On May 11, The European Institute welcomed The Honorable Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, to a breakfast roundtable on the challenges faced by the United States and European Union in maintaining a competitive edge in today’s global economy.  Vice President Tajani shared his perspective on strengthening cooperation between American and European businesses and outlined key elements necessary to facilitate a “third industrial revolution,” including greater global economic integration and increased access to finance for small and medium enterprises. Fabio Franchina, President of Cosmetics Europe, and a member of the high-ranking European business delegation that accompanied Vice President Tajani on this “Mission for Growth,” also offered his perspectives. The discussion was moderated by Frédéric Badey, Senior Director of International Public Affairs Coordination at Sanofi.

On April 17th, The European Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of Latvia and the Embassy of the Russian Federation, held a breakfast discussion on the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) and its potential transformation into a key economic and commercial transcontinental corridor.  Panel speakers, including Aivis Ronis, Latvian Minister of Transportation; Oleg Stepanov, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Russian Federation; Antonio de Lecea, Principal Adviser at the Delegation of the European Union; The Honorable Robert Hormats, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; and Susan Kurland, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Transportation, offered their perspectives on current efforts to shift the NDN from a military logistics system into a viable commercial link between Afghanistan and the international community.  Beyond economic benefits, the panel speakers indicated that the harmonization of regional attitudes, as well as transnational movement of ideas, promise to be products of this ongoing process to establish a “modern Silk Road.”

Greece has had to bear the brunt of not only economic hardship but also relentless international criticism that the nation has a bloated public sector and an unsustainable social welfare system and is also beset by rampant systematic corruption and tax evasion.

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Time to Reform the EU Emission Trading Scheme by Thomas Spencer and Emmanuel Guérin in European Energy Review. The EU’s pioneering Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has come to be seen as largely ineffectual as a cap-and-trade approach to curbing carbons. This comprehensive analysis recommends major reforms to save it. Recommended by European Affairs. (1/27)

The space shuttle Atlantis – an iconic vehicle in the history of U.S. aerospace activity – lifted off on its last trip to the International Space Station (ISS), on July 8, closing an era of manned space flight for NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

 

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