Successful Lobbying in the EU: Challenges and Opportunities Best Practices

1. Successful Lobbying in the EU: Challenges and OpportunitiesBest Practices • RA Ralph Kamphöner, Senior Adviser International Trade • Zagreb, 19 April 2011

2. Umbrella EuroCommerce • Commerce in Europe • 6 mio. companies • Retail, wholesale, international trade • 95% SMEs • 30 mio. jobs • 11% EU GDP • 500 mio. consumers • EuroCommerce • Since 1993 • Members in 31 European countries

3. International TradeOur Priorities 2011 • Import • Antidumping • GSP, Rules of origin • Customs • Trade Policy • WTO • Bilaterals • Export

4. International Trade  Horizontal Goals • Liberalisation • Import, export • Goods, services • Framework conditions for economic operators • Predictability • Legal certainty • Transparency • Dismantling red tape

5. Best Practices  Examples • 1 - Antidumping • Problem: conflict of interest producers  importers • Next slides: successful lobbying in adverse policy environment • 2 - EU Trade Preferences for Developing Countries • GSP (Generalised System of Prefences) • Problem: matrix of diverging interests • Producers, importers, developing countries, NGOs • Past GSPs were not simple, stable, predictable enough • Next slides: successful lobbying by consistency & proactivity

6. 1 - Antidumping  Squaring the Circle? • EU importers  EU manufacturers • Predictability vs. time needed for AD complaints • Green Paper 2007: confrontation, not reconciliation • EuroCommerce strategy since 2008 • Constructive dialogue with European Commission • Secure achievables  concrete improvements for traders • Success already achieved • More transparency • http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tdi/notices.cfm

7. 1 - Antidumping  Opportunities • Next Step: Constructive Dialogue • European Commission, EuroCommerce • AD website • Questionnaires • Predictability • Goal: • Improvements within AD Basic Regulation • Lisbon Treaty  AD decision-making process • Allocating competences: Commission, Parliament, EU-27 • EuroCommerce position July 2010  new rules March 2011

8. 2 - GSP  Improvement Step by Step • Previous GSP regulations • GSP 2002-2004 • 1 day predictability • various special incentive arrangements • continuous uncertainty on graduation • GSP 2005-2008 • ½ year predictability • GSP plus • GSP 2009-2011 • 1 year predictability, except for GSP plus

9. 2 - GSP  Setting the Points for 2014 • Preparatory activities • EuroCommerce position paper July 2009 • EU consultation spring 2010 • Challenges • European Parliament: delay? • Complex: 176 countries, thousands of different products • Reconciling different interests • Developing countries • EU importers • EU manufacturers

10. 2 - GSP  Achievements • GSP • Status quo stable until end 2013 • Stability • Enough time to publish GSP 2014 by end 2012 • Preferential Rules of Origin • Reform as from January 2011 • Single Value Added criterion avoided • Form A remains until 2016

11. Successful Lobbying • Key to success • Realistic targets • Proactive approach • Consensus, reconciliation, dialogue • Relationships built on trust

12. Successful Lobbying • What we can do • Trade associations, chambers • Long term perspective • Continuous contact with decision-makers • Preventing problems early vs. troubleshooting later • Companies • Active participation • Input

13. New Challenges • European Parliament • Lisbon Treaty: new EP competences for trade policy • GSP debate • Antidumping • Trade policy and non-trade concerns • Lobbying needs to start even earlier

14. Questions? • kamphoener@eurocommerce.be • +32.2.737.05.88 • www.eurocommerce.be • www.csr-in-commerce.eu • Thank you for your attention!