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Town Hall with Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission

10 Jun 2020
All Committees
Last week, during our Town Hall meeting for members, we connected with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that works for People, European Commission.
 
The Executive Vice-President shared his insights on the COVID-19 emergency and highlighted that national lockdowns are affecting world trade, hitting the transatlantic supply chains as well as EU-US trade investment flows and that open markets and trade opportunities are the best way to revitalise the economy following the COVID-19 health crisis.
 
Further on the issue of trade, he stressed that resolving bilateral trade disputes has become even more urgent against the COVID-19 landscape. You can read his full remarks here. 

American Hour with the Peterson Institute for International Economics

10 Jun 2020
All Committees
Trade & External Affairs
Transatlantic
For our last American Hour, members-only fireside chat series that took place on Wednesday, 3 June, we had the pleasure of welcoming Chad Bown, Economist, Peterson Institute for International Economics and Reginald Jones, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics. The conversation was moderated by Taggart Davis (JP Morgan), Chair, Transatlantic Task Force and Vice-Chair, Board, AmCham EU.
 
Chad Bown described the difference between the 2008 financial crisis and today’s pandemic. He insisted that there is a stark difference in the response by the international community shown during the two crises. Participants also discussed trade remedies and how these tend to be used by governments during economic recessions. It was concluded that there is a strong possibility that many governments will start using countervailing duties (ie, anti-subsidies tariffs) and raise tariffs between countries worldwide to counter the upcoming recession.

Finalists selected for the AmCham EU Youth Entrepreneurship Award 2020

10 Jun 2020
All Committees
AmCham EU and Junior Achievement Europe (JA Europe) are delighted to announce the finalists of the 2020 Youth Entrepreneurship Award. Candidates from across Europe were in the running for the award after participating in a JA Europe programme, making it past the initial start-up phase and creating a business concept that showed potential. The theme this year focused on female entrepreneurship.
 
The shortlisted start-ups pitched their companies to a high-level jury panel during an online finale on Thursday, 11 June. 
 
The five outstanding finalists are Kirija Kandiah, Sara Green Brodersen, Cécilia Mzayek, Stéphanie Roland and Dominika Podolanová. 

An integrated strategy for Life Sciences in Europe

9 Jun 2020
All Committees
Healthcare
On Thursday, 4 June, AmCham EU’s Healthcare Committee hosted an online debate on its report 'Life Sciences in Europe – An integrated strategy for healthcare innovation (2019-2024)'. The panellists discussed the importance of building the resistance of health systems in Europe following the COVID-19 outbreak. A video recording of the event is available here. 
 
The event was opened by Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU. She spoke about the importance of the life sciences sector and its role in Europe’s economic recovery.

Queen Elisabeth Competition donations

9 Jun 2020
All Committees
The Queen Elisabeth Competition has been active since 1937 as one of the main music competitions of world-renowned importance. Only WWII had imposed a pause to the event prior to the COVID-19  postponement of the 2020 edition. The competition is relying mainly on private donations and needs financial support more than ever to go through this exceptional ordeal. Donations are vital and will make it possible for the Queen Elisabeth Competition to organise an outstanding and awaited piano edition next year, maintaining its standard of excellence.
 
Donations are tax-deductible and can be made here. For all details please visit the Queen Elisabeth Competition website. 
 
If you wish for your donation to be used be used to facilitate the participation of US candidates and jury members to the next competition edition in 2021, add ‘AmCham EU’ in the payment description. You can also keep up with the Queen Elisabeth Competition by taking a look at their summer virtual events including Flagey on Air and Sessions d'été de Tempo . 

The passing of Roderick ‘Rory’ Macmillan

4 Jun 2020
All Committees
It is with the utmost sadness that we announce the sudden death of Roderick ‘Rory’ Macmillan. Rory was a valued member of AmCham EU for more than 20 years. He was also well known and highly respected in wider Brussels EU circles. Importantly, he was a dear friend and colleague to many of us and he will be sorely missed. Many of our lives have been enriched by his friendship and supported by his professional dedication.  
 
