19 Apr
Uncategorized

EU priorities for 2017: What Parliament Has Achieved so Far

The European Union is focussing this year on delivering results in areas that matter to all Europeans. EU institutions have agreed on a set of priorities ranging from boosting e-commerce to protecting the environment and strengthening borders. Four months into the year, check out which major legislative proposals MEPs have already approved. At the end of 2016, the European Parliament, Council and Commission signed for the first time a joint declaration setting out a list of legislative proposals that should...

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19 Apr
Chapter News

Western Mediterranean: Actions for the Sustainable Development of the Blue Economy

Today the European Commission launches a new initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the Western Mediterranean region. The region covers economic hubs like Barcelona, Marseille, Naples and Tunis. It also includes tourist destinations like the Balearic Islands, Sicily and Corsica. The sea's biodiversity is under severe pressure with a recent report by scientists from the Joint Research Centre indicating that 50% has been lost in the last 50 years. In addition to this are recent security and...

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18 Apr
Brexit News, Chapter News

Brexit News: British PM May Calls for Early Election to Strengthen Brexit Hand

  By Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan and William James | LONDON British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan. Standing outside her Downing Street office, May said she had been reluctant to ask parliament to back her move to bring forward the poll from 2020. But, after thinking "long and hard" during a walking...

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18 Apr
Chapter News

Imports of Organic Products: New EU Electronic Certification System

A new system of electronic certification to better monitor imports of organic products becomes applicable tomorrow. The EU becomes a global leader in traceability and in the collection of reliable data on trade of organic products The new electronic certification system will contribute to enhancing food safety provisions and reducing potential fraud. It will also reduce the administrative burden for operators and authorities, and provide much more comprehensive statistical data on organic imports. Both paper and e-certification will be used during a...

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18 Apr
Chapter News

E-privacy: MEPs Look at New Rules to Safeguard your Personal Details Online

The EU could soon have new privacy rules to take account of new practices such as internet-based messaging and allow users better control of their privacy settings, especially when it comes to cookies. Parliament's civil liberties committee discussed the plans by the European Commission on 11 April. Marju Lauristin, the MEP responsible for steering the rules through Parliament, said that if companies providing communication services wanted to be trusted they needed to ensure confidentiality. Most Europeans continue to value their...

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17 Apr
Member News

Election Results for 2017 WTCA Board of Directors

The World Trade Centers Association is pleased to announce the results of the 2017 election of its Board of Directors. Please join us in congratulating the following newly elected and re-elected directors: Asia Pacific Region (6) Mr. Vijay Kalantri (WTC Mumbai) Ms. Catherine Lee (WTC Nanjing) Mr. Balaram Menon (WTC Bengaluru) Ms. Jiuling Xiong (WTC Beijing)  Mr. Jianrong Yang (WTC Shanghai, newly elected)  Mr. Walter Yeh (WTC Taipei, newly elected) Europe Region (8) Mr. Rustu Argit (WTC Istanbul) Mr. Rolf Draak (WTC...

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17 Apr
Uncategorized

The Global Crisis and regional employment in Europe: The performance of sheltered economies

by Ugo Fratesi, Andrés Rodríguez-Pose Prior to the Great Recession, many European regions witnessed the emergence of economies which were impervious to changes in the business cycle (or ‘sheltered’ economies). We know little about how such regions coped with the Global Crisis. This column argues that regions with more sheltered economies performed worse in terms of employment change after the crisis compared to those with more open economies. Regional policy should focus on making lagging regions more open, dynamic, and...

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17 Apr
Chapter News

Building a More Resilient and Inclusive Global Economy

Lagarde: Thank you, Jean-Claude Trichet and Guntram Wolff, for your kind introductions. And thank you to Bruegel for hosting this event here at the wonderful Bibliothèque Solvay. As I experience this beautiful building, it reminds me that good architecture is not about geometry or design in the first instance—it is about fostering human relationships in private and in public spaces. I hear about this often from my son who is an architect—and I also thought about it when reading about the...

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14 Apr
Brexit News, Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Europe Is Still a Superpower

Europe Is Not Only Still a Superpower: it's going to remain one for decades to come. By Andrew Moravcsik | Foreign Policy Magazine | April 13, 2017 Sixty years after the Treaty of Rome, many view Europe as a spent force in global politics. Conventional wisdom states that world politics today is unipolar, with the United States as the sole superpower. Or perhaps it is multipolar, with China, India, and the rest rising to challenge Western powers. Either way, Europe’s role...

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14 Apr
Chapter News, Uncategorized

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Announces Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework is Open for Business

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the newly launched Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework is now accepting self-certifications. The Framework provides companies a mechanism to comply with Swiss data protection requirements when transferring personal data from Switzerland to the United States in support of transatlantic commerce. “The Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework supports U.S. economic growth by ensuring that Swiss and American businesses can transfer data and deliver innovative online products and services under enhanced data protection,” said Secretary Ross. “It...

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