMBRES, the European Services Forum, the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Transatlantic Business Council, the Transatlantic Policy Network and the US Chamber of Commerce, launched the Business Alliance for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The business organisations united under the umbrella of the Alliance will contribute innovative solutions to open new markets to realise a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Agreement that is ambitious and comprehensive.

Please click here to read the full press release.

Congratulations to Richard Kaye (JP Morgan), who has been elected Chair of AmCham EU's Financial Services and Company Law Committee for a two-year term.

Thank you to Michael Collins (Citi), former Chair of the Committee, for all his hard work and dedication to AmCham EU.

On 26 April 2013, Mark Lange from Microsoft Europe offered an information session to AmCham EU staff on the newest technologies and services offered by Microsoft. Discussions mainly covered cloud computing, including its advantages and the legislation challenges it faces. The staff was also introduced to the motion sensing input device Kinect, which promises many new technological developments, but which is already widely used in the video game industry.

In her April video message, Susan Danger, Managing Director of AmCham EU, talks about the TTIP events in Dublin attended by AmCham EU. At the backdrop of the EU informal Council of EU Trade Ministers, AmCham EU participated in both the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) Business Roundtable on EU/US Trade and Investment and the event 'Driving the Future: The Importance of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership' organized by the US Embassy in Ireland. She also underlines the launch of 'The Transatlantic Opportunity' brochure in Dublin, as well as AmCham EU's April plenary meeting on cybersecurity challenges with keynote Robert Madelin, DG CONNECT.

Today AmCham EU joins Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day (World IP Day). This year’s theme ‘Creativity: The Next Generation’, recognises the power of young innovators in driving innovation and creativity across the world.

On 22 April, AmCham EU hosted its April plenary meeting on Addressing cybersecurity challenges: the need for global cooperation, featuring a luncheon keynote address from Robert Madelin, Director-General, DG CONNECT, European Commission. The event began with a panel session discussing the topic of cybersecurity challenges, with Pastora Valero, Director, EU Public Policy, Cisco and Chair of AmCham EU's Digital Economy Committee as moderator and guest panellists Ivailo Kalfin, MEP; Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Cyber Security Policy Advisor, European External Action Service; Danielle Kriz, Director, Global Cybersecurity Policy, Information Technology Industry Council; and Marco Riboli, Vice President and General Manager, Symantec EMEA Southern Region.

Today, AmCham EU's IP Committee has met with Mr Michael Koenig, Acting Head of Unit of the Industrial Property in the DG MARKT, European Commission in the run up to the World IP Day celebrations. The discussion focused on the ongoing revision of the EU's trademark legislation. Mr Koenig highlighted the modernisation proposed by the European Commission regarding the principle of 'one-class-per-fee' that will apply both for Community trademark applications and for national trademark applications.
 

On 19 April, the AmCham EU Competition Policy Committee welcomed Hilary Jennings, Head of Global Relations, Competition Division, OECD. Ms Jennings spoke extensively with members about the successes and challenges in dealing with competition policy at the OECD level.

Ms Jennings first acknowledged the OECD’s efforts to be more representative of the global community. Several attempts have been made until today to include new members of the G20 among the OECD’s membership.
 

On 16-17 April, AmCham EU members representing the Environment Committee made their annual trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The delegates had 16 meetings with MEPs, MEP assistants and political group advisors from a variety of political parties. Environmental issues discussed included f-gases and air quality, REACH, RoHS, endocrine disruptors, nanotechnologies, the overlap of environmental legislation and resource efficiency.

At the backdrop of the EU informal Council of EU Trade Ministers, AmCham EU participated in both the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) Business Roundtable on EU/US Trade and Investment and the event ‘Driving the Future: The Importance of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’ organized by the US Embassy in Ireland.

Following keynote speeches by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Commissioner Karel De Gucht, Minister Richard Bruton and Assistant to the US President Michael Froman; Chair of AmCham EU Hendrik Bourgeois, spoke on a panel at the US Embassy forum on AmCham EU’s views on TTIP.

A new EU-US economic agreement could deliver huge advantages to European citizens – the equivalent of €545 per household per year according to research by the European Commission. Earlier this week, a joint brochure by AmCham EU and AmCham Ireland was launched in Dublin - The Transatlantic Opportunity: Why we need a Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership. The EU - US trade relationship is the biggest in the world with around €2 billion of goods and services traded every day between the European Union and the United States.

