Pubaffairs news & debates
INVITATION | Trade and the European elections: what is at stake? (April 10)
We are most pleased to invite you to participate in an evening of discussion on how the main political groups will address the question of trade throughout their campaigns with our distinguished speakers Mr Piero Rizza, Policy Advisor, EPP Group, Mr Francesco Ronchi, Policy Advisor, S&D Group, Ms Ursa Pondelek, Policy Advisor, ALDE Group, Ms Andrea Cepova-Fourtoy, Head of Unit, ECR Group and Mr Martin Köhler, Policy Advisor, Greens/EFA Group.
The event will be moderated by Poppy Carnell, Chief Correspondent, Trade, MLex.
This event is kindly sponsored by
About the debate
Trade and its role in promoting sustainable growth and jobs is one of the key topics in the upcoming European Parliament elections. Indeed, in light of recent challenges to the international rules-based trading system and the resurgence of protectionist views in Europe and around the globe, the EU will need to find convincing arguments and new approaches to preserve its ability to formulate and to push for an ambitious, forward-looking trade policy in the years ahead.
As shown during the public debates on TTIP and CETA, such an approach will also need to take into account both the creation of effective strategies and the often critical demands of civil society. In this respect, the European Parliament has played an increasingly important role by promoting openness with regard to the global trade model, while acting as a prominent forum for voicing citizens’ concerns.
The questions of how to deal with a potential resurgence of protectionism, how to maintain open global markets while considering the perspectives of current partners, and of how to use trade as a conditionality tool will continue to feature high on the agenda of the Parliament. As a result, several commentators have raised the question of the approach of the main political families and their “Spitzenkandidaten” regarding trade policy and what the next EU’s trade agenda should be.
This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Participants are free to use the information received but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the attendees may be revealed. For this reason, unless explicitly authorised by PubAffairs Bruxelles, the filming and/or the recording of the event by any means are strictly forbidden.
The event will commence with a welcome drink at 7.00pm, followed by a panel debate at 7.30pm. After the panel debate there will be an opportunity for questions and discussions.
We look forward to seeing you at 7.00pm on the 10th of April at The Office, rue d’Arlon, 80, Brussels.
All our debates are followed by a drink in a convivial atmosphere.
[FR] Album photos | Débat | La croissance économique de l’Afrique subsaharienne: quel rôle pour l’Europe ?
[FR] INVITATION | La croissance économique de l’Afrique subsaharienne: quel rôle pour l’Europe ? (2 Avril)
Nous sommes heureux de vous inviter au débat organisé par PubAffairs Bruxelles et la Représentation Permanente de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie auprès de l’UE sur le rôle de l’Union européenne dans les enjeux liés à la croissance économique de l’Afrique subsaharienne avec nos orateurs M.me Erica Gerretsen, Chef d’unité, Coopération internationale et politique de développement, Commission européenne, S.E. M. Abdellahi Kebd, Ambassadeur de Mauritanie auprès de l’Union européenne, M. Paul Frix, Directeur général honoraire, Ministère belge des Affaires étrangères et de la Coopération au développement, Dr. San Bilal, Chef du programme “Commerce, investissement et finances”, Centre européen de gestion des politiques de développement (ECDPM) et M. Emmanuel Tuchscherer, Directeur, Affaires Publiques Européennes, Engie.
Le débat sera modéré par M. Thierno Seydou DIOP, Associé, Conseiller Senior pour l’Afrique, Schuman Associates.
M. Stephane Lopez, Ambassadeur, Représentant de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie auprès de l’UE, tiendra un discours d’introduction.
À propos du débat
Les relations entre l’Europe et l’Afrique subsaharienne ont récemment gagné de l’importance dans le débat public européen, notamment en raison du phénomène migratoire, rarement perçu de manière positive. Malgré cette perception, il a été reconnu par plusieurs institutions internationales qu’entre 2000 et 2017, l’économie de cette zone du globe a progressé au rythme annuel d’environ 5%, et le FMI a récemment estimé qu’entre 2018 et 2023 les perspectives de croissance de l’Afrique subsaharienne seront parmi les plus prometteuses au niveau mondial. Ce paradoxe entre représentations et dynamisme économique met en lumière la méconnaissance chez beaucoup des opportunités offertes par le continent à l’heure actuelle et des nombreuses à venir. En reconnaissant le lien inextricable entre l’UE et l’Afrique dans son discours sur l’état de l’Union de septembre 2018, le président Jean-Claude Juncker a proposé que l’UE « approfondisse ses relations économiques et commerciales avec l’Afrique par une politique axée sur les investissements et la création d’emplois ».
Photo Album | DEBATE | How can Europe ensure the long-term sustainability of transport infrastructure?
