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Economic recovery: where do we stand?

19 Jul 2021
All Committees

AmCham EU's monthly plenary meeting on Wednesday, 14 July saw speakers focus on the state of play of Europe’s economic recovery; sharing their optimism for what lies head. Currently, the European Commission has approved the eighteen national recovery and resilience plans and funding will soon start to be released into the economy. The panel also highlighted the key role that private investment will have to play in support Europe’s growth in the years to come. 

Proportionate approach needed for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

19 Jul 2021
All Committees
Sustainable Finance

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) represents a good opportunity to improve environmental, social and governance disclosures and has the potential to lead to greater relevance, comparability and reliability of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting across the EU. Its new reporting requirements would entail a significant change for preparers of disclosure, a concern outlined in a recently published AmCham EU paper. A proportionate approach balancing the growing demand for ESG data with the growing burden companies face in gathering, preparing, assuring and reporting such data, is therefore needed. 

Female Entrepreneur Award 2021

Norwegian start-up wins AmCham EU Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award

15 Jul 2021
All Committees

The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) and JA Europe announced today that Maria Wathne, CEO of the student start-up Paramate, won the AmCham EU Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021 at Gen-E, the European Entrepreneurship Festival. With this year’s focus on female entrepreneurship, AmCham EU and JA Europe aimed to send a strong signal that Europe needs more women in leadership.

G20 Global taxation

Global taxation: the time is right for an international agreement

15 Jul 2021
Tax

In recent weeks, momentum has been building up towards an international solution to the challenge of creating a tax system fit for the 21st century. The G7 first announced an agreement on a minimum global corporate tax. It was then closely followed by the G20 finance ministers endorsing the OECD Inclusive Framework’s statement for international tax reform. Most recently, the EU reiterated its commitment to fostering an international compromise by postponing its digital levy proposal. While these developments are all crucial steps towards a global deal, critical work remains to iron out the details as well as address significant issues of complexity.

The Green Way: clean energy investment and innovation

15 Jul 2021
All Committees
Environment
Transport, Energy & Climate
Responsible Business Conduct
Sustainable Finance

AmCham EU companies invested in Europe are committed to helping the EU achieve its climate ambitions and are stepping up to the challenge in many ways. To kick off our Green Way campaign, AmCham EU welcomed Varun Sivaram, Senior Adviser to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John F. Kerry and Chris Delaney (Goodyear), Chair, Executive Council, AmCham EU on Tuesday, 13 July to discuss the importance of the transatlantic relationship and collaboration between the EU and the US to accelerate the clean energy transformation. 

Solar panels for Verizon's net zero ambitions

The journey to net zero

15 Jul 2021
All Committees
Transport, Energy & Climate

Almost all of Verizon’s operational carbon emissions come from the electricity used to power its networks. The company’s support for renewable energy and the transition to a greener grid is a key enabler to achieve its goal of net zero emissions in all operations by 2035. Learn about the progress they're making on their net zero goal on Investing in Europe.

Learn more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay.

EU Green Deal Fit for 55

Investment-enabling environment key to making Europe ‘Fit for 55’

14 Jul 2021
All Committees
Transport, Energy & Climate

The European Commission has today released its ‘Fit for 55’ climate package as part of the European Green Deal. The package aims at bringing all existing climate and energy-related initiatives in line with the EU’s new 2030 55% greenhouse gas emission reductions targets. The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) applauds the ambitions laid out in the new package, while emphasising the need for an investment-enabling environment that will facilitate the uptake of technological solutions required for a successful and timely green transition.

AmCham EU presents recommendations to the Slovenian Presidency to Gašper Dovžan

13 Jul 2021
All Committees

The Slovenian Presidency comes at an important stage of Europe’s economic recovery, with the vaccine roll-out well underway. As attention turns to life after ‘lockdown’, the Slovenian Presidency will play an important role in overseeing the rebuild of Europe’s economy. AmCham EU welcomed Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, 7 July 2021 for a conversation with members on the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. 

Glass globe for J.P. Morgan green investments

Financing the green transition

13 Jul 2021
All Committees

Over the next 10 years, J.P. Morgan has committed to $1 trillion in investments in green initiatives with the aim of contributing to financing projects that support climate action and help to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Find out more in our interview with Chuka Umunna, Head of EMEA Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

Learn more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay

Clarity and consistency key for a strong ePrivacy Regulation

12 Jul 2021
All Committees
Digital Economy

As the ePrivacy Regulation moves into trilogue negotiations, the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) calls on co-legislators to prioritise clarity and conistency in their negotiations; laying out top-level recommendations on scope and alignment with GDPR; permitted processing of data; and privacy settings. Further review of these areas will ensure that the objectives of the regulation - to build trust and confidence in services for both consumers and businesses in digital services - are best achieved. 

