Ref. Ares(2020)197568 - 13/01/2020
Committed to Europe
Agenda for Action
2019-2024

Introduction
The last five years have tested European unity and the post-war world order.
From the Brexit vote to the rise of populism, the European Union (EU) had to
demonstrate its ability to take the lead and deliver for European citizens. As the
effects of digitalisation and globalisation continue to transform our economies,
societies around the world are pressured to become more resilient.
Tackling global challenges such as rising inequalities, climate change and migration
require collective leadership and bold policy action.
The EU is the engine of peace and prosperity across the continent and we need
to continue strengthening it. Every day citizens and businesses experience the
tremendous benefits of European integration. The Single Market unleashed new
opportunities for companies of all sizes and turned Europe into one of the world’s
most attractive regions for investment. The EU also plays a leading role on the
global stage, standing up for democracy, human rights, multilateralism, open trade
and the rule of law.
As American companies committed to Europe, the competitiveness of the region
in the global economy is of utmost importance to us. Aggregate US investment in
Europe totalled €2 trillion in 2017 and directly supports more than 4.7 million jobs.
Across Europe we play a key role in supporting and ensuring the prosperity of local
communities, which together contribute to making a stronger EU that continues to
be a powerful innovation hub and preferred investment destination.
This Agenda for Action outlines the four priority areas we believe should drive the
political agenda over the next five years: empowering people, boosting the Single
Market, leading global cooperation and investing in the future. With sustained
focus, Europe can remain one of the most attractive regions in the world to do
business, but also one of the best places to live, study, work and raise a family.
2

link to page 4 link to page 6 link to page 7 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 11 link to page 12 link to page 12 link to page 13 link to page 14 link to page 16 link to page 17 link to page 18 link to page 19 link to page 21 link to page 22 link to page 23 link to page 23 This is not the time for ‘business as usual’. There is a legitimate expectation for
business to contribute to the communities in which they operate and behave
responsibly. We have done this for the last century in Europe and will continue to
do so. Through our actions, we have committed to addressing societal issues such
as education, sustainability and gender equality. No one can do this alone and we
need to foster a culture of partnership between all parts of society. If government,
business and civil society organisations work side by side, we can bring Europe
forward together.
Priority areas
Empowering people
Leading global cooperation
•  Education
•  Transatlantic partnership
•  Skills
•  Trade and investment
•  Inclusion
•  Sustainable development
Boosting the Single Market
Investing in the future
•  Smart regulation
•  Human capital
•  Better harmonisation and
•  Research and innovation
implementation
•  Infrastructure and best-in-class public
•  Capital, digital, energy and transport
procurement
3

Empowering people

The lives of citizens across the world have been greatly impacted by the
combined effects of technological change and globalisation. Many have
benefited from better livelihoods, rising living standards and improved
connectivity, but others have also been left behind. We need to make
globalisation more inclusive and ensure its benefits are widespread.
Alongside civil society and government, business has a key role to play in
helping all parts of society cope with the effects of change.
Improving citizens’ well-being and building more resilient societies
requires a joint commitment to the reform of education systems, the
development of new skills and the support of more inclusive and
sustainable growth models.
In times of profound change, it is also critical to protect the values that
make up the very fabric of our societies. Human rights, democracy and
the rule of law are at the core of the European project. They define who
we are and are worth standing up for.
5

Education
People’s empowerment and openness start with diverse learning experiences
through each step in the education system, onto apprenticeships and then the
workplace. Employers need a workforce with inter-disciplinary profiles and
transferable skills such as the ability to work in a team, creative, critical and
collaborative thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, curiosity and learning.
Developing these skills should be a key priority for education systems.
These should open up to new methods and familiarise students with different types
of literacy. The teaching of core subjects in the arts and humanities remains critical
as it supports mutual understanding, respect and cohesion.
• Support exchange programmes for primary school students between European
countries;
• Address vocational and technical education training by promoting
apprenticeships and ensuring workplace training schemes through cooperation
between schools and employers;
• Encourage public-private partnerships in curricula development to ensure the
inclusion of in-demand skills and specific business requirements;
• Increase investment in high-quality teacher training, facilities and
infrastructure.
6

