European Business Summit
Following on from her State of the Union address, President von der Leyen will give a special address at EBS 2022, focusing on the expectations of industry towards the European Commission, notably in terms of:
Prof. Jorge Vasconcelos
Chairman, New Energy Solutions (NEWES)
Frauke Thies
Executive Director, Agora Energiewende
Ann Metler
Vice President, Breakthrough Energy
Ursula von der Leyen recently announced that the EU is considering “a fundamental reform of the power market” to adapt to the energy crisis and new climate targets. Indeed, the EU’s energy markets were created in the 1990s, long before the Green Deal’s ambitious renewables, decarbonization and electrification targets were established. Many changes will thus be needed to adapt to our new reality, from more integration and coordination of our different energy systems to investments in energy networks.
Olivier Guersent
Director General, DG COMP
Javier Espinoza
Financial Times Correspondent
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Europe moves from crisis management to economic recovery, Europe is once again faced with a fresh crisis – the war in Ukraine, along with the related energy and inflation crises that have ensued.
Raphaël Glucksmann
Member of the European Parliament
Jack Parrock
EU Reporter
The European Union, as a values-based organisation, has at times been criticised for its conduct by engaging with international partners who neglect these principles. The result can be an erosion of trust in EU institutions and the perpetuation of abuses against populations abroad. In order for the EU to remain a global leader, it must address these issues and more.
Dušan Chrenek
Principal Adviser for “Digital for the Green Transition”, DG CLIMA
Eva Maydell
Member of the European Parliament
Paul Hofheinz
President and Co-founder, The Lisbon Council
Jacqueline Pynadath
Director, Sustainability & Innovation, Google Cloud EMEA
Alice Hancock
Brussels Correspondent, Financial Times
Both the green and digital transition hold massive opportunities for the European Union and go hand in hand. We cannot achieve the Green Transition without using innovative digital technologies. Indeed, by digitalising the energy, transport, construction, agriculture and manufacturing sectors, carbon emissions in the EU could be cut by a fifth by 2030, as they allow for more efficiency notably in the management of resources. Likewise, carbon emissions of the digital sector will have to be managed.
Margrethe Vestager
Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, European Commission
Silvia Amaro
CNBC correspondent
European Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age Margrethe Vestager will engage with attendees on the importance of ensuring that the EU can remain competitive throughout both the green and digital transitions, along with ensuring that the EU can effectively respond to contemporary geopolitical and economic challenges. These include the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), the trade dispute with the US, EU/US relations and more broadly and EU competition policy in general.
Stelios Kympouropoulos
Member of the European Parliament
Mark Kuschel
Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Energy
Christine Lützkendorf
Programme Manager on Flourinated Greenhouse gases, Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V.
Thomas Duerr
Manager Standards and Regulations, Siemens AG
Fabian Lemke
Co-founder and Managing Director, Nuventura
Daniel Schiffbauer
Technology Executive at Toshiba International Corporation
Ana Rovzar
EU Reporter
The EU’s net zero target will require a dramatic growth in renewable power generation. Power grids need to be expanded and modernised with urgency to overcome bottlenecks that hamper the accommodation of these renewables. It is therefore a priority for the EU and its member states to overcome hurdles and accelerate investments in our grids. At the same time, power equipment often has life spans of over 40 years and will be in operation well beyond the 2050 hallmark. It is therefore a priority to ensure that the grid technologies we roll out today comply with the wider Green Deal targets and will not harm the climate, the environment, or human health.
DAY 1
12:10-13:00
Margrethe Vestager
Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, European Commission
Mette Laursen
BLOX Global Ambassador
Strategic autonomy has become a central goal for the European Union, reflected in many of its policy orientations, especially for essential sectors such as health, energy and defence, but also electronics, such as chips and batteries. However, striking the right balance between competition, innovation and resilience in strategic sectors can prove challenging
DAY 1
13:00-14:00
13:00-13:15
Kira Marie Peter-Hansen
Member of the European Parliament
Jack Parrock
EU Reporter
Andreas Marschner
Vice President, Amazon Transportation Services Europe
Renato De Filippo
Head of Regulatory Positioning Refining, Fuels, Mobility, ENI
Kim Jørgensen
Director General and Permanent Representative of the EIB to the EU Institutions
Tom Cobbenhagen
EU Governmental Affairs & Policy Development, Lightyear
Ana Rovzar
EU Reporter
Decarbonising road transport, freight, aviation, and maritime transport while encouraging smart and soft mobility systems is a priority of the European Union as expressed in the European Green Deal. From developing Europe’s electric fleet, hydrogen and biofuels, many solutions have been put forward. Moreover, it is essential to develop a consumer-centric approach, that ensures affordability and convenience for companies and citizens alike.
