AmCham EU hosted panel discussion on German Presidency

On Monday, 13 July, AmCham EU hosted a panel discussion on the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Speakers included: Ambassador Axel Dittman, Director, EU Institutional, Affairs, Brexit, EU Coordination and EU2020 Presidency, German Federal Foreign Office; Dr Wolfgang Dierker, Managing Director, GE Deutschland Holding GmbH and Policy Adviser, AmCham Germany and Dr Heiko Willems, Director, BDI/BDA, the German Business Representation. Cristina Falcone (UPS), Chair, Policy Group, AmCham EU moderated the discussion.

Germany took over the Presidency from Croatia which dealt with the impact of COVID-19 since the early stages of its Presidency. The German Presidency and the next Presidency trio to will be responsible for leading the road to the economic recovery.

Due to the current pandemic, the German Presidency outlined that it needed to adapt to the new virtual world. The European summit which took place over last weekend, has been the first in-person meeting at the Council of the European Union in months.

News

21 Jul 2020

HomePolicy and newsLibraryAmCham EU hosted panel discussion on German Presidency

On Monday, 13 July, AmCham EU hosted a panel discussion on the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Speakers included: Ambassador Axel Dittman, Director, EU Institutional, Affairs, Brexit, EU Coordination and EU2020 Presidency, German Federal Foreign Office; Dr Wolfgang Dierker, Managing Director, GE Deutschland Holding GmbH and Policy Adviser, AmCham Germany and Dr Heiko Willems, Director, BDI/BDA, the German Business Representation. Cristina Falcone (UPS), Chair, Policy Group, AmCham EU moderated the discussion.

Germany took over the Presidency from Croatia which dealt with the impact of COVID-19 since the early stages of its Presidency. The German Presidency and the next Presidency trio to will be responsible for leading the road to the economic recovery.

Due to the current pandemic, the German Presidency outlined that it needed to adapt to the new virtual world. The European summit which took place over last weekend, has been the first in-person meeting at the Council of the European Union in months.

It was expressed by the speakers that the Member States need to act now and be more ambitions about the integration of the Single Market. Moreover, it was agreed that in the face of the current crisis Europe needs to remain competitive in the world and implement greater digitalisation.

During the event, speakers outlined that the German Presidency will focus on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Brexit, finding a COVID-19 vaccine and migration. They also mentioned the importance of international trade and the upcoming EU trade agreements with other countries as well as the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement.

The Presidency trio – Germany, Portugal and Slovenia are working closely together and will continue with their cooperation for the next 15 months.

AmCham EU looks forward to working together with Germany over the coming months and wishes the country all the best with its Council Presidency.

Related items

Publication

16 Mar 2026

The Transatlantic Economy 2026

Following a year of political and trade tensions between Europe and the United States, commercial ties between the two sides – the deepest and broadest between any two regions in history – have held remarkably strong. In a new study from the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) and the US Chamber of Commerce, authors Daniel Hamilton and Joseph Quinlan value the transatlantic economy at a record $9.8 trillion in 2025, up from $9.5 trillion the previous year. This figure comprises an estimated record $2.3 trillion in goods and services trade between Europe and the United States and $7.5 trillion in combined affiliate sales.

Transatlantic

Trade

Discussing digital policy priorities with MEPs in Strasbourg

From Monday, 9 to Wednesday, 11 March 2026, AmCham EU travelled to the European Parliament in Strasbourg for a series of meetings with policymakers to discuss ongoing EU digital policy initiatives. The delegation met with members of the European Parliament, accredited parliamentary assistants and group policy advisers , to discuss priorities for the EU’s digital agenda. This includes exchanges on AI Omnibus, Digital Omnibus, Cybersecurity Act review, the Digital Networks Act and the upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act. Throughout the meetings, members emphasised the importance of urgent action to support the simplification of overlapping digital rules, strengthening cybersecurity while avoiding fragmentation in the Single Market and supporting innovation through proportionate, risk-based regulation.

Digital

Getting the view from Washington, DC with Jovita Neliupšienė, EU Ambassador to the US

On Thursday, 12 March, AmCham EU hosted Jovita Neliupšienė, EU Ambassador to the US for a townhall discussion on the outlook for EU–US relations and the evolving economic and geopolitical environment shaping the transatlantic partnership. Moderated by Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU, participants reflected on the importance of maintaining a strong and stable transatlantic relationship that continues to underpin investment, innovation and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

The discussion explored perspectives from Washington on the current state of the partnership, the work of the EU Delegation in engaging US policymakers in Washington, DC and the outlook for transatlantic trade and economic cooperation. Participants also examined how the EU and the US can preserve open investment flows, avoid escalation in trade tensions and work together to address shared challenges such as global overcapacity and supply chain resilience.

Transatlantic

Policy priorities

Insights and advocacy driving Europe’s policy agenda. Our priorities support growth, innovation and a stronger transatlantic economy.

Discover our priorities

Membership

Connecting business and policymakers to strengthen the voice of American companies in Europe.

Become a member