Successful Lobbying in the EU: Challenges and Opportunities Best 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

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 day predictability various special incentive arrangements continuous uncertainty on graduation –GSP ½ year predictability GSP plus –GSP 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

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? » Thank you for your attention!