The brochure was launched at the start of a week that will see policy makers and industry leaders from both sides of the Atlantic gather in Dublin for a series of meetings in preparation for the formal negotiations that will begin in June.
 

In view of the ongoing trilogue negotiations on the public procurement package, AmCham EU has sent a letter reiterating its concerns to the Permanent Representations of the Member States.

In this letter, AmCham EU reiterated its main concerns expressed in its June 2012 position paper and a letter sent to the European Parliament’s IMCO Committee in November 2012.  There are compelling arguments for why contracting authorities should spend taxpayers’ money in a transparent, effective and economically rational manner and highlighted concerns about potentially protectionist provisions, specifically on 'social' criteria.

AmCham EU is pleased to announce that Elke Duden (Linklaters) has been elected Chair of the AmCham EU Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

The election took place further to the decision of Olivier Renson (Caterpillar) to step down as Chair of the ESA Committee. Elke was elected for a two-year term starting on Friday 12 April 2013.
 

As the discussion on the European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on Data Protection intensifies at both the European Parliament and at the Council, AmCham Ireland organised Data: Protection, Regulation & Innovation on Friday 12 April 2013 in Dublin. The half-day conference featured an opening keynote by Minister Alan Shatter TD, Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence.

On 9 April 2013, AmCham EU organised a roundtable on Investment in Healthcare in Bucharest in collaboration with AmCham Romania, the US Commercial Services and the Local American Working Group (LAWG).

AmCham EU Board members were pleased to welcome Ambassador Philippe Étienne, French Permanent Representative to the EU on 26 March for a lunch meeting. The Ambassador discussed the French perspective on the challenges facing the TTIP negotiations, and France's general position on the EU-US trade agreement.

In this video, Susan Danger talks about AmCham EU's very successful Transatlantic Week, which took place from 20 to 22 March. Highlights were the Transatlantic Cocktail, to which close to 40 MEPs and more than 150 people attended, the Transatlantic Conference, with more than 170 participants and high level speakers, and the annual Brussels Briefing, during which AmCham EU welcomed more than 20 AmChams in Europe. She also mentions upcoming events such as an Environment Committee delegation to Strasbourg in April, as well as AmCham EU's 50th Anniversary Gala on 11 July 2013 (registration still open)

During Transatlantic Week, AmCham EU welcomed over 30 representatives from 22 AmChams in Europe to its 10th annual Brussels Briefing. The two-day conference, consisting of interactive panel sessions, speakers and working lunches, complemented the transatlantic-themed programme of the conference and cocktail and aimed to equip participants with informational tools needed to lobby at a national level on key issues.

AmCham EU’s March plenary meeting centred around the theme of long term financing with a panel discussion featuring Michael Collins (Citi), Chair of AmCham EU Financial Services & Company Law Committee, Rory MacMillan, Director of External Affairs EMEA of The Carlyle Group, Karel Lannoo, CEO of CEPS and Olle Schmidt MEP.

On 21 March, AmCham EU organised its seventh Transatlantic Conference. In her introductory remarks, Michelle Gibbons, Chair of AmCham EU’s EU-US Task, referred to this year’s conference as a very unique one with the possibility of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the horizon. Ms Gibbons underlined that the EU and the US face the prospect of entering in a whole new era in the transatlantic relationship and that this agreement is believed to offer the opportunity to stimulate economic growth and that it will also pave the way for higher standards. (Continues after videos)

Video below: Lucinda Creighton TD, Minister for European Affairs of Ireland, talks about the role of the Irish Presidency in the launch of the TTIP negotiations. The first goal of the Irish Presidency will be to agree to a mandate within the European Council among all Member States, with the objective of launching negotiations by mid-June. Trade ministers of all Member States will be key to the process; there will be challenges, but the Irish Presidency intends to keep this at the top of their priorities because of the importance of the agreement both for the EU and US economies.

Video below: Here are some highlights of AmCham EU's Transatlantic Week 2013. The focus this year was on the upcoming EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This video features statements from Joseph P. Quinlan, Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations of Johns Hopkins University, Christian Ehler MEP, Chair of Delegation for Relations with the United States at the European Parliament, His Excellency Chang-beom Kim, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the European Union and Christian Morales, Intel Vice President and General Manager EMEA.

