Agenda

Morning

09:00 – 10:30

Keynote Speeches

09:00 – 09:30

Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade, European Commission

09:30 – 10:00

Anthony L. Gardner, Ambassador, US Mission to the EU

10:00 – 10:30

Bernd Lange MEP, Chair, Committee on International Trade, European Parliament

10:30 – 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:40

Opening plenary session: Panel discussion – Challenges and opportunities for TTIP in 2015

Many in the EU and the US see TTIP as a huge opportunity, chiefly as a much-needed boost for jobs and growth. There is also a strategic geopolitical element to the agreement, acting as a signal of transatlantic unity in the face of not only external economic competition, but also social and cultural conflict in other areas of the world. Indeed, the deal has been dubbed the “economic NATO”, and Ambassador Froman has said it would “revitalise the post-World War Two international economic order”. There is hope that the deal will restore confidence and reinforce the prevalence of the “Western values” of liberalism and rules-based capitalism.

In Europe, the new Commission will have to continue to respond to concerns over transparency, continuing stakeholder engagement efforts begun by the previous Trade Commissioner, and manage expectations around timelines for the negotiations. The new Commission team provides an opportunity renewed momentum behind the talks, although a question remains over the willingness for full political engagement at the member state level.

This session will assess:

• What are the next steps following the European Commission’s consultation on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and the ongoing public and political debate? Can all sides’ views be accommodated?
• What impact, on both sides of the Atlantic, might TTIP have on consumers and for SMEs?
• How sound are the projected benefits of TTIP for growth and jobs?
• How will the issues around public sector procurement play out in the coming months?
• Which sectors and negotiating teams are making progress with regards to regulatory cooperation and equivalence?
• In the US, how has the change in the political landscape following November 2014’s midterm elections affected TTIP’s prospects?
• What is the importance of finalising a TTIP deal in geopolitical terms for Europe and the US? What impact might this deal have on global trade?


Lutz Güllner, Acting Head of Unit, Information, Communication and Civil Society, DG Trade, European Commission
Jeff Weiss, Senior Advisor for Standards and Global Regulatory Policy, United States Department of Commerce
Thomas Boué, Director, Government Affairs, EMEA, BSA | The Software Alliance
Monique Goyens, Director General, BEUC

Moderator: Sybilla Fries, Counsel, Sidley Austin LLP

Afternoon

12:40 – 14:30

Working lunches: sector-specific breakout sessions

The working lunches offer an opportunity for delegates from sectors to come together to discuss specific challenges for their industry.

Delegates have the option to attend one of the following four lunch sessions.

In each breakout session, participants will address the following issues:
• To what extent is regulatory convergence in the area possible, and what challenges remain for this to become a reality? Where this is not possible, how can negotiators work to allow mutual recognition of standards within existing regulatory frameworks?
• What will be the impact of easier market access on both American and European SMEs?
• How will the potential convergence of regulation affect consumers, in terms of both standards and prices?

Agriculture & Food
Energy & Transport
Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
Digital & ICT

12:40 – 14:30

Agriculture & Food

John Clarke, Director, International Bilateral Relations, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
James Higgiston, Minister Counselor for Agriculture, US Mission to the EU
Magda Stoczkiewicz, Director, Friends of the Earth Europe
Arnaud Petit, Director, Commodities and Trade, Copa-Cogeca
Victoria Breck, Director, Grayling

12:40 – 14:30

Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals

Klaus Berend, Head of Unit, REACH, DG GROW, European Commission
Mark Abdoo, Director for Public Health and Trade, US Food and Drug Administration
Charles Faid, Director, EU Government Affairs, Pfizer
John Chave, Secretary General, Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU)
Ivone Kaizeler, Negotiating Area Lead, Pharmaceuticals, European Commission
Lena Perenius, Executive Director, International Chemicals Management, Cefic
Hannah Herscheid, Director, Grayling

12:40 – 14:30

Digital & ICT

Jan-Willem Verheijden, Trade Negotiator, Services, DG Trade, European Commission
Robb Tanner, Director for Telecommunications and E-Commerce, USTR
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director, European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)
Hanne Melin, Director Global Public Policy and Head of Public Policy Lab EMEA, eBay Inc.
Søren Therkelsen, Serial entrepreneur, Silicon Valley expert and NASA student
Tom Saylor, Chairman of the SME Platform, EuropaBio
Christian Borggreen, Director, International Digital Economy Policy, CCIA

12:40 – 14:30

Energy & Transport

Jos Dings, Director, Transport & Environment
Erik Bergelin, Trade and Economics Director, ACEA
Talander Jansen, Director, Grayling

14:30 – 15:00

Coffee break

15:00 – 16:00

SMEs and the TTIP

The impact of any TTIP deal on SMEs on both sides of the Atlantic will ultimately depend upon the negotiated detail and will carry both horizontal and sector specific vertical challenges and opportunities. Following the plenary and breakout sessions, this session will seek to draw together the strands of debate from throughout the day around TTIP and its impact on SMEs, and provide insight into the thinking from stakeholders and negotiators on how both the benefits can be better communicated and the perceived threats be addressed appropriately.

Moderator: Paul Adamson, Chairman, Forum Europe

Denis Redonnet, Head of Unit, Trade Strategy, DG Trade, European Commission
Christina Sevilla, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business
Sietske De Groot, Senior Policy Advisor EU and International Affairs, Federation of Small Businesses
Paul Rübig MEP, Honorary President, SME Global

16:00 – 16:45

Concluding Insights

In this final session, the moderators from each of the working lunches will come together, acting as rapporteurs to provide feedback on the main discussion points from the sessions. This panel discussion will bring together challenges and ideas raised, identifying horizontal issues, and discuss how these could be translated into action points for TTIP’s negotiating teams going forward.

Moderator: Lénaïc Vaudin d'Imécourt, Trade Editor, EU Trade Insights

Victoria Breck, Director, Grayling
Talander Jansen, Director, Grayling
Hannah Herscheid, Director, Grayling
Christian Borggreen, Director, International Digital Economy Policy, CCIA

16:45 – 18:00

Networking Cocktail Reception