A private service will take place in line with current UK government COVID restrictions. A fitting memorial service to celebrate Rory’s life will take place at a future date to be finalised. Those who would have liked to attend, but due to the current restrictions cannot, are invited to make a donation. Instead of flowers, you are kindly invited to make a donation to one of Rory’s favourite charities as listed here: World Child Cancer and the Belgium Alzheimer Association.

Joint Business Statement on the Proposal on Representative Actions (Collective Redress)

4 Jun 2020
All Committees
Consumer affairs
AmCham EU joined representatives of Europe’s business community to caution EU Member State governments and the European Parliament against rushing to conclude trilogue discussions on the representative actions proposal and urge them to take due time to consider the complex issues still unresolved.
 
Trilogue parties have not met - even at technical level - for several months. Yet there are reports that the Croatian Presidency intends to discuss a Commission compromise text with Member States in the hope of concluding discussions at Coreper in just one week, on 10 June. This piece of legislation is of utmost importance for the proper functioning of private enforcement mechanisms in and between Member States and we are extremely concerned by any efforts to rush the examination of this new framework.

 

AmCham Bulgaria’s Executive Club: Virtual Meeting with Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

3 Jun 2020
All Committees
On Friday, 29 May 2020, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, European Commission was the guest speaker at an online event organised by AmCham Bulgaria. Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU provided welcome remarks in her capacity as Chair of AmChams in Europe.

Commissioner Gabriel spoke about the importance of cross-country cooperation as well as the need for synergy and upskilling. She also outlined the required next steps that will allow Europe to successfully tackle the current COVID-19 crisis. We would like to thank Petar T. Ivanov, CEO, AmCham Bulgaria and Olivier Marquette, President, AmCham Bulgaria for hosting the event.

AmChams in Europe: US week virtual outreach

3 Jun 2020
All Committees
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. 

Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU speaks on EU economic recovery

3 Jun 2020
All Committees
Last week, the European Commission presented an ambitious recovery plan for the EU economy but a tough balancing act remains in front of us. American companies in Europe support the Commission’s proposal. Read our full statement here.
 
To further show our support, we have also published sector-by-sector recommendations to ensure that Europe does not stall on its road to recovery.
Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU breaks down the key messages in the paper and outlines the need for a coordinated response, watch her video and read our recommendations for the details. 

Overcoming COVID-19: Laying the foundation for a more resilient EU

2 Jun 2020
All Committees
Last week, the European Commission presented an ambitious recovery plan, including a new instrument ‘Next Generation EU’ to boost the EU’s spending capacity. The Commission’s proposal aims to tackle the ripple effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the European economy and puts forward an unparalleled financial commitment, along with strong policy measures to strengthen the Single Market as well as to enable the green and digital transformations. It has the potential to be one of the engines that will restart Europe’s economy, creating new jobs and prosperity to benefit all citizens. However, there is still a tough balancing act in front of us, which requires management of the short-term economic impact of the health emergency, while laying the foundations for what is coming next. 
 
AmCham EU has published a statement on the proposal last week and will continue to support policymakers throughout the entire recovery phase, therefore we have put forward some short-term recommendations to ensure that Europe does not stall on its road to recovery.

US business supports the EU’s economic recovery plan

29 May 2020
All Committees
On Wednesday, 27 May, the European Commission presented an ambitious recovery plan, including a new instrument ‘Next Generation EU’ to boost the EU’s spending capacity. The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) fully supports the Commission’s proposal which aims to tackle the ripple effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the European economy. AmCham EU calls on Member States to endorse the Commission’s proposal.
 
In addition to an unparalleled financial commitment, the recovery plan outlines strong policy measures to strengthen the Single Market as well as to enable the green and digital transformations. It has the potential to be one of the engines that will restart Europe’s economy, creating new jobs and prosperity to benefit all citizens.

May Plenary: The European Union one year after the 2019 European Elections

28 May 2020
All Committees
Plenary Meeting
On Tuesday, 26 May 2020, AmCham EU hosted a virtual plenary meeting to discuss the state of play of the European Union one year after the European elections. The event featured a panel discussion with Katarina Barley, MEP (S&D, DE),Vice-President, European Parliament; Reinhard Bütikofer, MEP (Greens/EFA, DE), European Parliament; Antonio López-Istúriz, MEP (EPP, ES), Secretary-General, EPP Party and Jacob Moroza-Rasmussen, Secretary-General, ALDE Party.
 
