AmChams in Europe: Solidarity, coordination and action

Solidarity, coordination and action: what we need to fight COVID-19 and protect the economy

The world is facing an extraordinary challenge from the outbreak of COVID-19. The pandemic poses a severe threat to the health and wellbeing of citizens and the global economy with harmful consequences for all parts of society. AmChams in Europe, the umbrella organization for 45 AmChams from 43 countries across Europe and Eurasia, fully support governments’ efforts to tackle the pandemic and mitigate its effects. The mobilization of resources has been unprecedented, and we need continued leadership to address the impact of the crisis on society.

News
6 Apr 2020
AmChams in Europe: Solidarity, coordination and action

We call on our governments to focus on:

1) Solidarity – We are all in this together. Increased sharing of resources and information among our countries and globally is critical to address the pandemic successfully. Now is the time to demonstrate the values we share in Europe, across the Atlantic and with the rest of the global community.

2) Coordination – Governments need to enhance coordination across borders and within alliances to ensure a consistent and harmonized approach to the crisis but also to start setting the foundations of the economic recovery. Cooperation at the regional and global levels is vital as governments put together initiatives to protect our economies, and ultimately the livelihood of citizens.

3) Action – We need bold action to ensure access to critical goods and services we all depend on. In particular, the movement of goods across borders must be unimpeded. Much-needed goods rely on integrated supply-chains for production before they can be delivered to individuals and businesses.

AmChams in Europe are committed to doing all they can do to mobilize member companies and our networks to support the economic recovery. We are coordinating with our colleagues across the European region and globally to put forward recommendations for a strong and sound economic recovery for the prosperity and wellbeing of all our citizens and businesses, find out more here. 

AmChams in Europe serves as the umbrella organization for 45 American Chambers of Commerce (AmChams) from 43 countries throughout Europe and Eurasia. In Europe they represent the interests of more than 17,000 American and European companies employing 20 million workers and accounting for more than $1.1 trillion in investment on both sides of the Atlantic. As the bilateral voice of American and European companies, AmChams in Europe works to communicate the importance of the transatlantic economy in both Europe and the United States. For a full list of members, please click here.

Related items

Position Paper
25 Sep 2026

Closing the gap between customs and VAT rules

The reform of the Union Customs Code changes who is treated as the ‘importer’ when a non-EU company uses an indirect customs representative. That creates a problem under the EU VAT Directive, which links import VAT deduction to being identified as the importer or consignee. In practice, the non-EU company may no longer meet that requirement, while the customs representative may not qualify for the deduction either.

That could leave import VAT irrecoverable and create uncertainty for businesses using established import models. The Commission should ensure that the non-EU principal can still be identified in customs data for VAT purposes and fix the mismatch between the UCC and the VAT Directive.

Learn more about what changes are needed to keep import VAT deductibility workable under the new customs framework.

Read more about Closing the gap between customs and VAT rules
Position Paper
24 Sep 2026

Gold-plating in practice

"Gold-plating" of EU legislation has become a structural challenge for companies operating across the Single Market. While Member States are often permitted to introduce additional national measures when implementing EU law, these divergences frequently create fragmented compliance requirements, administrative burdens and increased costs for businesses.

Drawing on examples from AmCham EU member companies across digital policy, cybersecurity, data protection, telecommunications, environmental regulation, consumer protection, tax transparency and labour law, the paper shows how national additions to EU rules can result in parallel compliance systems, duplicate reporting obligations, country-specific product adaptations and barriers to cross-border operations.

The paper highlights four key findings:

  • Divergence between Member States is often a bigger cost driver than any single regulatory requirement.

  • Fragmentation extends beyond directive transposition and also arises through opening clauses, national guidance, administrative practices and regional measures.

  • Minimum-harmonisation legislation can still create significant Single Market fragmentation.

  • Gold-plating occurs at both national and sub-national levels.

The European Commission should address these issues through greater consistency in implementation, increased transparency around national additions, reduced duplication in reporting and registration requirements, stronger implementation dialogue and the use of Single Market enforcement tools where appropriate. The objective is not to remove legitimate national discretion, but to prevent unnecessary regulatory barriers within the Single Market.

Simplification
Read more
Read more about Gold-plating in practice
News
23 Sep 2026

Europe in a new era of global competition

On Tuesday, 22 September, AmCham EU hosted Dragoș Tudorache, Member of the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, European Commission, for a fireside chat. Moderated by Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU, the conversation explored the growing role of economic security in Europe’s trade agenda and external relations. The exchange examined how this shift is shaping the EU’s engagement with trading partners and its position globally. Attention also turned to the choices facing Europe in a changing geo-strategic landscape, including how to reinforce resilience and strengthen competitiveness.

Industry
Simplification
Read more
Read more about Europe in a new era of global competition