News

Executive Council travels to Berlin for spring plenary meeting

The Executive Council of AmCham EU held their spring plenary meeting in Berlin on Monday, 1 April and Tuesday, 2 April 2019.

AmCham EU wins ‘Best Association Publication’ award

On Thursday, 28 March, AmCham EU received the 'Best Association Publication' award at the European Association Awards 2019 for the Transatlantic Economy 2018 report. 

This edition of the report featured new visuals and infographics, telling the powerful story of the transatlantic economy in a more user-friendly way. The judges said they felt the report ‘was a robust and fact-checking instrument, of great value to transatlantic relations. A professional content and approach from AmCham EU!'. 

March EU Electoral Campaigns Plenary

On Tuesday, 19 March, ahead of the European elections in May, AmCham EU hosted a plenary session on the 2019 European Electoral Campaigns. We believed it was timely to host a forward-looking discussion on the campaigns at both European and national level as well as the challenges that many European parties are facing in the current political climate, alongside some early predictions on how the Parliament might look after the elections. 

Brexit: US business disappointed at continuing uncertainty

After two years of negotiations and only sixteen days left until the UK leaves the EU, we are still faced with the possibility of a No Deal Brexit. The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) is disappointed at the persisting lack of clarity concerning the transition period, which is the only solution that would give business sufficient time to prepare for what will come next. 

Closing the gender gap in ICT

Women are still significantly underrepresented in today's tech sector. European Commission data shows that only 24 out of 100 women have an ICT related degree and that only six of these are then employed in the digital sector. 

On Thursday, 7 March, the Gender Initiatives Task Force hosted a breakfast to discuss the persisting gender gap in the ICT sector. Speakers from business, EU institutions and Member States brought their perspective on how to improve female access to ICT related degrees and jobs. 

New Deal for consumers - A step backwards on full harmonisation of consumer law

The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) is concerned about the Council text adopted on 1 March 2019 on the proposed 'New Deal for Consumers Omnibus Directive' that introduces exemptions from the full harmonisation principle of the Unfair Commerical Practices Directive. 

European Defence Fund: Strengthening the European defence industry and the transatlantic relationship?

AmCham EU is delighted that legislators came to an agreement on the European Defence Fund (EDF) after the third trilogue meeting. With a budget of EUR13 billion from 2021 to 2027, the EU is making its first major contribution to collaborative defence research and capability development. The EDF marks a crucial advancement in strengthening the defence industry in the EU.

Ethics in AI: building a common European (and global) approach

The European Commission has set an ambitious vision to foster the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI). At the same time, the pervasive and transformative nature of AI has brought questions about transparency, explainability and accountability to the top of the EU digital policy agenda. Addressing these important questions is the responsibility of industry and governments alike and requires a strong public-private partnership. 

Avoiding Brexit ‘cliff-edge’ the highest priority for US businesses

Following the UK Parliament’s rejection of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, discussions are currently ongoing in London on how to move forward. US companies are concerned that these developments still bring us no closer to an orderly exit of the UK from the EU.