A plenary session of the EU Workshop on SMEs in the framework of the TEC (Transatlantic Economic Council) will meet on 12 July 2012 from 16:00 to 19:00 at the foreign ministry in Rome.
The event will be open to the press and chaired by Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Marta Dassù. Participants will include Vice President of the European Commission the Hon. Antonio Tajani, Deputy US Trade Representative Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, US Ambassador to Italy David Thorne, President of the Confederation of Italian Industries (Confindustria) Giorgio Squinzi and President of the Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Trade (former ICE) Riccardo Monti.
The Workshop was set up within the framework of the TEC (Transatlantic Economic Council)[1] following a meeting on 29 November 2011 in the margins of the annual EU-US summit, at which the strategic nature of transatlantic economic relations was reaffirmed, along with the importance of promoting dialogue forums such as the TEC in order to strengthen collaboration between the United States and the European Union in the sectors of industry, trade and technology exchanges.
The workshop, coordinated jointly by the European Commission and the US government, was set up as a result of the organisational and economic commitment of the MFA and Confindustria. Its principal goals are to confront regulatory problems and factors associated with the access of SMEs to Euro-American markets, foster direct contacts in order to develop business opportunities and supply strategic information for the support, development and competitiveness of SMEs.
Journalists and camera operators interested in covering the event are asked to apply for accreditation by completing the interactive form available at the link http://mae.accreditationsystem.info/ITA/Indice.asp to which all required documentation can be attached in digital format. The working language will be English, with active and passive translation. Please see the attached draft agenda.
If in exceptional cases it is not possible to complete the online accreditation procedure, applications in writing on company letterhead and signed by the director of the organisation concerned—indicating name, surname, date and place of birth, number of a valid ID document and qualification—should be sent by fax to the Press Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (tel. 063691.3432 fax 06.3691.2122).
[1] The Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) is an exceptional bilateral dialogue forum that seeks to foster the gradual reduction of non-tariff barriers, promote harmonised trade regulations and develop joint initiatives in sectors of mutual interest.
