Tánaiste and US Commerce Secretary to meet TransAtlantic Business leaders

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Mary Harney TD, the US Secretary of State for Commerce, Donald Evans, and the EU Commissioner for Enterprise, Jan Figel, will discuss transatlantic trade issues with CEO’s of some of the world’s biggest international companies at a pre EU/US Summit meeting in Limerick on Friday next (June 25^th).

The agenda for the meeting in Adare Manor, Co Limerick, includes the implications for transatlantic trade of new US and EU anti-terrorist security controls, and Intellectual Property Rights and the fight against Counterfeiting. The meeting will also discuss International Accounting Standards and review developments in the World Trade Organisation Doha Development Round talks.

The business delegation, members of the executive board of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), will be led jointly by Mr Niall Fitzgerald, outgoing CEO of Unilever, and Mr Michael Eskew, CEO of UPS. The executive board includes some 30 CEOs of major US and European companies that collectively employ over 2 million people on both sides of the Atlantic.

Speaking in advance of the meeting the Tánaiste said that discussing issues of concern to business in this forum represented an important opportunity to contribute to the further development of commercial relations between Europe and the United States. “Trade is the lifeblood of all business and the trading relationship between Europe and the US is critical to economic prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said.

The discussions will focus on a TABD report, submitted to the summit, entitled “Establishing a barrier-free transatlantic market – Principles and Recommendations”, and a detailed response from the European Commission. A joint statement on EU-US economic relations will be issued on Saturday, following the Summit in Dromoland Castle, from US President George Bush, European Council President Bertie Ahern and the European Commission President Romano Prodi.

In its report to the summit (full text available at www.tabd.com) the TABD says that since September 2001 striking the correct balance between international commerce and national security has become a critical issue in the fight against terrorism. “With the world’s most extensive trading and transport relationship, the US and the EU face a major challenge to develop and implement effective and cost-efficient security measures that do not distort or impede trade flows and balance the privacy of personal data” its says.

The TABD supports the agreements that have already been reached or which are nearing completion in areas including airline passenger lists and port and container security but it is concerned, it says, that much of the work has taken place without consultation with industry and without the necessary coordination between Governments. “An improved process of collaboration across the full supply chain would clearly advance our collective effort to maintain open trade in an atmosphere of increased threats to security” it adds.

In its response the European Commission says it recognises the need to balance economic and security issues. “Security is central to our policy considerations. But a balance needs to be struck between security requirements and civil liberties, and there is a need to ensure that security measures do not impact unnecessarily on legitimate trade” it says.

A joint press conference, hosted by the TABD, and including the Tánaiste, Secretary of Commerce Evans and Commissioner Figel will be held at Adare Manor at 6.00 p.m. on Friday, following the meeting.