Successful Lobbying in the EU: Challenges and Opportunities

Best Practices

RA Ralph Kamphöner, Senior Adviser International Trade

Zagreb, 19 April 2011

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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

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International Trade Our Priorities 2011

• Import– Antidumping– GSP, Rules of origin

• Customs

• Trade Policy– WTO– Bilaterals

• Export

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International Trade Horizontal Goals

• Liberalisation

– Import, export– Goods, services

• Framework conditions for economic operators

– Predictability– Legal certainty– Transparency– Dismantling red tape

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Successful Lobbying

• Key to success

– Realistic targets– Proactive approach– Consensus, reconciliation, dialogue– Relationships built on trust

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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

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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

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Questions?

• kamphoener@eurocommerce.be• +32.2.737.05.88• www.eurocommerce.be• www.csr-in-commerce.eu

» Thank you for your attention!