Skills
The wave of technological transformation strongly impacts the workplace.
The nature of many jobs as well as work lives are being redefined. As the process
of learning and acquiring new skills is no longer linear, the same goes for careers.
From education to vocational training schemes, learning needs to be understood
as an ongoing process in a rapidly evolving environment. An individual never stops
learning. Social and cognitive skills will play a critical role in the workplace of the
future.
• Encourage employees to engage in lifelong learning and re-education through
business-sponsored reskilling and upskilling;
• Incentivise employers to set up training schemes through collective and
individual innovative modules with tax incentives, learning accounts or training
funds;
• Provide standardised certifications of such innovative programmes to enhance
their recognition;
• Facilitate collaboration within industry and between Member States to help
public authorities and small companies provide reskilling and lifelong learning
initiatives.
7

Inclusion
The EU is ‘united in diversity’: it draws its strength from the mix of cultures its
Member States bring together. Empowering people also means giving an equal
opportunity to each citizen to have a fulfilling and healthy life. Gender, age, origin,
social background, sexual orientation or health condition should never become
barriers to success and well-being. Diversity supports economic growth.
It strengthens companies’ ability to innovate, respond to new consumers’ demands
and adapt to changing environments. Initiatives in Member States should focus on
inclusion to build more resilient societies.
• Promote democracy and human rights in Europe and around the world;
• Support programmes for the economic integration of European citizens
impacted by globalisation and of migrant populations;
• Promote curricula focussed on science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM), particularly for female students, to ensure greater
gender balance in the labour market;
• Support industry-led initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in the
workplace.
8

Boosting the Single Market

The Single Market is one of the EU’s greatest achievements. It has
transformed the way people live, study, travel and do business in
Europe. Turning Europe into one of the most attractive hubs for
international investment, the Single Market allows small, medium and
large companies to thrive. European citizens can move to other Member
States to start a new life and pursue new opportunities. It also brings a
greater choice of goods and services at lower prices to consumers.
The Single Market needs to adapt to a changing economy, evolving
business models and transformational digital technologies.
More can be done to harmonise policies and frameworks for
cooperation across Member States to ensure the free movement
of people, goods, services and capital. If done right, this also
represents an enormous opportunity for Europe to be at the
forefront of innovative global regulatory and industrial standards.
While the Single Market is increasingly under pressure, it is crucial to
stand up for its achievements and recognise its key role in making
Europe an attractive place for investment. Fragmentation would be
detrimental to Europe’s competitiveness, its influence in a connected
and globalised economy and, ultimately, the well-being of its citizens.
10

Smart regulation
Rules and standards can encourage innovation and the emergence of new goods
and services. However, unnecessary administrative burden and regulation also
affects growth and makes it more difficult for companies to expand. These often
have a disproportionate impact on smaller businesses. Therefore, new legislative
initiatives should continue to rely on rigorous science and fact-based impact
assessments as well as open and transparent dialogue with public and private
actors. Technology neutrality is also a key principle to take into consideration.
• Build on the Better Regulation agenda and further promote smart regulation
initiatives within the EU institutions and across Member States;
• Encourage increased transparency in impact assessments and in the
organisation of the European Commission’s expert groups and consultation
processes;
• Incorporate science and fact-based impact assessments for all proposed
directives and regulations as well as transparent processes for delegated and
implementing acts;
• Focus on implementation, not on new legislation, in cases where transposition
is lacking or ineffective to avoid overlap and confusion with existing standards
and rules.
11

Better harmonisation and implementation
Inconsistent implementation and transposition of legislation prevent the Single
Market from functioning properly. It is more effective to allocate resources to
enforcing and monitoring existing legislation, than to develop new initiatives.
Across a range of policy areas, gaps remain in the Single Market due to conflicting
national laws or standards. Member States should continue to commit to ambitious
harmonisation efforts if the Single Market is to bring benefits to citizens and
business.
• Ensure that rules and standards are applied across the EU in a consistent
manner, to protect consumers and to incentivise investment;
• Support the simplification of EU law and the reduction of administrative
burden;
• Favour the use of regulations over directives to avoid lengthy transposition
processes and diverging implementation, which risk counter-productive ‘gold-
plating’.
12

