Following a presentation of the political interactions of the EU’s institutions by Nele Devolders, Marsha Turner took the floor to provide a case study of how her association had been impacted by the COVID-19 context. AmCham EU CEO Susan Danger then offered her perspectives on the EU-US policy agenda. Setting the scene of the ‘interesting times’ that the transatlantic relationship has known since the 2008 Financial Crisis, she talked of the importance of business’ role in identifying the positive narrative surrounding globalism and free trade. She pointed to the 16 million jobs that the transatlantic relationship generates in both the US and the EU as evidence of the benefit that openness has brought to the region. In the context of the new US administration she impressed upon the audience her renewed optimism to reset, refresh and rekindle the transatlantic relationship – especially in light of last week’s announcement to suspend tariffs on aircraft and non-aircraft products.
Europe Today: Susan Danger shares perspectives at webinar
How do business interests align with the European political agenda? That was the overarching question of the day at the ‘Europe Today: What Associations Need to Know’ webinar discussion hosted by the American Society of Association Executives and sponsored by Visit Brussels on Tuesday, 9 March. Guest panellists included Nele Devolder, Association Director, Kellen; Marsha Turner, CEO, International Association of Lighting Directors; Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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