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Café Crossfire - 3 February 2010
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Moving forward after Copenhagen
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The Friends of Europe Café Crossfire on 3 February examined the road ahead following the drafting of the Copenhagen Accord in December. “This is not a post mortem as there is no body,” allowed Karl Friedrich Falkenberg, European Commission Director General for the Environment. The panel agreed that, while the summit was not a complete success, neither was it a complete failure and that strong commitments from the European Union and its industries are needed to move beyond the politically-binding framework of the Copenhagen Accord and re-inject optimism into the UNFCCC process. |
Debate summary
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Are Europe and the EU on the same wavelength?
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Margot Wallström is not afraid of controversy, this Café Crossfire debate learned. At the twilight of her term at the EU executive, the communications strategy commissioner made a final bid to bring citizens closer to Europe, calling for open nominations and public hearings to select future leaders. The findings of this report forms part of the prepatory work for our report 'Communicating the EU in the Member States' to be released in the new year. The debate was organised by Friends of Europe and the European Commission with the support of Gallup, Gellis Communications, Mostra and LOGOS Knowledge Network. |
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Towards Basel III? Regulating the banking sector after the crisis |
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There is now a consensus on the need for stronger and more comprehensive regulation. When addressing the regulation of the banking sector, Joseph Stiglitz, Co-President of the Initiative for Policy Dialogue and Nobel Prize Winner in Economics put it very simply: “If they are too big to fail, they are too big to be.”
Discussants from 4 different continents joined the high-level roundtable to discuss the economic and social costs of the financial crisis and to offer solutions on how international cooperation can lead to a new regulatory framework for the financial system. |
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Europe's interlocking challenges: Energy and the economic crisis |
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“The world will spend the rest of this century trying to reconcile three key issues in the energy sector,” Malcolm Wicks, Special Representative on International Energy Issues in the Office of the UK Prime Minister, said at Friends of Europe’s 2009 annual European Policy Summit on energy. “These are the affordability of energy, security of supply and the science of climate change.” The key to dealing with these challenges is to get public support, said EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. |
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Friends of Europe has been chosen as a major partner of this European Commission programme, together with EUROCHAMBRES, the University of Antwerp Management School, EUObserver.com, and 8 European Chambers of Commerce (Unioncamere, ACFCI and the Chamber of Commerce in Rotterdam, Madrid, Hamburg, Czech Rep., Stockholm and Malta) and a whole series of knowledge partners from all over Europe. |
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Understanding China is a three year programme that aims to improve the knowledge and understanding of China by business, especially SMEs. It creates a new business dialogue on China-related issues through:
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The online Security Jam |
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At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, it is clear that global security challenges increasingly embrace such widespread issues as Climate Change, Human Rights and Development. This has prompted major stakeholders to look beyond conventional means of ensuring input – and has led to the European Commission and NATO joining together to back a worldwide online brainstorm called the Security Jam, to be held online until 9th February 2010.
Co-organised by a group of leading think-tanks, the Security Jam is designed to allow several thousand representatives and experts from around the globe take part in an online debate on key issues that govern our safety and development.