Capital, digital, energy and transport
The Single Market needs to be fit for the challenges and opportunities ahead, from
digitalisation and climate change, to market openness and connected mobility.
EU institutions should incentivise investment in technological innovation. Efforts to
strengthen the Single Market in capital, digital, energy and transport are critical to
create the innovation-friendly environment that all companies – small and large and
from all sectors – need to succeed.
• Address remaining barriers to the creation of a truly European energy market
to bring more competitive prices for citizens and businesses;
• Complete the Single European Transport Area, further develop trans-European
networks, high-quality infrastructure and interoperable standards and enable
all technologies to compete equally;
• Move forward in building a comprehensive and open Capital Markets Union,
focused on market-led solutions which recognise the global nature of capital
markets;
• Remove barriers for the public and private sectors to invest in digitalisation,
create a more dynamic and risk-willing regulatory framework enabling digital
innovation and entrepreneurship and foster trust and safety for consumers.
13

Leading global cooperation

The world’s most pressing issues can only be addressed through
global cooperation. Whether it is climate change, health, automation
or global trade, Europe can play a leading role in supporting
increased collaboration at international level. Working together,
the EU and the US helped create multilateral institutions and
frameworks, ensuring stability and prosperity across the world.
In a time when rules-based trade is being openly challenged, leaders
must continue to stand their ground in defence of international
cooperation. Raising awareness of how trade works and the value
it brings is critical. As globalisation unevenly impacts citizens and
companies, it is also important to ensure that the global trading
system evolves and becomes more inclusive and sustainable.
15

Transatlantic partnership
The transatlantic trade and investment relationship is the largest and most
economically integrated of its kind in the world. Responsible for around one-third
of world GDP and supporting 15 million jobs, it has helped to ensure the prosperity
and security of successive generations of Europeans and Americans.
Further opening the transatlantic marketplace would bring substantial economic
benefits for businesses and consumers. Closer cooperation would also allow the EU
and the US to set global standards and to retain their technology leadership.
The transatlantic economy is a key driver of growth, innovation and opportunity.
• Deepen regulatory cooperation across the Atlantic and remove barriers to
trade and investment, including tariffs;
• Promote open investment and procurement markets and increase access for
EU and US companies to each other’s markets;
• Position small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the heart of EU-US
initiatives as they stand to gain most from greater transatlantic cooperation;
• Continue to develop transatlantic sector-specific cooperation initiatives with
a strong focus on research and development (R&D), such as the Transatlantic
Defence Industrial Cooperation (TADIC) and the EU-US Energy Council.
16

Trade and investment
Trade brings significant benefits to consumers and businesses in Europe, the US
and around the world. Today, the EU is the world’s largest trading bloc and the
largest exporter of manufactured goods and services. This is a success story that
has been built on a commitment by the EU to open, rules-based and sustainable
trade and investment with partners around the world.
• Reinforce respect for rules-based trade and multilateral agreements and
communicate effectively about the benefits of trade to citizens;
• Modernise the World Trade Organization (WTO) with more transparency and
efficiency in its decision-making and processes;
• Strengthen Member State cooperation in developing and enforcing trade
agreements;
• Build agreement in international fora to develop common solutions and set
global standards, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) recommendations on corporate taxation reform.
17

Sustainable development
EU policies should aim to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), such as, but not exclusively, good health and well-being, quality
education, gender equality and climate action. The EU’s global sustainable
ambitions should also include working with international partners on global
solutions to climate change, as the EU was instrumental in creating the momentum
for an energy-efficient and low-carbon economy. Finally, the EU’s focus on building
a circular economy complements its approach on climate change. These priorities
are a great opportunity for companies and citizens to become front runners in new
technology solutions and practices that embrace innovation and sustainability.
• Facilitate the development and deployment of sustainable technologies to
help reach the SDGs;
• Support the implementation of the Paris Agreement to reach climate
objectives and as an opportunity to enhance innovation;
• Ensure the consistent implementation of regulatory frameworks for the
circular economy at EU and Member State level and eliminate barriers to the
development of the necessary infrastructure to do so;
• Focus on the compatibility of the chemical, waste and product-specific
legislations for transitioning to a circular economy and harnessing global
action to reduce waste.
18

