Conference on trade in raw materials - EULib.com

Trade and Raw Materials – Looking Ahead
<strong>Conference</strong> – The EU's Trade Policy on Raw Materials
Brussels, 29 September 2008
PROGRAMME
08:15 Registration
08:30 - 09:00 Welcome Coffee
09:00 - 10:30 Plenary session
Welcome and Introduction to the <strong>Conference</strong> – European Commission
1. Mr David O'Sullivan, Director General, DG TRADE: Commission Strategy
2. Mr Jean-Christophe Donnellier, Chair of 133 Committee Full Members,
Director of International Relations, Direction Générale du Trésor et de la
politique économique, Ministère de l'économie, des finances et de l'emploi:
Presidency view
3. Sir John Grant, President BHP Billiton Europe: Competitiveness Dimension
10:30 - 11:00 Scene setter
Mr Patrick Hennessy, Director, DG ENTR
Mr Peter Klein, Head of Unit – Industrial Sectors, DG TRADE
The Commission will describe the core issues and objectives of the conference with a
focus on the goals of each Working Group (TRADE & ENTR)
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break
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11:30 - 13:00 Working Groups: session 1 – Economics & Issues
(2 sessions in parallel)
Working group 1.1: ECONOMICS – What are the economic costs of measures
restricting exports of raw materials?
This working group will reflect on the dimension of the issue and the ways to analyse its
cost. What are the channels by which restrictive measures affect the European
industry? What are the effects of restrictive measures on competitiveness? On
developing countries? Have there been attempts to quantify these costs?
Panel Members:
1. Dr. Roderick G. Eggert, Professor and Director of the Division of Economics
and Business, Colorado School of Mines, Chair of the Committee for the report
"Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the US Economy", US National Research
Council
2. Ms Sandra Horninger, Trade Policy Affairs Manager, PLANSEE Metall GmbH:
"Impacts of export restrictions on an EU company in the refractory metals
industry"
3. Ms Roberta Piermartini, Counsellor, Economic Research and Statistics
Division, WTO: "The role of export taxes in the field of primary commodities"
4. Dr. Hadj Saadi, Professor, Pierre-Mendès-France Grenoble University:
"The economic costs of export restrictions"
Moderator: Mr Gaspar Frontini, Head of Unit – Chief Economist, DG TRADE
Working group 1.2: ISSUES – Targeting our action – what are the priorities
This working group will identify priorities for action. To do so it will take into
consideration the economic, legal and political dimensions involved. Which measures
restricting exports of raw materials should be targeted as a priority?
Panel Members:
1. Mr Rémi Charpigny, Administrative and Financial Director, KME Brass France:
"How the competitive distortions on the market for secondary raw materials led to
economic and environmental irrationalities: the case of copper"
2. Mr Kazunori Fukuda, Deputy Director, Non-ferrous Metals Division, Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan: "Issues of access to raw materials for
Japan’s non-ferrous metals industry"
3. Mr Bernard Lombard, Trade & Competitiveness Director, Confederation of
European Paper Industries - CEPI: "Keeping the grip on the raw materials"
4. Mr William J. Martin, Lead Economist, Development Research Group – Trade,
The World Bank Group: "Dealing with high food prices"
5. Mr Robin Schmidt-Whitley, RHI AG, incoming PRE President (European
Refractories Producers Federation): "The increasing dependence of the EU
refractories industry on raw materials imports"
Moderator: Ms Madelaine Tuininga, Deputy Head of Unit – Industrial Sectors,
DG TRADE
13:00 - 14:30 Buffet lunch
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14:30 - 16:00 Working Groups: session 2 – Restrictions & Tools
(2 sessions in parallel)
Working group 2.1: RESTRICTIONS – What is or should be the interface between
access to raw materials and considerations regarding Development,
Environmental, Food Security, Financial Crisis, etc.
The working group will examine exceptional conditions which may justify the imposition
of measures restricting exports of raw materials and the best practices available to limit
/ ring-fence these actions, within the existing (legal) framework.
Panel Members:
1. Mr Magnus Ericsson, Partner and Co-founder, Raw Materials Group (RMG):
“European metal supply in a global mining perspective”
2. Mr Tony Lass, Consultant, CAOBISCO:
"Access to agricultural raw materials: cocoa and other products"
3. Mr Olle Östensson, Special Adviser, International Trade and Commodities
Division, UNCTAD: "European security of supply and sustainable development in
developing countries"
4. Mr Alfredo G. A. Valladão, Professor in charge of the Mercosur Chair, Institut
d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po): "The dangers of "securitizing" the raw
materials dilemma"
5. Mr René van Sloten, Chairman Market Access Working Group,
BusinessEurope: "Feeling the Pinch – Distortions in raw material markets"
Moderator: Mr Peter Young, Deputy Head of Unit – Trade and Development, DG
TRADE
Working group 2.2: TOOLS – How to address the issue of measures restricting
exports of raw materials?
This working group will analyse the possible ways to address export restrictions from a
trade policy point of view. What are the relevant tools to tackle this issue in a bilateral or
multilateral context? What would constitute a sustainable, comprehensive and efficient
strategy in the field?
Panel Members:
1. Mr Claude Barfield, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute for Public
Policy Research: "How to address the issue of measures restricting exports of
raw materials"
2. Ms Monique Jones, Director Trade and Competitiveness, EUROMETAUX:
"The need for multi-level action against distortions in access to raw materials"
3. Mr Matthew R. Nicely, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP, International Trade and
Customs Group: "What should the WTO and its members be doing to counteract
distortive export tax and VAT rebate policies?"
4. Mr Wolfgang Stopper, Deputy Head of the Trade Policy Division,
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi): "The need for a
coherent approach to secure Europe's supply of raw materials"
5. Mr Jean-Claude Vial, Deputy Director for water and biodiversity /
Mr Xavier Foata, Head of mineral resources, Directorate for water and
biodiversity, Ministère de l'écologie, de l'énergie, du développement durable et
de l'aménagement du territoire
Moderator: Mr Francisco Perez Canado, Deputy Head of Unit – Trade Defence
Instruments, DG TRADE
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16:00 - 16:30 Coffee break
16:30 - 17:30 Plenary session
Mr Péter Balás, Deputy Director General, DG TRADE, European Commission
Presentation and summary of the proceedings of each of the working groups by the
moderators
17:30 - 18:00 Conclusion – Future Prospects
Rt Hon Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for External Trade
Looking ahead: Trade policy and raw materials, the EU Strategy
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