As such, it is an important opportunity for all stakeholders and interested parties to make their voice heard. And, as an online session, it allows participants to log in and log out at their convenience, from anywhere in the world. |
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Help make the world a safer place… register NOW to be online at the Security Jam until 9th February 2010. |
| Forum - 12 Jan 2010 |
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State of the Union: Annual Brussels Think Tank Forum 2010 |
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Friends of Europe and eight other leading Brussels think tanks, in cooperation with Agence Europe, held the first annual Forum to debate the European Union's politico-strategic agenda for the coming year. This is the first time the Brussels think tanks have collaborated to discuss the future of the EU, demonstrating their common goal of contributing to European policy-making and debate, with a general assessment and with concrete policy proposals. During his address, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission thanked the think tanks for their ‘contribution to a stronger Europe’ and stressed the need for increased communication and cooperation with the Brussels think tank community. |
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ACE – the Alliance for beverage Cartons and the Environment - is the European ambassador and knowledge hub for beverage carton manufacturers and their EU paperboard suppliers, studying and communicating the environmental value of cartons as a renewable, recyclable and low carbon packaging solution. ACE members include beverage carton producers Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc and Elopak; they develop, manufacture and market systems for the processing, packaging and distribution of food, and produce packaging material at 23 plants in Europe. About 98% of the paperboard used by ACE members in beverage cartons in Europe is produced by Stora Enso in Skoghall (Sweden) and Imatra (Finland), and Korsnäs in Gävle and Frövi (Sweden), who are also members of ACE. These paper mills and the beverage carton manufacturers in ACE together employ close to 30,000 people worldwide. |
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www.ace.be | |
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APCO Worldwide, an award-winning, independent public affairs and strategic communication firm, specialises in providing targeted solutions to issues and opportunities faced by clients. With offices throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, APCO’s areas of expertise include: Corporate, investor and internal communication; Crisis management; Government relations; Issue management; Litigation communication; Market entry; and Strategic philanthropy. Governments, corporations, industry associations, and non-profit organizations benefit from an array of services including strategic counsel, media relations, opinion research, grassroots advocacy, coalition building, event management, spokesperson training and technology solutions for communication programs. Founded in 1984, APCO is an independent firm with a global headquarters in Washington, D.C. Clients include seven of the top 10 Fortune 500 companies. |
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www.apcoworldwide.com | |
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Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 160,000 employees in 67 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit |
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www.cargill.com | |
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The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with the world's best-known brand, Coca-Cola, the Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding 1 billion servings a day. |
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www.coca-cola.com | |
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Eni is one of the most important integrated energy companies in the world committed to growth in finding, producing, transporting, transforming and marketing oil and gas. Eni ranks first among the Italian listed companies according to its market capitalization amounting to €93.8 billion at the end of 2006. |
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www.eni.it | |
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ExxonMobil is the largest private oil, gas and petrochemical company in the world. The company explores for oil and natural gas on six of the seven continents. Activities include the refining and supply of petroleum products as well as the marketing of fuels under the Exxon, Mobil and Esso brands. The company also markets lubricants, both conventional and synthetic in every major geographic region. Other petroleum products are lube base stocks and petroleum specialties such as waxes, process oils and asphalt. ExxonMobil Chemical is a leading manufacturer and global marketer of olefins, aromatics, fluids, synthetic rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene packaging films, plasticizers, synthetic lubricant base stocks, additives for fuels and lubricants, zeolite catalysts and other petrochemical products. ExxonMobil has been active in Europe since 1888. Today, it is the largest oil and gas producer in Europe and supplies 15 per cent of Europe's natural gas and 10 per cent of Europe's oil. |
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www.exxonmobileurope.com | |
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The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is a German non-profit private educational institution committed to the concepts and basic values of social democracy. It was founded in 1925 as a political legacy of Germany's first democratically elected president Friedrich Ebert. Together with its partners in the trade unions, education and research, public administration, local government and various social groups and organizations, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung fosters dialogue among all democratic forces with the aim of bringing about a balance of interests, of solving conflicts and developing policy options. Another important activity is future-oriented research work, analyzing the economic, social and political problems in Germany and Europe. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has activities in more than 100 countries and offices in about 90 countries. |
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www.fes.de | |
