HOW BRUSSELS WORKS
EU PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
4:30 PM–5:00 PM INSIGHT
COORDINATING PA WORK BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND MEMBER STATES – A MULTINATIONAL‘S PERSPECTIVE What do corporate public affairs look like today? What are the best platforms to reach out to policy makers? How can public affairs activities efficiently be coordinated between Brussels and EU Member States? What to expect from the re-formed EU institutions and their new transparency initiative? Some insights from a multinational’s perspective. Nikolaus Tacke is Coca-Cola’s chief lobbyist in Europe, leading the company’s work with EU institutions and stakeholders, and developing company strategies to address public policy developments in the areas of health, environment, taxation, competition, trade and agriculture. Nikolaus is in charge of coordinating Coca-Cola’s Government Relations across the 38 countries of its Europe Group, the strategy for European trade and industry associations, and the management of consulting agency support. Prior to joining Coca-Cola in 2008, Nikolaus worked in the public affairs department of a global agribusiness company in Brussels and headed the office of a multinational PR agency in Berlin. He is member of several trade associations and chairs a number of industry groups and association committees. Nikolaus holds a PhD in Egyptology and a Master’s degree in Classical Archaeology and Art History.
Nikolaus Tacke Public Affairs and Government Relations Director, Europe, Coca-Cola
5:00 PM–5:30 PM INFO SESSION
WHO I SHOULD KNOW AND WHERE DO I MEET THEM? At first glance, building a useful professional network in Brussels seems complicated: the terminology, the institutional interplay, the consultations, and the lack of separation between government and o pposition. In seven steps, Frank Schwalba-Hoth will attempt to decipher the unspoken words of decision-making in Brussels and identify ways you can find your own place in the Brussels inner-circles. As co-founder of the German Green Party, Frank Schwalba-Hoth has served as a member of the Landtag of H esse, and also as an MEP in the European Parliament. Since leaving the EP, Frank has lead the Greenpeace EU Office in Brussels, and has also occasionally worked for the European Commission TACIS Programm in Central Asia.
Frank Schwalba-Hoth Freelance Consultant and former MEP
5:30 PM–6:00 PM BEST CASE
BUILDING ALLIANCES IN BRUSSELS In her session, Christina von Westernhagen will focus on alliances that are building up around particular issues where common interests are at stake and need to be worked on. Learn in this session about the importance of alliances to achieve corporate goals and how to build them up. As Director of EU Advocacy Ms. von Westernhagen provides advocacy services and policy analyses on EU policy initiatives to support business growth, manage cost and mitigate regulatory risk for The Dow Chemical Company. She is an active member of several trade and business associations including Cefic, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (Amcham EU), and others, and also represents the company directly to the EU Institutions, opinion formers and other stakeholders.
Christina von Westernhagen Director EU Advocacy, The Dow Chemical Company
FROM 8:00 PM KEYNOTE
DINNER AND KEYNOTE SPEECH Join us on Thursday evening for dinner with your fellow participants and our conference speakers. Use this chance to get to know everyone and to get a sense of what Brussels networking sessions are like. Stefano Sannino will share insights of a Permanent Representation to the European Union and reflect on Italys’ Presidency of the Council during the second half of 2014. Between 2002-04, Stefano Sannino served as Romano Prodi‘s diplomatic adviser when Prodi was president of the European Commission. From 2004-06 Stefano was the Commission’s director for crisis management and from 200608, he again was diplomatic adviser to Prodi, being the prime minister back then. Afterwards he held senior positions in the Commission‘s external-relations department before becoming deputy director-general for enlargement. 6
Stefano Sannino Permanent Representative of Italy to the European Union
CONFERENCES.QUADRIGA.EU / EN / PUBLICAFFAIRS