INVITATION | How can Europe ensure the long-term sustainability of transport infrastructure? (April 1st)
We are most pleased to invite you to participate in an evening of discussion on how Europe can ensure the long-term sustainability of its transport infrastructure with our distinguished speakers Ms Pia Nieminen, Policy Advisor, European Investment Bank, Ms Inés Ayala-Sender MEP (S&D/ES), Mr Laurent Zylberberg, Director, Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, Mr Thierry Goger, Secretary General, FEHRL, and Mr Christophe Nicodème, General Director, ERF.
Mr Roman Horvath, Policy Officer, European Commission, DG GROW, and Mr Riccardo Viaggi, Secretary General, CECE, will respectively hold an introductory speech.
The debate will be moderated by Mr Helmut von Glasenapp, Secretary General, European Long-Term Investors Association.
This event is kindly sponsored by
About the debate
Transport is the cornerstone of regional and social cohesion, as well as of the competitiveness of the EU as a global economic actor. The sector is not only an enabler of European integration and of the smooth functioning of the EU’s internal market, but it has also proved crucial for its added value to growth and jobs as a main element of the EU’s economic activity, as well as an important industrial domain in its own right. In addition, the availability and the quality of transport services have strong implications for both European industry and the EU’s choice of trading partners. Against this backdrop, the question of transport infrastructure has become essential in view of Europe’s ageing transport network, the necessity of assuring sufficient investment at the EU level in everyday needs, and for the modernisation of the Union’s transport system: all inextricably linked to the environmental and digital transformation of economy and society. To this end, the European Commission has launched the negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2021-2027, which comes at a time of renewed dynamism and of great challenges for Europe.
[FR] Album photos | Débat | Pourquoi le populisme est-il actuellement populaire, dans l’Union européenne et ailleurs dans le monde ?
[FR] INVITATION | Pourquoi le populisme est-il actuellement populaire, dans l’Union européenne et ailleurs dans le monde ? (6 février)
Nous sommes heureux de vous inviter au débat organisé par PubAffairs Bruxelles et la Représentation Permanente de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie auprès de l’UE sur la question de la popularité du « populisme », dans l’Union européenne, et ailleurs dans le monde avec nos orateurs M. Philippe Herzog, Président fondateur, Confrontations Europe, Professeur Jérôme Creel, Directeur des études, Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (OFCE) – Science Po, M. Renaud Denuit, Éditorialiste, Agence Europe et M. Arthur Borriello, Chercheur, Centre d’Étude sur la vie Politique (CEVIPOL) – ULB.
M. Stephane Lopez, Ambassadeur, Représentant de l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie auprès de l’UE, tiendra un discours d’introduction.
Le débat sera modéré par Gabriel Gresillon, Correspondant pour les Échos
À propos du débat
Les récents et répétés succès électoraux dans plusieurs pays européens, mais aussi sur d’autres continents, de personnalités et mouvements qualifiés de « populistes », qui les ont amenés au pouvoir, ont soulevé un débat très clivé avec en ligne de mire les élections européennes de mai 2019. En outre, la mobilisation des « gilets jaunes » en France n’a fait qu’accroître le phénomène et la préoccupation des politiques, des institutionnels de l’UE, des commentateurs et du monde académique.
Photo Album | DEBATE | Reform of the World Trade Organization: challenge or deadlock?
INVITATION | Reform of the World Trade Organization: challenge or deadlock? (January 29)
We are most pleased to invite you to participate in an evening of discussion on the prospect of reforming the World Trade Organization with our distinguished speakers Mr Justin Brown PSM, Australian Ambassador to the EU, Ms Maria Åsenius, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Malmström, Mr Stéphane Lambert, Counsellor and Head of Trade, Economic and Science & Technology Policy, Mission of Canada to the EU, Mr David Luff, Professor, College of Europe and Mr Roderick Abbott, Senior Adviser, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE).
Mr Jaya Ratnam, Ambassador of Singapore to the EU, will hold an introductory speech.
The event will be moderated by James Kanter, Editor, EU Scream, the podcast on Europe and its political extremes, and former EU Correspondent for The New York Times.
About the debate
As stated by EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström: “the multilateral trading system has for the past decades provided a stable, predictable and effective framework, helping many economies to grow rapidly”, while the WTO has played a crucial role in ensuring an open, fair and rules-based global trade system. However, in the last decades, both technological and geo-economic transformations have changed not only trade routes, but also the very landscape upon which the WTO rules-based system has been built. This process has resulted in several gaps due either to the fact that some regulations have become out-dated, for example, in the case of market-distorted subsidies, or as a result of a deficit in some increasingly important areas of international trade, such as e-commerce.