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.

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The Single Market is only as simple as its Member States make it

This blog is authored by Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU.

What exactly is ‘single’ about a market where the same product needs different national markings, a cyber incident can require dozens of reports and a professional qualification may stop being recognised at the border?

These examples come from different sectors, but they point to the same contradiction. The EU creates common rules, yet companies still encounter national requirements that divide Europe into separate markets in practice.

The stakes are high for American companies invested in Europe. The United States is the largest single source of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into the EU. In 2025, American companies invested more in Europe (53%) than they did the rest of the world combined. This has been the case for decades. Much of this appeal lies in the promise of a large, prosperous Single Market.

Yet there are signs that this position is coming under pressure. While Europe remains the leading destination for US investment, its share of total US outward FDI has fallen to its lowest level in more than four decades. More recent indicators point in the same direction too. EY’s 2026 European Investment Monitor found that 943 US companies invested in Europe last year, 16% below the annual average of 1,124 over the previous five years. To reverse these trends, Europe needs to make itself a more attractive place to invest, beginning with a more integrated Single Market.

That is why the simplification agenda cannot lose steam – in Brussels and national capitals. In her September State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the need for EU-wide coordination. ‘Simplification cannot be a one-way street’, she said. ‘All levels have to have skin in the game’.

As EU leaders check in on progress under the ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap at this week’s European Council meeting, they should look closely at how national choices affect companies operating across borders. That means addressing three related but distinct problems: gold-plating, uneven implementation and the national barriers that continue to fragment the Single Market.

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From fryer to fuel

After frying frites, bitterballen, churros or arancini, many people don’t think twice about disposing of used cooking oil. Yet one litre of waste oil can contaminate one million litres of water, according to the European Commission. At Cargill’s facility in the port of Ghent, Belgium, used cooking oil and other residual oils and fats are treated as raw materials, cleaned and converted into biodiesel for trucks and ships. This puts circularity into practice on an industrial scale at one of Europe’s largest facilities of its kind. Since production began, Ghent’s biodiesel is estimated to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,188,000 tonnes compared with fossil diesel, equivalent to taking about 550,000 cars off the road for a year. Read the full story on Invested in Europe.

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Joining the ACE Best Practices Conference in Istanbul, Türkiye

In early October, representatives from American Chambers of Commerce across Europe and Eurasia came together in Istanbul, Türkiye, for the 2026 AmChams in Europe (ACE) Best Practice Sharing Conference. Held under the theme Entrepreneurship for Innovation, Investment, Technology and Trade: Building a Stronger Transatlantic Future, the annual event is a chance to strengthen the collective voice of the AmCham in Europe network, exchange views on the evolving business environment and foster closer collaboration across borders.

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