CHAMBERS meet MEPs *
14 OCTOBER 2009
European Parliament, Brussels
MEP QUESTION TIME :
Chambers meet MEPs and test their business credentials.
On one side, 400 representatives of Chambers of Commerce from 45 countries. On the other side, four MEPs* representing the largest political groups in the European Parliament and accounting for around 75% of the European Parliament’s membership.
This was the set up of the “Chambers Meet MEPs” event, a 90-minutes debate organised by EUROCHAMBRES in Brussels today, which allowed participants to confront on several business-related issues and to test the MEPs’ business credentials for the next legislative term.
In his opening speech, Pierre Simon, President of EUROCHAMBRES, said:
“We expect to receive a clear signal from the European Parliament that it means business for the new legislative term!”
Chambers urged the Parliament to pursue a business-friendly agenda and to implement policies that will allow the business community to lead Europe out of the economic crisis and into a period of sustainable growth and competitiveness. They then asked specific questions to MEPs,
enquiring their positions on crucial dossiers such as the internal market, the ‘European Innovation Act’, the post-2010 Lisbon Strategy and plans to cut energy consumption. All MEPs replied in turn, presenting their group’s vision and priorities in these fields.
In conclusion, Chambers stressed that the forthcoming review of the EU Budget will be a litmus test of how seriously the EU institutions intend to reflect these priorities.
In his closing remarks, Mr Simon addressed a call to the MEPs:
“EUROCHAMBRES is committed to engage ever more effectively with EU policy makers to ensure that their decisions reflect the needs of the business community. But remember: we will be watching you! Your comments today have created high expectations and we will be monitoring the voting records of your political groups and constantly re-evaluating your business credentials over the coming months and years.”
MEPs who attended the debate:
Gunnar Hökmark, EPP; Edit Herczog, S&D; Philippe Lamberts, Greens; Giles Chichester, ECR.
RECEPTION:
The second part of the "Chambers meet MEPs" event was an evening reception held in the dining room of the European Parliament. It provided Chambers with the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with some of the many MEPs in attendance. The reception provided a forum to showcase some of the Chamber network's most promising initiatives and further reinforced Chambers' proposals on how the Parliament should act in future policy decisions. National dishes and beverages from the various participating countries were offered.
YOUR CONTACTS FOR THE EVENT:
Ms. Tessa DELVILLE. Tel.: + 32 2 282 08 89
Ms. Irina TIKHONOVA. Tel.: + 32 2 282 08 58
Our reception partners:
* Participation in the event was restricted to the Members of the European Parliament & EUROCHAMBRES’ Members only.
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