News

From pandemic to recovery: what does 2022 hold in store for the EU and the world

During the first plenary meeting of the year on Tuesday, 25 January, AmCham EU welcomed Suzanne Lynch, Playbook Brussels co-author, POLITICO Europe and Alex Pigman, Brussels correspondent, Agence France-Presse for an interactive session diving into the news stories that will likely dominate the headlines in 2022 and the overall political trends that will drive the conversation in Brussels and beyond. The panel was moderated by Victoria Main, CEO, SEC Newgate EU and Member of the Board at AmCham EU. During the meeting, the 2022 Strategic Plan was also presented and a new member was voted in: General Motors.

Congratulations to the new European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola

On Tuesday, 18 January Roberta Metsola, MEP (EPP, MT) was elected as President of the European Parliament with 458 votes in the first round of balloting. Together with our member companies operating in Europe, AmCham EU looks forward to working closely with President Metsola and the European Parliament to ensure a prosperous and sustainable EU recovery.

Leadership update

AmCham EU is pleased to announce the results of the elections that took place from December till mid-January and welcome new and re-elected leaders. We wish successful terms to Carsten Dannöhl (Caterpillar); Nicola del Valle de Sousa Gavaia (McDonald’s); Alexander Majer (First Solar); Simona Popa (InterDigital); Sofia Trenor (Amazon); and Felix Uedelhoven (GE). 

The Secretariat would also like to thank those who are stepping down for the extraordinary work they completed during their terms: Kate Ballentyne (former Chevron); Veronika Bendere (MSD), who remains as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force; Luca Bellomo (MSD); Taggart Davis (JP Morgan Chase Co); Walter Van der Meiren (UPS), who remains as Chair of the Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee; and Benjamin Neyt (LVMH).

More details about the leadership changes mentioned above can be found here.  

Forging Europe’s recovery together: inclusivity

COVID-19 has created a crisis with deep socio-economic consequences and groups like women, youth, immigrants and people with disabilities have been disproportionally affected by the impacts of the pandemic. Inclusion should be at the heart of Europe’s recovery. Aliki Foinikopoulou (Salesforce), Vice-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, AmCham EU discusses how closing the skills gap, designing upskilling programs for the workforce and creating more job opportunities will ensure the EU’s just and inclusive recovery. 

Mark Gitenstein confirmed as new US Ambassador to the EU

Following a vote in the United States Senate on Saturday, 18 December 2021, Mark Gitenstein has been confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the European Union.

The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) congratulates Ambassador Gitenstein on his confirmation. We look forward to welcoming him to Europe and to collaborating closely with him and his team as we continue to build and strengthen the transatlantic partnership.

Ensuring harmonisation and consistency across due diligence frameworks

A harmonised approach to due diligence across the EU can help ensure respect for human rights and the environment. The proliferation of due diligence policies at various levels risks diverting resources towards compliance, instead of promoting collective action. AmCham EU alongside thirteen industry associations and business initiatives issued a joint statement outlining priorities that will ensure harmonisation and consistency across due diligence frameworks as well as alignment with the objectives of the EU Green Deal. Read the full statement. 

Friend-shoring: Boosting Supply Chain Resilience

To discuss the future of  EU-US cooperation, Susan Danger joined a panel titled 'Reshoring or “Friend-shoring”: Boosting Supply Chain Resilience' at the Transatlantic Business Works Summit organised by the US Chamber of Commerce. The panellists highlighted the challenges that global supply chains are facing today and emphasised the importance of a strengthened transatlantic partnership in securing critical production and distribution.

Promoting sustainable water use in industry

Industries can reduce the risk of shortages and conserve natural resources by optimising the use of water. Ecolab’s innovative cooling water technology improves the water cycle while bringing significant savings in costs, energy efficiency and emissions. Learn how water optimisation helps to fulfill their corporate sustainability commitments and boost the industries’ efficiency. 

Read more at The Green Way and join the conversation on Twitter with #EUGreenWay.  

AmCham EU CEO Susan Danger re-elected as Chairwoman of the AmChams in Europe network

Susan Danger, CEO, American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), has been re-elected as Chairwoman of the AmChams in Europe network. She will serve for a second two-year term leading the Executive Committee of the umbrella organisation for 46 American Chambers of Commerce from 44 countries throughout Europe and Eurasia. AmChams in Europe represents the interests of more than 17,000 American and European companies employing 20 million workers.