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McKinsey & Company is a management consulting firm that helps leading corporations and organizations make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance. Over the past eight decades, the Firm’s primary objective has remained constant: to serve as an organization’s most trusted external advisor on critical issues facing senior management. With consultants deployed from over 80 offices in more than 40 countries, McKinsey advises companies on strategic, operational, organizational and technological issues. The Firm has extensive experience in all major industry sectors and primary functional areas as well as in-depth expertise in high-priority areas for today’s business leaders. |
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www.mckinsey.com | |
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For more than 20 years, Microsoft has been operating in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), enabling people and businesses throughout the region to realise their potential. The Microsoft EMEA organisation encompasses more than 60 local offices and delivers products and services in 139 countries across the region. The company’s 12,000 regional employees engage in a wide range of functions including research, product development and distribution, sales and marketing, customer service and support, and partner support. An industry leader, Microsoft is also committed to corporate responsibility and community participation. The company works with all levels of government and academia, and supports numerous programmes for social and economic development. Neil Holloway, president of Microsoft EMEA, sets the direction of the company in this vast and varied region. |
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www.microsoft.com | |
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Novartis AG is a world leader in offering medicines to protect health, treat disease and improve well-being. Our goal is to discover, develop and successfully market innovative products to treat patients, ease suffering and enhance the quality of life. Novartis is the only company with leadership positions in both patented and generic pharmaceuticals. We are strengthening our medicine-based portfolio, which is focused on strategic growth platforms in innovation-driven pharmaceuticals, high-quality and low-cost generics (Sandoz), human vaccines (Vaccines & Diagnostics) and leading self-medication OTC brands (Consumer Health). In 2005, the Group's businesses achieved net sales of USD 32.2 billion and net income of USD 6.1 billion. Approximately USD 4.8 billion was invested in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 99,000 people and operate in over 140 countries around the world. |
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www.novartis.com | |
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Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. In addition, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within areas such as haemostasis management, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services that make a significant difference to patients, the medical profession and society. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 26,550 employees in 80 countries, and markets its products in 179 countries. Novo Nordisk’s B shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘NVO’. |
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With Group sales of EUR 20.04 bn and a workforce of 33,665 employees in 2007, OMV Aktiengesellschaft is one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies. As the leading oil and gas group in Central Europe, OMV is active in Refining and Marketing (R&M) in 13 countries. In Exploration and Production (E&P) OMV is active in 20 countries on five continents. In Gas & Power (G&P) OMV sells more than 13 bcm gas per year. Via Baumgarten, one of the most important turntables for gas in Europe, approximately 64 bcm gas is transported annually. OMV’s Central European Gas Hub is amongst the three largest hubs in Continental Europe. |
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www.omv.com | |
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PlasticsEurope is one of the leading European trade associations with centres in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris. We are networking with European and national plastics associations and have more than 100 member companies, producing over 90% of all polymers across the EU27 member states plus Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey. The European plastics industry makes a significant contribution to the welfare in Europe by enabling innovation, creating quality of life to citizens and facilitating resource efficiency and climate protection. More than 1.6 million people are working in about 50.000 companies (mainly small and medium sized companies in the converting sector) to create a turnover in excess of 300 billion € per year. The plastics industry includes polymer producers - represented by PlasticsEurope, converters - represented by EuPC and machine manufacturers - represented by EUROMAP. |
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www.plasticseurope.org | |
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As a leading global pharmaceutical company, sanofi-aventis is dedicated to the discovery, development, manufacture and distribution of innovative, effective and well-tolerated medicines, for all people throughout the world. In keeping with its principle that there are “no small countries and no small products”, sanofi-aventis offers an extensive range of innovative medicines, vaccines, mature prescription medicines, consumer health (OTC) products and generics. This product portfolio, which is intended for all patients, whatever their medical condition, whatever their resources provides the foundation of the Group’s economic performance. |
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www.sanofi-aventis.com | |
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Schuttelaar & Partners is a large communications consultancy firm deeply rooted in stakeholder dialogue on issues related to the life sciences. From our offices in Brussels and The Hague, we help our clients build public support for innovations that we firmly believe will lead towards greater health and sustainability. Such clients include multinational corporations and SMEs, governments, research institutions, and NGOs. Our 60 consultants cover a wide spectrum of backgrounds and operate in areas such as sustainable commodity supply chains, the role of nutrition in public health, global development, and application of bio- and nanotechnologies. |
