The AmChams in Europe network, which represents 45 AmChams in 43 countries in Europe and wider Europe, travels every year to Washington, DC to meet with high-level US stakeholders.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the annual conference took place virtually this year from Monday, 11 May until Wednesday, 27 May.
Executives from over 30 AmChams gathered together to meet with:
The National Economic Council
The US Chamber of Commerce
Fox Radio News
The US Department of State
The Atlantic Council
The US Department of Commerce
The topics of discussion focused on EU-US relations, US elections, US-UK trade as well as on COVID-19 and its influence on the transatlantic relationship. The importance of collaboration and coordination and the need for Chambers to act as bridgebuilders in these challenging times emerged in every discussion.
In each meeting Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU and Chair, AmChams in Europe presented a joint statement published by the network in March 2020, calling for solidarity, coordination and action. You can read it here.
We would like to express our gratitude to the AmChams in Europe Secretariat, held by AmCham Slovenia for organising the virtual conference. We would also like to thank all of the stakeholders that participated in the meetings for their flexibility and insights.
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Predictability in EU-US relations and Europe’s competitiveness agenda, from simplification to European preference, were centre stage during our Executive Council Fall Plenary on Monday, 9 and Tuesday, 10 November. Our senior business leaders met with EU, US, Canadian and Member State policymakers, as well as industry and think-tank leaders, to discuss the pressures shaping investment decisions in Europe.
The group engaged with the following: Nerijus Aleksiejūnas, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the European Union; Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute; Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission; Andrew Puzder, Ambassador of the United States to the European Union; Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy; Sir Jonathan Symonds, President of the European Round Table for Industry and Chair of GSK and Jonathan Wilkinson, Ambassador of Canada to the European Union.
Throughout the two days, exchanges explored how to maintain momentum on Single Market integration, deliver meaningful regulatory simplification and strengthen the role of industry in developing skills and creating quality jobs. Discussions also touched on the changing international trade landscape, the importance of EU-US cooperation and the priorities that will shape the upcoming Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Learn more about our Executive Council here.
The European Data Protection Board’s draft guidelines on web scraping for generative AI are an opportunity to provide greater legal certainty and support Europe’s AI competitiveness. However, some proposed requirements risk creating disproportionate burdens for AI developers.
A pragmatic, risk-based approach is needed to ensure the rules reflect the technical realities of AI development. This includes proportionate transparency obligations, recognition of the need for diverse training datasets and greater alignment with the AI Act and Digital Omnibus. Clear, harmonised rules are essential to protect personal data while enabling innovation.
Read our consultation response to learn more about the recommendations.
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On Thursday, 5 November, Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU, spoke at a discussion hosted by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Europe and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) on EU-US trade relations after the US midterms. Mr Lohan stressed that elections change the conversation, though not necessarily the outcomes. While the midterms shift power on Capitol Hill, he was not sure this would extend to transatlantic relations, certainly not in the short term. He noted the Turnberry Agreement has brought much-needed predictability, but the relationship remains volatile, with flashpoints ahead that could put stability at risk. The agreement should be solidified and built on, with a move from strategic autonomy to strategic complementarity that will resonate in Washington. Exploring new avenues for partnering where interests align is worthwhile for a $9.8 trillion relationship that employs over 16 million people on both sides of the Atlantic. Learn more about the latest EU-US trade developments in the Transatlantic Economy Pulse.
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