Signe Ratso
Acting Director-General, DG RTD
James Waterworth
Director, EU Public Policy, Amazon
David Schwartz
Global Vice President Tech Venturing & Innovation, PepsiCo
Stefan Grobe
Reporter, Euronews
In the context of Europe’s Digital Decade 2030, the EU’s Digital Compass highlights the digital transformation of businesses as the key to fostering Europe’s resilience and competitiveness. It will also enable a more efficient use of resources and contribute to creating a level playing field in Europe and beyond. For this, new infrastructure and legislation but also digital skills are needed.
Roberta Metsola
President of the European Parliament
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will reflect on what has been a challenging year for European citizens and businesses, focusing particularly on the war in Ukraine, the sanctions packages adopted by the EU and their impact, along with questions related to the energy crisis and energy storage.
DAY 1
16:00-16:20
16:00-16:15
Wolfgang Burtscher
Director General, DG AGRI
Andy Bounds
Brussels Correspondent, Financial Times
Frequent heat waves and droughts have greatly increased yield losses in agriculture over the last fifty years, while the war in Ukraine has plunged the world onto the verge of a major food crisis. The agriculture sector represents 11 % of all greenhouse gas emission in Europe. The climate crisis has thus highlighted the need to adapt Europe’s food production to fit a more sustainable model. The Farm to fork strategy, a cornerstone of the Green Deal calls for a reduction by 50 % of the use of chemical pesticides and aims to increase the share of organic farming to 25 % which will undoubtedly be a challenge for the agricultural sector.
Alain Deckers
DG FISMA & Vice-Chairman of the European Lab@EFRAG Steering Group
Mirjam Wolfrum
Director, Policy Engagement, CDP
Olga Nowicka
Public Policy Manager EMEA, Workday
Rana Karadsheh
Regional Director for Europe, IFC
Silvia Amaro
CNBC correspondent
As investors are demanding more precise and more transparent investment decisions, the Council and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) – which the first companies will already need to comply with by 2024. Part of the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, it aims to modernise the rules of social and environmental reporting to make sure that investors have access to the information they need to assess investment risks.
Jack Parrock
EU Reporter
Against positive growth forecasts on the back of Europe’s strong recovery from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine has once again wreaked havoc with the European economy, bringing renewed disruptions in global supply chains and increases in commodity prices for industry and consumers. Furthermore, a resurgence of COVID-19 related economic shocks cannot be ruled out.
Arnaud Thysen
Director General, European Business Summits
Andrew Himsley
CEO DeHavilland
Arnaud Thysen
Director General, European Business Summits
Patrick Child
Deputy Director General, DG ENV, European Commission
Milan Elkerbout
Head of Climate Policy, CEPS
Jake Oster
Director, Environment and Energy Policy EMEA, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Erik Novaes
VP Procurement & Sustainability, Ab InBev
Alice Hancock
Brussels Correspondent, Financial Times
2022 has been marked as the “make-or-break” year for the European Green Deal, which has the power to transform our energy systems and achieve our objectives of sustainability and autonomy. Many changes will need to be implemented for this, including wide-spread electrification on the continent.
Bertrand Schmitt
CEO, BDR Thermea
Andy Bounds
Brussels Correspondent, Financial Times
As climate change intensifies and energy prices rise, Europe needs to drastically reduce carbon emissions and shift to renewables. The use of buildings account for 40% of EU energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions, so rethinking Europe’s heating is an urgent imperative. Key EU initiatives such as Fit for 55 and RePowerEU set a clear path towards the fundamental, long-term redesign of our energy system that society needs. But time won’t wait. We need to take pragmatic action to decarbonise heating today as we work on the smart energy transition of tomorrow.
