EuroConference

Another successful Euroconference sets the pace for a new series in 2004

Over 150 delegates attended a major 1-day conference on “The Current EU Agenda and Business Associations” in Brussels on the 29th October 2003. This was the third conference event of the EuroConference series initially funded under the European Union Research Framework Programme V and awarded to Ernst & Young and Justin Greenwood, Jean Monnet Professor of European Public Policy from the Aberdeen Business School and College of Europe Bruges.

This third successful conference indicates that the network it created back in 1999 with the joint research programme by Ernst & Young and Professor Greenwood is set to continue. A new series of 1-day conferences and workshops on the topic of business associations and EU developments will be organised throughout 2004.

Another book with a collection of keynote presentations from the 2002 Euroconference entitled “The Challenge of Change in EU Business Associations” and published by Palgrave was also launched at the conference. Alfons Westgeest, Partner at Ernst & Young Association Management, commenting on the success of this joint initiative with Professor Justin Greenwood said: ‘Those who attended the events have told us they offer a unique opportunity, because of its originality and because they appreciate the quality of the programmes that we offer. It’s been a great opportunity to promote Ernst & Young and the exchange of views about business associations, how they work and how they can be more effective.”

The speakers of the event included Philippe de Buck (General Secretary, UNICE), Geoffrey Podger (Executive Director of European Food Safety Authority), Georg-Klaus de Bronett (European Commission - Head of unit at DG Competition), Christopher Allen (DG Enterprise), Eric Louis (EY Law) as well as representatives from different industries and their trade associations.

The aim of the series was to enable knowledge transfer by bringing together professionals who work in and with EU business associations, with those who research them, and to develop cutting edge thinking on the subject. Many influential leaders of the association community participated and several of them contributed to the lively panel discussions. In addition to Commission sponsorship, the two conference events attracted 10 further commercial sponsors and media, drawn from the EU public affairs and media world.

For speaker abstracts and presentations click on “Presentations 2003”