Paving the path for Europe's digital decade

12 Jul 2021
All Committees
Digital Economy

The European Commission's 2030 Digital Compass: the European Way for the Digital Decade Communication presents a vision, targets and avenues towards a successful digital transformation. It puts the EU’s digital ambitions for 2030 into concrete terms and proposes the development of a framework of digital principles and promoting the EU’s digital agenda internationally. To ensure that the objectives of the digital compass are met, AmCham EU provides recommendations on the importance of building and maintaining international partnerships; facilitating broad stakeholder participation; accelerating investment and innovation; and enhancing digital skills and inclusion. These recommendations will not only lead to the realisation of Europe’s ‘digital decade’, but also a positive, tangible effect on Europe’s society.

Amazon renewable energy wind turbines

Net zero by 2040 – come wind or shine

9 Jul 2021
All Committees
Environment
Transport, Energy & Climate

As a company committed to addressing the climate crisis, Amazon is on a path to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 – five years earlier than its original 2030 goal. This is part of The Climate Pledge, which Amazon co-founded with the objective of achieving net-zero carbon within its operations before 2040. To help achieve this goal, Amazon started to roll out the first of its utility-scale projects to deliver clean energy to grids across Europe in 2019.

Learn more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay

A plant growing in cup of coins to show sustainable finance

New EU Sustainable Finance Strategy reaffirms value of international partnerships

7 Jul 2021
Sustainable Finance

The European Commission has adopted a new ‘Strategy for Financing the Transition to a Sustainable Economy’. The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) commends the great emphasis that this new strategy places on the value of international partnerships and cooperation in this field.

The Green Way: innovating for Europe’s sustainable future

5 Jul 2021
All Committees
Environment
Transport, Energy & Climate
Sustainable Finance

Transitioning to a greener economy will be the challenge of our time. The European Union has an ambition to lead the green transition and American companies invested in Europe are committed to fulfilling that ambition. From decarbonising the energy sector to building sustainable food systems; from innovating sustainable mobility solutions to making the economy circular: American companies in Europe are innovating today to achieve a more sustainable tomorrow. Check out the steps our companies are taking towards Europe’s greener future!

2021 Female Youth Entrepreneurship Award

Meet the Female Youth Entrepreneurship Award finalists

5 Jul 2021
All Committees

AmCham EU and Junior Achievement Europe (JA Europe) are pleased to announce the finalists of the 2021 Female Youth Entrepreneurship Award. Candidates from across Europe were in the running for the award after participating in a JA Europe programme, making it past the initial start-up phase and creating a business concept that showed potential. Since 2020, the AmCham EU award has shifted focus toward start-ups with a female CEO, founder or a key member of the team. Want to learn more? Meet the finalists.

CNH Smart Flower

A Smart Flower to generate clean energy in manufacturing facilities

5 Jul 2021
All Committees

The ’Smart Flower’ at CASE’s Lecce manufacturing plant is an example of how the company is working to meet its sustainability targets to source 80% of its electricity from renewable sources. By moving the solar modular fans horizontally and vertically in response to the sun’s position, the Smart Flower is able to produce electricity from sunrise to sunset. This in turn results in a 40% increase in solar energy output.

Learn more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay

Carbon neutral J&J

Carbon-neutral site in Sweden driving sustainable manufacturing worldwide

5 Jul 2021
All Committees

Johnson & Johnson is committed to achieving carbon neutrality for all J&J manufacturing sites by 2030. To this end, the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health factory in Helsingborg, Sweden, became J&J’s first-ever facility to achieve CO2-neutrality for all energy sources across manufacturing, warehousing and R&D facilities, in 2017. 

Learn more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay.

Towards a strong European cybersecurity environment

4 Jul 2021
All Committees
Digital Economy

A strong cybersecurity environment poses a key priority for Europe’s economy. As the use of digital solutions grows, the need to ensure that Europe’s networks and information systems are resilient against evolving cyberattacks is paramount. Our suggestions for an improved resilience of the EU’s cybersecurity focus on the scope of the proposal for a revised Directive on Security of Network and Information systems (NIS 2 Directive), the risk-based approach, proportional obligations, legislative overlap and conflicting requirements as well as offering insight on reporting obligations and thresholds. Read our response here.

4th of July American Hour

AmCham EU hosts Special 4th of July American Hour

2 Jul 2021
All Committees

To celebrate Independence Day in the US, AmCham EU hosted an American Hour Special on Friday, 2 July. Members had the chance to enjoy some music with our special guest musician Kevin Gaudeus, network with colleagues from the US Mission to the EU and test their European and American history knowledge during our ‘4th of July quiz’. Thanks to all the participants and congratulations again to Michael Young (Verizon) who won the quiz – an American basket is on its way to you!  Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Annual Report 2020

2020 Annual Report

1 Jul 2021
All Committees

2020 was a year like no other. What started with optimism around a fresh European Commission mandate, as well as a US election on the horizon, quickly gave way when the first cases of COVID-19 landed on European shores. Despite the challenging circumstances, we worked to continue to provide value for our members by adapting to the unique context. The impacts of the pandemic have only further highlighted the importance for AmCham EU to continue being a strong voice for American companies in Europe. Our 2020 annual report provides a snapshot of how AmCham EU continues to be the best representative for US business committed to and invested in Europe.

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