DAY 2
11:00-11:20
Guy Verhofstadt
Member of the European Parliament, President of the COFOE
Chris Burns
EU Reporter
The Conference on the Future of Europe offered a significant opportunity for European citizens to debate and consider Europe’s challenges and priorities. In May 2022, the conclusions of the Conference were presented. EBS is delighted to welcome Guy Verhofstadt who will outline to importance of this process and outline the next steps for the EU to deliver on these recommendations.
Sabine Weyand
Director General, DG TRADE, European Commission
In 2021, the European Commission announced a new trade strategy in light of recent global challenges – namely the pandemic and the war which have shed light on the critical importance of diversifying supply chains. By focusing on “open strategic autonomy”, the EU seeks to contribute to the digital and green transitions, whilst ensuring that multilateral global trade remains fair.
Sergei Stanishev
Member of the European Parliament
Jindřich Vobořil
Czech National Drug Coordinator
Dr. Emanuele Bracco
Professor of Economics, University of Verona
Chris Burns
EU Reporter
The war in Ukraine and the ensuing macroeconomic crisis that is affecting the European Union and the world have direct effects on both the quality of life of European citizens and European member states‘ budgets. Skyrocketing inflation, the rise in interest rates, and the increasing amount of debt (now more expensive to service) will affect everyone – particularly weighing on the most vulnerable. Rising inequalities and social instability will likely result, further clouding an already-difficult economic and political outlook.
How can policy-making support the business environment and private citizens alike? A modern approach, able to redefine the way the EU uses public resources is needed – now more than ever. The reduction of those unnecessary costs that weigh on the system, freeing up budget to be used in more efficient ways to support wealth-generating activities and the poorer part of the population seems to be the answer. European energy independency and consumption, health care, and innovation – among others – are pivotal topics for better management of public resources.
Outi Slotboom
Director Strategy and Economic Analysis, DG Grow
Heiko Willems
EESC Member and Director, BDI
Georg Riekeles
Associate Director and Director of Europe’s Political Economy Programme, EPC
Shada Islam
EU Analyst
From trade wars to heavy dependencies on imports of raw materials, risks of shortages and sustainability concerns, sourcing strategies will have to keep adapting to the many challenges brought by an everchanging geopolitical situation. Growth forecasts for 2023 have been revised down, while inflation is rising throughout the bloc.
Dhaval Patel
Executive Vice-President and Chief Scientific Officer, UCB
Nathalie Moll
Director General, EFPIA
Javier Espinoza
Financial Times Correspondent
The pharmaceutical sector is the largest contributor to the European trade balance of any sector. As the EU revises its pharmaceutical, orphan medicines and paediatric medicines legislation, the decisions made today will go a long way to define Europe’s health and economic future for decades to come.
Jane Arroyo
Research Assistant at the CEPS Global Governance, Regulation, Innovation and Digital Economy Unit and CEPS Young Thinkers Coordinator
Stella Meyer
CEPS 2022 Young Thinker
EBS is delighted to welcome CEPS who will present their Young Thinkers initiative:
DAY 2
13:00-14:00
13:00-13:45
Hans van der Loo
Co-Founder of www.BlueCooling.org
Wouter van Dieren
Member of the Club of Rome
Billions of people and trillions of assets are present in coastal areas. Climate Change in the Arctic is 5x faster than average, leading to sealevel rise. The effects of the industrial revolution have accelerated this. It is the task of the COP Process to find ways to tackle the cause of Climate Change. However, in 26 years of talking about reducing GHG emissions, they have actually more than doubled. Mitigation alone can no longer avoid the loss of low-lying coastal areas. Dedicated action aimed at tackling the symptoms of Climate Change are needed too. One method is biomimicry method, using sea salt to reduce the droplet size in dark cloud systems, as result of which they become lighter and reflect back more incoming solar radiation. The Blue Cooling Initiative can serve as an airbag for the almost certain crash humanity will be in, what is needed to ensure the airbag will deploy in time and at scale to save the human eco-system ?
