| Following the successful
experience in 2007, EUROCHAMBRES is again organising a high-level
delegation of European Chambers to Washington D.C. on 29 April-1
May. Participants will have the unique opportunity to meet the key
players of President Barack Obama's administration. Within this
framework, members ofthe project "Transatlantic IPR Collaboration"
will also organise on 27-28 April a conference on "U.S. and EU
Approaches to Protecting Intellectual Property" and "Communicating
the Value of IP", where preliminary results of a study on
Transatlantic approaches to IP will be disclosed. |
| Contact: Micol Martinelli |
Contact: Paul Fournier |
| Details of IPR conference |
|
 |
| After having coordinated the
third phase of AL Invest and having successfully fostered EU-Latin
America business relations, EUROCHAMBRES is proud to announce that
its Consortium was selected by the European Commission to act as the
coordination unit that will support the three geographical groups of
organisations in Latin America. Further information on the
activities to be carried out under this new phase will be available
soon. |
| Contact: Constanza Negri-Biasutti |
|
|
| On 27 January, EUROCHAMBRES
co-organised with its Central American counterparts the III
EU-Central America Private Sector Forum in Brussels. The event
attracted over 90 participants from the EU and Central America and
was attended by the Ministers of the Economy of Guatemala and El
Salvador. This event aimed at conducting an open discussion and
making a contribution from the private sector to the EU-CA
Association Agreement that is currently being negotiated. |
| Contact: Constanza
Negri-Biasutti |
 Press Release 27 January |
| Programme of the Forum |
|
|
| The "How to invest in Russia"
guide - an annual guide for companies interested in investing in
Russia - was published in December 2008 by the Association of
European Businesses, a recognised partner of the European Chambers
Abroad, in cooperation with EUROCHAMBRES. It is now available for
purchase on the AEB website. |
| Contact: Micol Martinelli |
AEB Website |
|
| On 29 January, EUROCHAMBRES
presented its activities involving the candidate countries (Croatia,
FYROM, Turkey) and potential candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia) to an audience of civil
society organisations, chambers and journalists from the
above-mentioned countries. Participants were members of a TAIEX
study visit to Brussels on "The role of civil society in combating
corruption". |
| Contact: Micol Martinelli |
Candidates & Potential Candidates webpage
|
|
| The members of EUROCHAMBRES,
ASCAME (the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and
Industry), ANIMA Investment network and Businessmed have the
opportunity until 1 March to present their ideas on how to promote
investment and trade flows into the Mediterranean area through the
Invest in Med programme. More information about how to participate
can be found in the procedure guide available on the programme's
website. |
| Contact: Freya Lemcke |
Invest in Med website - procedure guide EN FR |
|
| 22 partnerships between EU and
Turkish chambers were launched on the occasion of the kick-start
meeting of the EU-Turkey Chambers Forum (ETCF), in Istanbul on 13-14
January. Around 200 people attended this event: Turkish and EU
Chambers, Embassies from EU countries in Turkey, TOBB (the Union of
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey), EUROCHAMBRES, the
Central Finance and Contract Unit (CFCU) and the European Commission
Delegation in Turkey. |
| Contact: Juliette Loppé |
Sedef
Subasi |
| ETCF website |
 Pictures of the event |
|
| In the framework of the EU-GCC
Chamber project a group of European Chamber experts travelled to the
United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrein on 18-21 January under the
lead of Deputy President Peter Egardt to discuss policy frameworks
and the development of Chamber services for small and medium
enterprises with their Chamber counterparts in the United Arab
Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. The next discussion round will be held
in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in February. |
| Contact: Freya Lemcke |
Pictures of the event |
|
| EUROCHAMBRES is currently
preparing a new programme called "Understanding China". Its
objective is to increase the understanding of China business culture
for EU enterprises - especially smaller ones - and to enhance the
policy dialogue on EU-China related issues. A training programme,
round table discussions, conferences and the creation of an online
intelligence hub on China will be part of the programme. |
| Contact: Martina Kuhlmann |
Understanding China webpage |
|
| |
Education,
Training and Social Affairs  |
| On 10 February, European Affairs
