While the event is free of charge, please contact Roisin.Carlos@fleishmaneurope.com for registration details.

Contact Alexandra.Necula@fleishmaneurope.com for registration details.

So far, key EU leaders have expressed warm and positive support for the new Italian Government. The Prime Minister himself is a keen Europhile and some of the key Ministers are pro-European too. A full term Government would obviously be beneficial for Italy itself. Also, given Italy’s prominence at the EU level, a stable and established Government during the transitional phase through which the EU is about to pass in 2014, would be welcomed in Brussels. In order to achieve such stability, the two main coalition parties need to put aside their historical divide and work together on much needed reforms for Italy.

We have prepared an analysis of the new Government which includes a biographical overview of Prime Minister Enrico Letta and key members of the executive, the priorities of the new Government and finally the impact that we can envisage at the EU level.

http://fleishman-hillard.eu/2013/02/italian-elections-uncertainties-ahead-for-italy-and-europe/

Giuseppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement (M5S) – an anti-party, anti-corruption and anti-austerity protest movement (although not strictly anti-Europe) – has emerged as the real winner becoming the largest political party in the Lower Chamber.

These results clearly do not guarantee a stable majority. This means that uncertainty and instability are likely to become an inevitable trend in Italian governance over the coming months, with the potential for negative impacts on Europe given Italy’s prominence at an EU level.

The analysis includes a summary of the results, possible political scenarios and next steps, as well as the potential implications of these results at the EU level.

The Cybersecurity Strategy focuses on improving the resilience and security and network information systems (NIS), the virtual backbone of the Digital Single Market. Alongside the strategy, a NIS Directive was proposed which singles out a number of sectors (energy, financial services, transport, health care and Internet), which will have particular preventive risk management and notification obligations in case of a cyber incident.

Read our FH Spotlight: EU Cybersecurity Strategy: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities for Business

If you are interested in this topic, please do not hesitate to contact Christiaan Weiland or Jessica Henderson.

The Digital Agenda for Europe is the EU strategy aimed at stimulating the EU digital economy (the latter grows at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy!). In mid-December the European Commission outlined its new digital priorities for 2013-2014.  Companies whose business lies in broadband, cloud computing, copyright, digital skills will be affected by the upcoming policy agenda of the Commission.

For further information about this event and our FH Brussels Technology team please contact Teresa Calvano on +32 2 230 05 45

As they proceed down this path, FH Brussels’ vice president Spencer Swartz writes, in an article written for Gulf Oil Review this month, that Europe’s contentious debate provides MENA nations with no shortage of the challenging – but manageable – environmental and social considerations associated with shale gas development long before any commercial extraction takes place.

Longstanding public legitimacy remains rock solid for conventional oil and gas production in states flirting with shale gas development like Algeria and Saudi Arabia.

But without early and sustained discussion about the various implications of shale resource development, such as on water quality, MENA nations could find themselves fighting bigger battles down the road with publics that, over the past two years, have demonstrated their willingness to challenge government policy.

Read the Gulf Oil Review article MENA can learn from EU shale regulation debate.

Following the establishment of China’s new leaders, FH Brussels and FH Beijing produced this analysis of the political changes and their impact on doing business in China and the outlook for Sino-EU relations.

Read FH Analysis of China Leadership Change

This event will bring together Ms Signe Ratso (Director for Trade Strategy and Analysis as well as Market Access at DG TRADE at the European Commission), Ms Carolyn Irving (Counsellor, Trade Policy, Australian Mission to the EU) and Mr Luciano Mazza de Andrade (Head of the Trade and Economic Section of the Brazilian Mission to the EU) to discuss what Europe needs to do to remain the strong and reliable trading partner it aspires to be and attract the investments needed for its long-term growth.

During this round table, participants will discuss questions linked to what efforts are necessary to boost the confidence of trading partners and businesses in the European economy – and what expectations they have towards decision-makers in Europe.

The luncheon will take place under the Chatham House Rule. To register please contact Lauren Beaty: Lauren.Beaty@fleishman.com or by phone +32 2 235 0994