ECIPE in cooperation with DIHK, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, cordially invites you to join a discussion on risks and opportunities of the ongoing WTO reform process for business and especially SMEs in Europe.

In the context of the WTO’s dispute settlement system threatened and effectively rendering global trade rules unenforceable, we would like to discuss the likely scenarios and next steps of the WTO reform process as well as their risks and opportunities for European business.

• What are the likely scenarios and next steps of the WTO reform process? What are potential impacts on European business?
• The WTO’s dispute settlement system is at risk of becoming effectively useless. What are the likely consequences for business in Europe?
• The WTO moratorium on tariffs on data transfers stands to end on 1 January 2020, whilst plurilateral negotiations are ongoing. What future for international e-commerce?
• What are the risks and challenges for European business in concrete terms in the near and long term? What are the opportunities for European business of managing these impacts?
• What are the chances for a WTO MSME initiative to succeed at MC12 to better integrate small business into global value chains? What are the problems and what is the EU doing to address them?

Speakers:

Volker Treier, Chief Executive of Foreign Trade and member of the Executive Board at DIHK.

Sandra Gallina, Deputy Director General at DG TRADE, European Commission. 

Bernd Lange, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Committee on International Trade.

Roderick Abbott, Senior Advisor at ECIPE.

Philipp Lamprecht, Senior Economist at ECIPE, will moderate the event.