Investing in the future

The EU budget should prioritise investment in areas where
European action delivers the largest added value to the European
economy and society and where it most efficiently complements
national spending programmes. Although relatively small
compared to national budgets, the EU budget can be a powerful
multiplier. It can help pool cross-border resources, trigger private
investment and fill financing gaps for innovative projects.
In order to compete globally, the EU should increase funding in
key areas such as human capital, research and innovation and
modern infrastructure. With the right focus, the EU budget can
continue to support job creation and sustainable growth.
20

Human capital
The well-being of societies should be at the heart of the EU’s funding efforts.
Whether it is through investing in youth, promoting the mobility of European
students and workers or supporting healthier lifestyles, EU programmes make a
true difference in the lives of European citizens. Supporting social mobility efforts
and fostering the exchange of best practices is particularly critical as they develop
important soft skills – from languages to cultural understanding. They contribute to
the productivity of the workforce but also foster the resilience of citizens.
• Support programmes aimed at fostering human skills and exchanges, such
as the Erasmus+, Youth Employment Initiative and Erasmus for Young
Entrepreneurs;
• Develop new public-private partnerships with Member States aiming at
transferring business and digital skills to all parts of society;
• Ensure an ambitious level of funding for the future EU Health Programme
(2021-2027) to encourage healthier and more active lifestyles and to improve
both well-being and nutrition habits.
21

Research and innovation
Strong R&D programmes create a culture of innovation, encourage
entrepreneurship and support the development of pioneering technologies.
Horizon 2020 is a prime example of successful efforts to ensure that the EU
remains an attractive innovation hub. The creation of high-quality jobs in research
and innovation will modernise industry and develop new services in Europe. The
new framework programme (FP9) is an opportunity to advance these objectives.
The overall regulatory environment needs to be conducive to the uptake of
new technologies by facilitating market access. Further investment should be
channelled towards strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, energy or life
sciences. Research and innovation can help tackle some of the world’s largest
challenges, like ageing population, air pollution and climate change.
• Prioritise R&D and innovation programmes in the EU budget;
• Ensure all EU programmes are open to transatlantic companies of all sizes;
• Guarantee that funding is available throughout a project’s lifetime, from the
R&D phase to the deployment of new technologies on the market;
• Maintain and strengthen the existing framework for intellectual property rights
protection, as an essential tool to safeguard investments into creativity and
innovation across sectors.
22

Infrastructure and
best-in-class public procurement
Investing in the EU’s backbone infrastructure can boost its competitiveness
significantly. Building strong networks across Europe for transport, energy, digital
infrastructure and telecommunications is key to strengthening the free movement
of people, goods, services and capital. Member States need the EU’s support to
fulfil ambitious obligations agreed at EU and international level. Public procurement
with strong sustainable requirements offers an opportunity to address these issues
by stimulating innovation and supporting the development of new technologies.
The implementation of EU public procurement rules with qualitative, value-based
criteria can facilitate access to the best available technologies and encourage the
creation of skilled jobs in Europe.
• Draw on European structural funds to support national pilot projects which can
help reach EU and international policy objectives, such as the UN SDGs;
• Increase funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to modernise
digital, energy and transport infrastructure;
• Favour high-standard, best-in-class public procurement selection criteria to
support the uptake of sustainable solutions and technologies.
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AmCham EU speaks for American companies committed to Europe on trade, investment
and competitiveness issues. It aims to ensure a growth-orientated business and
investment climate in Europe. AmCham EU facilitates the resolution of transatlantic
issues that impact business and plays a role in creating better understanding of EU
and US positions on business matters. Aggregate US investment in Europe totalled
more than €2 trillion in 2017, directly supports more than 4.7 million jobs in Europe, and
generates billions of euros annually in income, trade and research and development.
American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU)
Avenue des Arts/Kunstlaan 53, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
ock
+32 2 513 68 92
xxxx@xxxxxxxx.xx
dobeSt
amchameu.eu
@AmChamEU
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