Director Ben Butters spoke at the Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) Multistakeholder Forum in Brussels. He highlighted the various
ways in which Chambers across Europe support SMEs in developing
pursuing CSR strategies, emphasising the need for an integrated and
ongoing strategy that is inclusive of all stakeholders and staff. He
underlined the fact that the economic downturn is not an excuse to
slow down progress in relation to CSR, but reminded policy makers of
the need for a flexible approach that does not discourage SMEs by
imposing reporting or administrative requirements. |
| Contact: Margarete Rudzki |
European Multi-stakeholder Forum on CSR
website |
|
| On the occasion of the
University-Business Forum organised by the European Commission on
5-6 February, President Pierre Simon focused on the need to assess
universities on their interaction with business projects and on the
need to adapt the international ranking systems of universities in
order to take into account their capacity to establish successful
partnerships with enterprises. Mr Simon also highlighted the
importance of intermediary organisations like Chambers in
establishing strong relationships between universities and
businesses. |
| Contact: Margarete Rudzki |
University-Business
Forum Website |
|
| |
| Innovation:
Trends and Tools |
| On 10 February, Secretary General
Arnaldo Abruzzini participated in the jury deciding on the projects
to receive the 2009 Sustainable Energy Europe Award. The ceremony
took place during Sustainable Energy Week, which comprises numerous
events on energy efficiency and renewable energies in Brussels and
other European cities. |
| Contact: Sonja
Starnberger |
Sustainable Energy Week website |
|
| |
| Economic
Affairs |
| On 5 March, Secretary General
Arnaldo Abruzzini will open CFO Europe magazine's Outlook 2009
conference "Beyond the Storm: Opportunity and Risk in a New Era for
Finance", in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Members interested to
attend can benefit from a discount of 30% off the delegate rate.
Simply rate code EC30 when registering. All registrations are
subject to approval by CFO Europe. |
| Contact: Kelda Belcham |
CFO Outlook 2009
website |
|
| |
| EU
Legislative Framework |
| On the occasion of a high-level
conference organised by the Czech Presidency in Prague on 2
February, EUROCHAMBRES presented its fourth survey on the
implementation of the Services Directive in EU Member States.
Results show general progress but European Chambers stress the need
to focus on the operational aspects of the implementation if the
directive is to prove beneficial to businesses in time for the 29
December deadline. |
| Contact: Giovanni Campi |
Press Release 2 February |
 Fourth survey on the Services Directive |
|
|
| Eight months after the
presentation of its 21 suggestions to reduce administrative burdens
for EU businesses, the “Low Level Group” for Better Regulation
presented on 28 January an interim assessment of its achievements:
three suggestions have already been implemented and thirteen of
their proposals are currently being examined at EU institutional
level. The LLG, composed of EUROCHAMBRES, the SME UNION and JADE,
was set up in 2007 as an independent stakeholders’ group to
complement the work of the European Commission’s “High Level
Group”. |
| Contact: Giovanni Campi |
Press release 28 January |
| Interim Report of the Low Level Group |
21 proposals of the Low Level Group |
|
| Speaking at a conference
organised by CEBRE (the Czech Business Representation to the
European Union) on barriers in the internal market on 28 January,
Director of European Affairs Ben Butters focused on three elements:
the need to implement the Services Directive properly and in a
timely manner, the need to apply the Small Business Act principles
consistently and to intensify efforts in the framework of the Better
Regulation agenda at European as well at national level. |
| Contact: Giovanni Campi |
|
|
| |
| Chambers'
News |
| EUROCHAMBRES is proud to announce
its 16th annual Congress, which will take place on 14-15 May at the
Clarion Hotel in Prague (Czech Republic) and will be devoted to the
theme "Doing Business without barriers". Register on the Congress
website before 1 March in order to benefit from the "early birds"
offer! |
| Contact: Isabelle Gueury |
Congress'
website |
|
| 45 Chamber trade experts from 20
countries gathered in Menthon Saint Bernard, France, on 28-31
January for the sixth edition of EUROCHAMBRES' International Trade
Academy Forum. This event was again a big success and was covered by
the local press and TV. Participants were so enthusiastic and
inspired that they created an anthem entitled "We are the Chambers
of the World"! |
| Contact: Sophie Devos-Gaillard |
Academy Alumni website |
| Pictures of the event |
Reportage on the Academy (TV8 Mont Blanc) |
|
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Agenda 