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www.schuttelaar-partners.com | |
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Veolia Environnement is the only world-wide Group dedicated wholly to environment-related activities and capable of offering a complete range of services covering the fields of Water (Veolia Water), Cleaning (Onyx), Energy (Dalkia) and Transport (Connex). The group deploys an integrated services offer providing made-to-measure solutions to the challenges facing local authorities in France and abroad. Research & Development play a central role in Veolia’s sustainable-development policy, designed to enable the group to anticipate the needs of tomorrow and to implement effective technological solutions and services meeting the expectations of our customers. Veolia Environnement commits itself to caring for the environment wherever the group operates, in particular by stringent application of international and local environmental regulations and by the commitment of its employees to improving inhabitants’ everyday quality of life. |
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www.veoliaenvironnement.com | |
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With operations in more than 100 countries, the Group's activities span all aspects of the energy industry from Upstream oil and gas exploration and production to Downstream transport, refining and marketing of refined products as well as international trading in both crude and refined products. Total is also a major player in the Chemicals market. |
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www.total.com | |
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Tyco International is a highly diversified global company that provides thousands of products and services vitally important to residential and commercial customers. Those products range from electronic security and alarm monitoring to fire-fighting equipment and breathing apparatus, and from water purification and flow control solutions to galvanized steel tubes and armored wire and cable. Tyco International is composed of five business segments: ADT Worldwide, Fire Protection Services, Safety Products, Flow Control Electrical & Metal Products. |
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www.tyco.com | |
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Unilever is a multi-local multinational with consumers, employees, business partners and shareholders on every continent. It makes and sells brands. The Unilever Group consists of Unilever N.V. in the Netherlands and Unilever PLC in the UK and has two divisions – Foods (including frozen foods) and Home & Personal Care. |
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www.unilever.com | |
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Friends of Europe is privileged to be headquartered in and enjoy the use of one of Brussels' most prestigious architectural landmarks, the 100 year old Bibliothèque Solvay in the Parc Léopold next to the European Parliament. |
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The building houses the Friends of Europe team and hosts almost all of the think-tank's events in Brussels.
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| OUR VIP MEMBERS: Adecco – Amgen – APCO Worldwide – Areva – BP Europe – BT Group – Cargill – Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton – Confederation of Food & Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA) – CropLife International – Deutsche Post DHL – Dow – Embassy of Qatar to Belgium – EUnited – European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) – ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical – Hewitt Associates – Hill & Knowlton International – Intel Corporation European Affairs Office – International Fragrance Association (IFRA) – Logos Knowledge Network – McKinsey & Company – Merifin Capital – Microsoft EMEA – Novartis – Novo Nordisk – ÖMV Aktiengesellchaft – Pfizer – Schuttelaar & Partners – Shell International – Solvay – Europe – Statoil – Suez – Telefónica – Total – The Alliance for beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) - The Coca-Cola Company – The McGraw-Hill Companies – Toyota Motor Europe – Tyco Safety Products – Unilever – Veve Group – Veolia Environnement – Vinyl 2010 – Volvo Group – WWF |
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With the support of the European Commission:
Support for bodies active at European Level
in the field of active European Citizenship |
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| Conference - 27 Jan 2010 |
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Women, Peace and Security
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On 27 January 2010, European Commission Vice President Margot Wallström and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen hosted a high-level conference on women, peace and security in the European Commission premises. This conference saw the participation of Spanish First Vice President Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega, Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright alongside civil society representatives, military officials, high-level policy-makers and witnesses. The participants concluded that all EU and NATO-led operations must comply with UN resolutions relating to women, peace and security, and must be supported by appropriate training, education, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. |
The Understanding China programme is a new business dialogue on China-related issues. Co-funded by the European Commission and implemented by EUROCHAMBRES, Friends of Europe, University of Antwerp Management School and nine other partners, the Understanding China programme consists of an interactive website, a specialist training programme and a number of high-level conferences and seminars over the next three years. |
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The Only EU-wide Policy Journal
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www.securitydefenceagenda.org |
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Our sister think-tank, the Security and Defence Agenda (SDA), is Brussels' leading think-tank on security and defence issues, and aims to raise awareness of how EU and NATO policies can complement each other. |
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