The discussion addressed key issues relating to the COVID-19 impact on the newly elected European institutions, the Future of Europe and the EU-US relationship. On this occasion, AmCham EU also welcomed a new member, Fiserv. as part of its Plenary meeting.
 
For questions, please contact Roberta Brumana, Senior External Relations Adviser (RBR@amchameu.eu).

Queen Elisabeth Competition in the spotlight

27 May 2020
All Committees
In recognition of the importance of the arts and young people in the arts, AmCham EU is a long-time supporter of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. The competition is for musicians who have completed their training and who rank as being of the highest calibre.
 
While, this year, the event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queen Elisabeth Competition will still be under the spotlight from Monday, 25 to Saturday, 30 May thanks to the support of Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) and Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). You can listen to numerous radio broadcasts, retransmissions of previous competitions and even an exceptional evening of live performances at the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR). Find out all the details in French or Dutch on the Queen Elisabeth Competition website. 

Reflections on Europe's circular economy

24 May 2020
All Committees
Environment
On Wednesday 20 May, AmCham EU hosted an event on 'Reflections on Europe’s circular economy and what comes next', where we welcomed Marius Vašcega, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commission as a guest speaker. The event was an opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s objectives with regard to the Circular Economy Action Plan released on Wednesday, 11 March and how this fits in with the European Green Deal and the EU’s economic recovery plan in the context of COVID-19. 

The AmChams in Europe network met with the US Department of Commerce

24 May 2020
All Committees

On Tuesday, 19 May close to 40 representatives of AmChams from all over Europe and wider Europe met with the US Department of Commerce. The meeting provided perspectives from different departments covering EU issues. We also heard from Matthew Edwards, Director of the office of Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. 

The topics of discussion covered the transatlantic relationship, the Three Seas initiative and China.

This week the AmChams in Europe network will be meeting with Ian Steff, Assistant Secretary to continue the dialogue with the US Department of Commerce.

Convergence and cooperation needed to fight the economic consequences of COVID-19

24 May 2020
All Committees

For the last Town Hall for members, AmCham EU connected with François Roux, Head of Cabinet to Charles Michel, President of the European Council. 

Mr Roux shared his insights on the COVID-19 emergency and on the work of the European institutions, particularly of the European Council. He also highlighted the fact that to fight the economic consequences of the COVID-19 emergency, convergence and cooperation are needed both in Europe and globally. He also addressed EU-US relations.

More transatlantic cooperation for a strong economic recovery

24 May 2020
All Committees

The Hon. Ronald Gidwitz shared his views on the need for more transatlantic cooperation in responding to the COVID-19 crisis and close coordination for the economic recovery in his first meeting with AmCham EU since being appointed Acting Representative of the United States to the European Union. The meeting took place over video conference on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 and it was an opportunity for Maxime Bureau, Chairman, AmCham EU and Susan Danger, CEO, AmCham EU to congratulate him on his new appointment on behalf of the membership and to introduce AmCham EU’s priorities as well as to hear his.

Farm to Fork strategy sets the path towards a more sustainable agro-food system in Europe

20 May 2020
All Committees
Agriculture & Food

On Wednesday, 20 May, the European Commission published its Farm to Fork strategy calling for a shift towards more sustainable food systems in Europe. The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) represents companies from across the agro-food supply chain and is encouraged by the Commission’s ambition to focus on creating a safe, climate-friendly and healthy food ecosystem.

AmCham EU believes that the pathway towards a more sustainable agro-food system in Europe should be centred around objectives that ensure sustainable production, consumption, better regulation, trade and international cooperation as well as the required investment in research and innovation.

Brussels Briefing on sustainability

18 May 2020
All Committees
Environment
Transport, Energy & Climate

On Thursday, 14 May 2020 AmCham EU hosted the second session of its Brussels Briefing for colleagues from other American Chambers of Commerce. This session revolved around sustainability and aimed to provide the audience with an overview of the different angles surrounding the topic as well as the key elements of the European Green Deal.

The event was attended by staff of the AmChams as well as their most active members on the issue. 

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