4th Meeting of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue

May 2-4 2001, Brussels

Agenda

Venue: Centre Borschette, Rue Froissart, B-1040 Brussels

This is the fourth meeting of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD). As the governments on both sides of the Atlantic get to know each other and decide how they will forward a common trade agenda, it is also the right time for TACD to take part in this conversation and familiarise governments with new and previous TACD recommendations. In addition, it is a good time for TACD to take stock, review our achievements, and examine what more can be done to make TACD a mature and effective consumer advocacy forum.

Tuesday 1 May

12h00-16h00 Steering Committee and Working Group Chairs meeting
Venue: Zurich room, Swissôtel, Rue du Parnasse 19, B-1050 Brussels

17h00 - 18h00 Welcome drinks for all invitees (informal)
Venue: Swissôtel, Foyer 2

Wednesday 2 May

08h30 Registration, Centre Borschette

09h00 - 10h00 OPENING PLENARY

Venue: Henri Paul Spaak Room, Oa
Chair: Jim Murray, Director, BEUC and EU Steering Committee
Speakers:
Robert J Coleman, Director General, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate, European Commission
E. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, US
Rhoda Karpatkin, President Emeritus, Consumers Union and US Steering Committee
Questions and discussion

10h00 - 10h30 TACD 'STATE OF THE NATION REPORT':

As non-governmental organisations grow in public stature and trust, governments consult NGOs with increasing frequency. Rarely, however, do these consultations result in changes in trade policy or goals. The challenge before TACD and our government guests is how to put the words into action and make TACD the vibrant and effective dialogue it can be.· Benedicte Federspiel, Danish Consumer Council, EU Steering Committee
Questions

10h30 - 10h45 Coffee

10-45 - 12h30 WORKSHOP SESSION 1: OPEN GOVERNMENT

The European Commission is in the process of developing a regulatory model and rules of transparency and public participation. A White Paper on Governance is currently being drafted by the Commission and is slated for release in July. European consumer groups should be actively involved in this timely debate, and all parties may have something to learn from the US open government regime. This workshop will review how the US system works, the benefits and drawbacks for consumers and other interested parties, and the EU White Paper currently being drafted.

Chair: Felix Cohen, Director, Consumentenbond and EU Steering Committee
Speakers:
Stephen Wood, Assistant Chief Counsel for Rulemaking, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, US
Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen, US
Jérôme Vignon, Chief Advisor on the White Paper on Governance, European Commission
John Palmer, Director, European Policy Institute
General discussion

12h30 - 14h00 Lunch

14h00-15h00 WORKSHOP ON OPEN GOVERNMENT CONTINUED

General discussion

15h00-18h00 WORKSHOP SESSION 2 - LIBERALISATION OF TRADE IN SERVICES

While the launch of a New Round of WTO negotiation was halted in Seattle, scheduled negotiations on services and agriculture continue behind closed doors. The WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) covers any law, regulation, or administrative decision that directly or indirectly affects trade in services. It is essential that consumer groups understand what is being discussed in these negotiations and industry plans to broaden GATS negotiations even further. Key sectors of concern are health care, education, energy, water and utilities, food processing, e-commerce, financial services and others. What would happen if the "least trade restrictive" rule were applied to these sectors?

Chair: Niel Ritchie, National Organiser, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, US
Speakers:
Pascal Lamy, European Commissioner in charge of Trade
Agnes Bertrand, founder and trade expert, Ecoropa and Observatoire de la Globalisation, France
Respondent TACD: Ed Mierzwinski, Director Consumer Program, Public Interest Research Group, and US Steering Committee

Questions and discussion

16h00 -16h15 Coffee

16h15-18h00 TRADE IN SERVICES CONTINUED

Mark Linscott, Attaché for Trade in Services, USTR Permanent Representation to the WTO
Respondent TACD: Jill Johnstone, Head of Policy, National Consumer Council, and new EU Chair of Trade Working Group
Questions and discussion

19h30 DINNER HOSTED BY TACD

Venue: Swissôtel, Rue du Parnasse 19, Brussels
Dinner speakers:
Commissioner Mozelle Thompson, Federal Trade Commission, US
Axel Edling, Director General, Ministry of Justice, EU Presidency, Sweden
Astrid Thors, Member of the European Parliament

Thursday 3 May

09h00 - 12h30 PARALLEL WORKING GROUPS (TACD members only)

See separate detailed agendas for each working group.

Working groups are charged by the Steering Committee to focus their discussion on strategy for achieving new and previous TACD recommendations. Special attention will be given to identified TACD priority issues. Working groups should leave these discussions with a concrete work program for a year's worth of organising and advocacy on priority issues.

FOOD WORKING GROUP
Venue: Henri Paul Spaak, Oa, ground floor
Co-chairs: Sue Davies and Bruce Silverglade
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE WORKING GROUP
Venue: Ob, ground floor
Co-Chairs: Dirk Klasen and James Love
TRADE WORKING GROUP
Venue: Oc, ground floor
Co-Chairs: Niel Ritchie and Ann Davison

12h30 - 14h00 Lunch

14h00 - 17h30 PARALLEL WORKING GROUPS CONTINUED

FOOD WORKING GROUP (with Government officials)
TRADE WORKING GROUP (with Government officials from 16:00)
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE WORKING GROUP (TACD members only)

19h00 RECEPTION hosted by US Mission to the EU

Venue: Ambassador's Residence, US Embassy to Belgium, rue Zinner, 1000 Brussels.

Friday 4 May

09h00 -15h00 PARALLEL WORKING GROUPS CONTINUED (with government officials)

See separate detailed agendas for each working group
Venues: as above
FOOD WORKING GROUP
TRADE WORKING GROUP
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE WORKING GROUP

12h00 - 12h45 ROUNDTABLE WITH DAVID BYRNE, European Commissioner in charge of Health and Consumer Protection

Themes for discussion: BSE; GM foods; and the 'e-confidence' initiative

12h45 - 14h00 Lunch

14h00 - 15h00 PARALLEL WORKING GROUPS CONTINUED (with government officials)

15h00 - 15h15 Coffee

15h15 - 16h00 PLENARY SESSION: consumer protection as a priority in the US-EU partnership - delivering results

Chair: Agne Pantelouri, Director Consumer Affairs, DG Health and Consumer Protection
Speakers:
Hans Eric Holmqvist, State Secretary, Sweden (EU Presidency)
US Ambassador Richard Morningstar
Ana Palacio Vallelersundi, President of the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market

16h00 - 17h00 CLOSING PLENARY

Chair: Jean Ann Fox, Director of Consumer Protection, Consumer Federation of America, and US Steering Committee
Brief reports from the Food, Trade and Electronic Commerce Working Groups
Summing up and closing remarks