Four Goals for Governance - EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium

The EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce welcomes the European Commission's White Paper on European Governance, which it considers as an initial step in the wider debate that will take place in the coming years on the future of Europe. Institutional and administrative reform of the European Union (EU), directly affects the institutional framework and therefore also the business environment in Europe.

The EU Committee believes the following four themes need to be taken into consideration within the context of the governance debate:

• The EU Committee as a "natural" counterpart to the Commission
  As the key representation of US businesses to the EU (American direct investment in the EU exceeds 650 billion euros and supports over 3 million jobs), the EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce supports the negotiation of a partnership agreement with the Commission, which will formalize the existing working relationship and ensure more timely and effective contribution to Commission proposals, which are of direct relevance to business. However, it should be clear how these partnerships are to be negotiated, structured and agreed, with the ultimate aim of insuring openness and representativity.


• The Trade dimension – contributing to Global Governance
  The EU Committee supports the strengthening of the EU to speak with a single voice on trade matters. Qualified majority voting (QMV) should be extended to trade matters. Transparency and democratic accountability need to be improved without damaging the efficiency of daily trade policy decision-making.


• "Revolutionizing" law-making
  There is a danger that EU policy is being created piecemeal with little coordination and consideration of the effect that this will have on the single market. The EU Committee believes that certain procedural rules should be taken into consideration when alternative regulatory initiatives are put into motion. Such rules would ensure a legal and business certainty, with effective participation of all stakeholders.


• Support for a refocused European Commission and for the safeguard of the community method
  There is a need for the Council to reinforce the effective implementation of Community legislation. Too often late or inadequate transposition of EU legislation is the basis for weak enforcement. In this context, not only should there be closer interaction between the Commission and the European Council, but the Commission's responsibility to initiate and execute Community policies, as well as being the guardian of the Treaties, should be enforced.

Mr Taquet-Graziani, Chair of the EU Committee's Institutional Affairs Subcommittee noted that: "There is a strong business interest from the American Chamber of Commerce to contribute with its expertise to the White Paper on Governance, as this is an initial step in a larger process on EU institutional reform, culminating in the IGC of 2004 and possibly a new EU constitution".

The EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce is the key organization representing the views of some 132 European companies of American parentage to the EU institutions.