AmCham EU’s annual Transatlantic Week got off to a great start on 20 March with the Transatlantic Networking Cocktail in the European Parliament, bringing together MEPs, business representatives and Executive Directors of AmChams from across Europe.

The cocktail also marked the launch of The Transatlantic Economy 2013, with co-author Joseph Quinlan, Center for Transatlantic Relations, Johns Hopkins University, briefly mentioning the findings of this latest edition.

At AmCham EU's March plenary, the organisation took the opportunity to thank two members for their long-standing service and dedication to AmCham EU.

Michelle Gibbons (Fleishman-Hillard) was thanked for her three years serving as Vice-Chair Lawyer/Consultant of the AmCham EU Board of Directors.

Claudio Murri (Time Warner) was thanked for his dedication to the organisation since 1995, including for having served as Chair of the Board of Directors.

Today at the March plenary meeting, AmCham EU voted in its two newest members: Charles Schwab and Reed Elsevier.

Following elections for the Board of Directors, AmCham EU is pleased to announce the results and welcome two new Board members:

• Karl Cox (Oracle), Vice-Chair, Corporate – Confirmed for a one year extension
• Salome Cisnal de Ugarte (Mayer Brown), Vice-Chair, Lawyer/Consultant – Elected for a two-year term
• Neil McMillan CMG (Brunswick Group), Member at Large, Lawyer/Consultant – Elected for a two-year term

Congratulations to those elected. Mrs Cisnal de Ugarte and Mr McMillan will take up their positions on 19 March.

AmCham EU would also like to recognise our out-going Board members: Michelle Gibbons (Fleishman-Hillard), Vice-Chair, Lawyer/Consultant; and Renato Addis (EPPA). Member at Large, Lawyer/Consultant. AmCham EU’s success is a result of our members’ dedication and we appreciate all of the work that our members put into the organisation.

During the March plenary session of the European Parliament, members of the AmCham EU Healthcare Committee met with MEPs in Strasbourg.

Seven members, lead by committee chair Stuart Hurst (Eli Lilly), represented the Healthcare Committee. Eleven meetings were held with influential MEPs and advisors with discussions focusing on investment in healthcare, clinical trials, medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, the Transparency Directive and the importance of balancing public health and environmental concerns in policy-making.

On 12 March 2013, European Parliament confirmed its support for the new alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and online dispute resolution (ODR) proposals. The vote confirms the agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council in December 2012.

The ADR Directive will ensure that consumers can use ADR schemes for all kinds of contractual disputes they have with traders in the EU on any kind of product purchased. Complementary to the ADR Directive, the ODR Regulation will set up an EU-wide online platform for handling consumer disputes that arise from online transactions. The platform will link all the national alternative dispute resolutions schemes and will be set up by the end of 2015. The two proposals aim to reduce costly and lengthy litigations and support online and cross-border purchases.

Please click here to read AmCham EU's position on the ADR Directive released in 2012. The two texts voted on 12 March are available here.

On Wednesday 6 March, AmCham EU, the US Department of Agriculture and the European Commission’s DG SANCO organised its third Agro-Food Risk Roundtable at AmCham EU's offices in Brussels.

On 7 March, AmCham EU held its first social media event: The 2014 EP elections and social media: Exploring the virtual side of the campaign. On the first panel, speakers and participants debated on the role of social media in election campaigns, drawing lessons from the US presidential elections and discussing the 2014 European Parliament elections. The panel included Marietje Schaake MEP and representatives from political groups, and was moderated by Jon Worth, blogger on EU affairs. The second panel focused on how social media is changing the face of advocacy, with input from representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament and industry. The event was hosted by Thomas Spiller (Walt Disney), Chair of AmCham EU’s Communications & Marketing Group. AmCham EU was also pleased to welcome John Sullivan, Public Affairs Officer at the US Mission to the EU, for the keynote address.

View a summary of the event through the Twitter hashtag #GoSocial2014.

Today, members of AmCham EU's Trade and Environment Committees had an informal exchange of views on trade and environment with Jennifer Prescott, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Environmental and Natural Resources. An interesting discussion developed on the very topical issue of regulatory frameworks for environmental goods in the EU and the US and the way these would interact under a possible Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.