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Public Affairs

  • Move over America, Europe is dealing with its own brand of political and cultural disruption

    November 27, 2018

    I often find myself explaining the current political climate in Europe to friends, family, and clients with this: “If you think the United States is crazy right now. Europe is at least as crazy as the U.S.” My observation tower for Europe’s current environment is Brussels, where I head the digital public affairs offering for FleishmanHillard across the EMEA region. Yes, Europe’s current politics can rightfully be described as “crazy” but in that environment, we’re seeing something both...

  • Next European Commission – What are the tech issues that policymakers will target? #FHYearofChange

    November 23, 2018

    A long read version of this article first appeared on 22 October Tech policy can garner significant attention in Brussels, especially in light of Commissioner Vestager’s enforcement decisions against Apple, Google, and Amazon, as well as the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal. While Commission President Jean Claude Juncker prophesied in 2014 that the Digital Single Market (DSM) would generate up to €250 billion of additional growth in Europe, the tech sector now gets more closely associated...

  • EU chemicals policy under the next Commission

    November 16, 2018

    The next European Commission will undoubtedly face a busy chemicals agenda. So busy it will only have to pick and choose its issues. But that’s it, it will have to choose, or risk others choosing for it. Looking at the Juncker Commission’s legacy on chemicals policy, one may remember the controversial discussions around glyphosate, the long-awaited criteria to identify endocrine disruptors, or the many fitness check (REFIT) exercises carried out by the administration. But these...

  • Takeaways of FleishmanHillard’s Breakfast on Artificial Intelligence and Energy

    November 9, 2018

    On Thursday 8 November, FleishmanHillard held a Breakfast event entitled ‘The future of energy: how will artificial intelligence impact the energy sector?’. The event gave the energy sector representatives the opportunity to share their opinions directly with the Commission, represented by Head of Unit on New energy technologies, innovation and clean coal, Mr. Haitze Siemers, from the Directorate General for Energy. Agata Pavía, VP & Head of FleishmanHillard Technology Team and Matt Hinde, Director of...

  • EPP to elect its lead candidate

    November 7, 2018

    On Thursday, the European People’s party will elect its Spitzenkandidat (lead candidate) for the European elections. First established in 2014 as part of the procedural changes to electing the new Commission President, it is seen as the official response to an attempt to bring the EU closer to its citizens. However, it is also widely viewed as an attempt by the European Parliament to have a greater say in who becomes the next Commission president...

  • Energy policy: What are the priorities for the next Commission starting in 2019? #FHYearofChange

    October 30, 2018

    2019 represents the Year of Change in many sectors, including energy policy. Specialised in environmental and energy policy, Kaja Hengstenberg talks about the many priorities for the next Commission. She outlines the different discussions that will emerge regarding the Clean Energy Package, energy taxation, gas legislation and the Governance of the Energy Union. Unfortunately, we can't predict how these discussions will unfold. Yet, we can confirm that the EU will seek to maintain a global role...

  • Do tech CEOs understand the importance of what’s going on in Brussels? #FHYearofChange

    October 23, 2018

    After conducting a survey on tech companies in Brussels, FH Advisory Board Member Claudio Murri talks about what should be on these companies' agenda for the upcoming European elections. In our recent survey, we found that tech professionals have a good relationship with their leaders. Yet, they also claimed that they did not have enough resources to accomplish their jobs. As Murri notes in a new #FHYearofChange video, the trend of seeing cuts in offices expenses...

  • Tackling the new digital agenda – Priorities & challenges for the next Commission – #FHYearofChange

    October 22, 2018

    Tech policy can expect more targeted actions around the access to data, the role of online platforms, and the use of competition law. Since 2014, the positive political tone around tech has been gradually chipped away at by developments such as Commissioner Vestager’s enforcement decisions against Apple, Google, and Amazon, as well as the fast and loose data protection principles demonstrated by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. While Commission President Jean Claude Juncker prophesised, in 2014...

  • #FHYearofChange: Big tech is in trouble in Brussels. Does that mean they should give up?

    October 15, 2018

    Big tech is in trouble in Brussels. There's an increasing number of discussions in tech on Artificial intelligence (AI), data protection and blockchain (to name a few) in the Brussels bubble. Tech giants have already seen the effects of regulations around data access, ownership and liability. FleishmanHillard Advisory Board Member Claudio Murri talks about the need for companies to seize opportunities in their industry before 2019. For him, they should proactively build relationships if they want to...

  • European Elections 2019: What can we learn from the past?

    October 8, 2018

    As Europe looks towards the 2019 European elections, FleishmanHillard has analysed what we can learn from the past. The upcoming European elections will be part of a broader year of change which will see a new Commissions President, a new Commission and a new Council President by the end of the year. The European Parliament (EP) has evolved over the last two mandates. We notice an increasingly fractured centre and a shift towards more right...