Roberto Viola
Director General, DG CNECT, European Commission
Javier Espinoza
Financial Times Correspondent
Through several fundamental pieces of legislation, such as the Data Act, the Cyber Resilience Act or the Artificial Intelligence Act, the European Union aims at building integrated, efficient, and safe online ecosystems, resilient to threats but also competitive. However, finding the right balance between regulation and innovation is also key.
Anna Ludin
Policy Officer, DG CNECT
Pilar del Castillo Vera
Member of the European Parliament
Alexandre de Streel
Academic Director, CERRE
Philip von Brockdorff
EESC rapporteur on Digital Sovereignty and Deputy Dean at Malta University
Marc Reinhardt
Public Sector Global Leader, Capgemini
Jennifer Baker
EU Tech Reporter
The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have shown that the sovereignty of nations’ supply chains and IT is strategic. While aiming for a digital transition by 2030, one of the EU’s main digital challenges is to create a competitive and integrated data market, while protecting consumers.
Stefano Grassi
Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Simson, European Commission
Andy Bounds
EU Correspondent, Financial Times
The current energy crisis translates into insecurity of supply and soaring energy prices. To counter this, is it tempting to compromise on green transition objectives. However, the transition towards clean energy might be part of the solution to the present crisis. The Commission’s REPower EU Plan aims at making Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels “well before 2030”, when they accounted for about 40 % of imports before the crisis. To achieve this, diversifying supply sources is key, as well as reducing our energy consumption by an enhanced energy efficiency and an accelerated green transition.
Jordi Solé
Member of the European Parliament
Konstantinos Masselos
Incoming 2023 Chair, BEREC
Siada El Ramly
Director General, DOT Europe
Network and connectivity digital infrastructures in Europe have become increasingly essential to our society and have mainly been financed by both telecoms and public authorities, costing billions. With an ambitious 2030 digital strategy, including the development of fibre, 5G infrastructures and semiconductors, more investments in digital infrastructures and networks will be needed, putting the concept of “fair contribution” from beneficiaries, including tech platforms at the centre.
DAY 2
16:15-16:30
Didier Reynders
EU Commissioner for Justice
Bram Wingens
CEO, Renewd
Astrid Van Parys
Head of Sustainability, Colruyt Group
Dan Michaels
Brussels Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal
50+ C-level industry representatives
European Business Summits, supported by the European Commission Directorate General for Justice and EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders will host a special session with 50+ other C-level representatives from some of the most active companies operating in Europe. Inviting companies to take a voluntary pledge to support sustainable consumption, beyond what is required by law, the Sustainable Consumption Pledge (SCP) launched by the European Commission aims at furthering companies’ actions in the following fields: carbon emissions, environmental impact, circularity and social sustainability.
Barbara Plinkert
Head of Division, Southeast Asia and ASEAN, EEAS
Sulaiman Syarif
Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Indonesia to the EU
While both the EU’s Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum for Cooperation and the Indo-Pacific Strategy wereovershadowed by the geopolitical context in 2021 and 2022, the region has still increasingly gained the interest of European businesses. Indeed, it holds 60% of global wealth, 3/5th of the world’s population, and most of all has a growing strategic footprint in the changing geopolitical balance, key to multilateralism, trade, and sustainability objectives. This year, the EU also celebrates the 45th anniversary of its partnership with ASEAN, central to the EU – Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Taras Kachka
Deputy Minister for the Economy, Ukraine
Marek Havrda
Deputy EU Affairs Minister, Czech Republic
Jessika Roswall
EU Affairs Minister, Sweden
Miltiadis Varvitsiotis
Alternate Foreign Minister, Greece
Tiago Antunes
Secretary of State for EU Affairs, Portugal
Dan Michaels
Brussels Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal
Ahead of the General Affairs Council on November 18th in Brussels, EBS is inviting European ministers to share insights on the current geopolitical situation in Europe, fostering solidarity and reconstruction in Ukraine, along with EU’s current priorities.
Arnaud Thysen
Director General, European Business Summits
DAY 2
17:35-19:00
