C20 takes position on G20 issues
03 November 2011by eurochambres -- last modified 25 February 2015
Ahead of this week’s G20 Summit in Cannes, France, a group of Chambers belonging to the C20 group* [or the C20 group] calls for a coordinated global effort intended to put the world economy back on track of strong, sustainable and balanced growth.
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Chambers put particular emphasis on the need to restore fiscal soundness and stability to governments. Alessandro Barberis, President of EUROCHAMBRES, stated: "The G20 countries have to reduce their public debt swiftly, credibly and in a coordinated manner, in order to restore lasting stability to financial markets and to ensure an upswing in economic growth."
André Marcon, President of ACFCI, added: "One of the biggest challenges the G20 needs to tackle is to find the balance between the adoption of prudential measures to avoid the recent excesses of the banking system and the need of finance SMEs are facing. It is a difficult task but it is a crucial issue companies are expecting to be dealt with quickly."
On the other points on the G20 Summit's agenda:
• Strengthen free access to commodities to combat price volatility. The C20 would like to see barriers on the export and import of commodities identified and removed. G20 members must reach a global agreement intended to ensure that all businesses have equitable and stable access to raw materials in world markets and to allow producing countries to benefit from open access to export markets and stable revenues. Also, it is necessary to implement a global framework aiming at the emergence of a global productive system that saves on energy and natural resources.
• Stimulating growth in developing countries. The C20 calls for the G20 to re-affirm that long term prosperity in a region depends on its capacity to offer true legal certainty to local entrepreneurs, as well as to foreign investors. Also, for further opening of public procurement markets.
• Strengthening the human and social dimensions of globalization. The Chambers of Commerce believe that strengthening the social dimension of globalization is important. They believe that this dimension should focus on the goal of full employment and the respect of the fundamental rights of workers.
• Creating a favourable framework to support the expansion of electronic commerce. Chambers are convinced that the digital economy can be a powerful engine of sustainable, qualitative and inclusive growth and urges the G20 to seek international harmonization of on-line trade rules and promote cooperation between the customs authorities in different countries.
• Structuring world governance toward a sustainable and shared growth. The C20 asks the G20 countries to refrain from creating distortions to competition on international markets.
The "C20" group is the business counterpart of the G20 conformed by the Chambers of Commerce of the countries belonging to the official Group of 20. The ambition of this group is to represent the views of enterprises – particularly small and medium-sized ones – from the G20 countries and make an impact on economic and financial policies discussed at G20 level. Its main goal is to support G20 leaders in elaborating solutions to restore economic stability and sustainable growth globally through the development of common positions, the exchange of opinions among the C20 Chambers, and common lobby initiatives.
The C20 joint position paper
Countries that have adopted the C20 joint position paper:
• ARGENTINA – The Argentinean Chamber of Commerce
• AUSTRALIA – The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• CANADA – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• CHINA – China Council for the Promotion of International Trade / China Chamber of International Commerce
• FRANCE – The Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• GERMANY – The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce
• INDIA – the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• ITALY – The Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture
• JAPAN – The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• RUSSIA – Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation
• TURKEY – The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
• UNITED KINGDOM – The British Chambers of Commerce
• EUROPEAN UNION – EUROCHAMBRES, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry
EUROCHAMBRES voices the interests of over 20 million member enterprises in 45 European countries through a network of 2000 regional and local Chambers represented by 45 national and one transnational organisations. More than 93 % of these enterprises are Small or Medium Enterprises. Chamber members employ over 120 million employees. EUROCHAMBRES is the sole European body that serves the interests of every sector and every size of European business - due to the multi sectoral membership of Chambers - and the only one so close to business, as a result of the Chambers’ regional focus.
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