As of January 23 Unice renamed to BusinessEurope. A surprising move for the lobby group that apparently burned its credibility in the software patent and service directive struggle. Their new name BusinessEurope reflects their strong ambitions but lacks the profile UNICE had. UNICE's credibility was apparently burned. For a dinosaur of EU lobbying which history is closely tied to the Commission's it's time for a change. That is also reflected by the Bilderberg speech of the new president. Overambitious goals should not surprise, the dinosaur just got renamed.
"BusinessEurope" comments on its history:
Following the chaos and disruption of the second World War, there was a fundamental need for a period of re-construction and co-operation in economic development throughout the continent. One aspect of this co-operation was the founding in 1949 of the Conseil des Fédérations Industrielles d'Europe (CIFE), and, within this organisational framework, the Union des Industries des pays de la Communauté européenne, begun by the national industrial federations from the six member states of the European Coal & Steel Community, initially to monitor this community. It was a natural evolution for this body to become the Union des Industries de la Communauté européenne (UNICE) in March 1958, to track the political consequences of the community created by the Treaty of Rome.
BUSINESSEUROPE strived for permanent liaison with official institutions, studied current problems, and co-ordinated responses, and always at a general "horizontal" level. BUSINESSEUROPE was never a sectoral organisation.
Now the organisation does not defend the interests of US software monopolists anymore,
but aims to 'boost Europe'. The name change comes at no surprise in a time of institutional uncertainty.
President Seillière at VNO-NCW Bilderberg conference
BUSINESSEUROPE President Ernest-Antoine Seillière and Secretary General Philippe de Buck, among more than 400 participants, attended the VNO-NCW Bilderberg Conference on 2 and 3 February to discuss how to do business in the Europe of tomorrow. It was an opportunity for President Seillière to underline the priorities of BUSINESSEUROPE and to stress the importance of a common business message in this period of institutional uncertainty.
And from the President of BusinessEurope's speech at the Bilderberg Conference, on a panel with the ex-Commissioner Frits Bolkestein:
In this context, my main aim which I intend to achieve during my presidency is to widen, clarify and render more forceful the communication and spheres of action of the organisation and to put all the efforts of BUSINESSEUROPE to make Europe the most competitive economy in the world.
One of the first steps is the change of name and logo which is from last 23 January BUSINESSEUROPE and why? Because BUSINESS, at the heart of EUROPE, creates growth and jobs, for the prosperity of the European citizens.
…, oh well. Between the lines it says that the old days are gone. Let's hope so.
Following the chaos and disruption of the …
