BRUSSELS ECONOMIC FORUM CELEBRATES 20TH ANNVERSARY DICUSSING EU RECOVERY PLAN

USPA NEWS - When the Brussels Economic Forum was launched 20 years ago, its ambition was to increase the transparency of the European Commission´s economic policy deliberations and to expose its ideas to greater external scrutiny. From its earliest days the forum attracted the brightest economic minds in the private sector and academia, as well as the engagement of the most senior Commissioners, including President Romano Prodi, who delivered the first opening address.
As the European economy passed major milestones including the launch of the euro, EU enlargement, the sovereign debt crisis, economic recovery, and the welcoming of new Member States to the euro area, the Brussels Economic Forum continued to evolve and only gained in importance. Today, the Brussels Economic Forum is about more than simply exposing the Commission´s ideas to external scrutiny; it is a lively forum for genuine debate about new ideas with a wide variety of prominent and innovative thinkers.The world is struck by the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. The EU responds with a number of coordinated stimulus initiatives in line with its European Green Deal including a € 750bn recovery package

The world is struck by the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. The EU responds with a number of coordinated stimulus initiatives in line with its European Green Deal including a € 750bn recovery package (NextGeneration EU) and targeted support for job subsidies.Due to precautionary health measures, the Brussels Economic Forum is held online for the first time. The United Kingdom leaves the European Union. IN 2019 THE EURO CELEBRATES ITS 20TH A NNIVERSARY----------------------------------------------------------------------- The euro celebrates its 20th anniversary as an accounting currency and Europeans turn out in record numbers for the European parliamentary elections. Ursula von der Leyen becomes the first female President of the European Commission and Christine Lagarde, the first female president of the European Central Bank. IN 2018 THE EU INTRODUCES THE GENERAL DATE PROTECTION REGULATION The EU introduces the General Data Protection Regulation, a landmark in global data privacy legislation. Single-use plastics are targeted for phasing out as part of the EU´s plastic strategy.

AN AMAZING DIGITAL FORUM THAT MET EXPECTED SUCCESS-------------------------------------------------------------- To start with, the BEF, in the early morning, Nadia Calviño (Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Spain) made the opening session.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just after, that introduction, Maria Tadeo from Bloomberg moderated the Introductory remarks of Valdis Dombrovskis (Executive Vice-president, European Commission) discussion around the topic : « The new European economy after Coronavirus. A Panel discussion took over, by Maria Tadeo, to a discussion with Maja Göpel (Secretary-General, The German Advisory Council on Global Change) and Martin Sandbu (European Economics Commentator, Financial Times)

Back to the year 2000, our memories should take us through a trip down and relive the key moments for the European economy since the Brussels Economic Forum first took place, for the the 1st edition, This year, in a very particular context of COVID_19, outbreak, the thousands of participants, will take part of history and watch this year´s special anniversary edition on 8 September, webstreamed live on our website, EbS, and social media (Twitter, Facebook and Youtube)! The first digital edition of the Brussels Economic Forum (Hosted on Zoom) has met a a huge success, thanks to the excellent moderators, and commentators, such as Martin Sandbu ( FT´s weekly newsletter on the global economic policy debate.) at the section live “˜Meet the author´ side session, where FT commentator Martin Sandbu. He has presented his latest book, “˜The Economics of belonging´.The BEF, this year live in Zoom, to be more interactive, has requested each participants, o type their name. As it will be used for the Chat, please be as meaningful as possible in order to facilitate the work of the moderator, enabled the participants to forward their questions live to the and guests interviewed.---------------------------------- After the debate, a battle was also scheduled between two speakers, facing Sharan Burrow (General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation) speaking in favour of an expanded role of the state in the economy and Alexander Stubb (Director of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute) speaking against, moderated by Maria Tadeo from Bloomberg The #EUBEF20 debate on the role of the State in the economy is live now! A vote was open as well, as the interactive debate, for the participants to tel everybody where they stand! To vote, they just had to use the widget on the BEF website or on sli.do with the code #EUBEF20. This vote is to elect the winner after watching Sharan Burrow (General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation) speaking in favour of an expanded role of the state in the economy and Alexander Stubb (Director of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute) speaking against.

A select group of recent speakers at the Brussels Economic Forum to were asked to ell us what their top priorities would be to restart the European economy after the COVID-19-19 crisis. Watch what they said below. Another passionate Watch live was the conversation by Sasha Vakulina (Euronews) iwith Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni discussing the social and green reboot after the pandemic. who answers the questions of many participants, as she was equally, forwarding them live.Paolo Gentiloni, answered our question regarding the real social impact over the recovery plan use especially when it comes to the universal minimum wage and its consideration for implementation ? He answers that Yes, there has been a big thought about this universal minimum wage which shall be implemented over a pledge of €100Bn dedicated for that purpose, in order to fight the payoffs and losses due to the lockdown, after COVID-19 crisis. --------------------------------------- Charle Michel the president of European Council, concluded the brussels Economic Forum, with a very positive and constructive keynote, as he seemed satisfied with Recovery Plan to be reached as a consensus, in July, and said « we have to be confident in the future for Europe » The session terminated with a Live Q&A with the audience online at 12 : 45