In today’s fast-moving geopolitical context – characterised by the need to respond to economic pressure and security threats, and to develop the technologies that deliver on the objectives of the clean energy and digital transitions – the EU’s core policy objectives centre on competitiveness, security and sustainability.
Join us for the 2025 edition of our Trade Policy Day, to discuss how trade policy enables the EU to attain these core objectives in various ways.
The day’s policy discussions will focus on:
- Pursuing new alliances to help extend the EU’s network of trusted trade partners.
- Empowering EU industry to help improve our external competitiveness from within.
- Protecting EU industry from external threats to their economic security, and making their global supply chains more resilient.
Programme
08:00-09:00 | Registration
09:00-09:15 | Welcome
- By moderator Maria Tadeo, Le Grand Continent
09:15-09:30 | Keynote: Why trade still matters
- Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security
- with Shona Murray, Euronews
09:30-11:00 | Panel 1: The value of partnerships and alliances: Extending the EU’s trade network in a turbulent world
- Maria Martin Prat, Deputy Director-General, DG Trade and Economic Security
- Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva, Ambassador of Brazil to the European Union
- Allan Gepty, Undersecretary, Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines)
- Petter Ølberg, Ambassador of Norway to the WTO, Facilitator for WTO Reform
- Bernd Lange MEP, Chair of the Committee on International Trade, European Parliament
11:00-11:30 | Break
11:30-13:00 | Panel 2: Powering EU industry: driving external competitiveness from the inside
- VIDEO MESSAGE: Enrico Letta, IE University, and former Prime Minister of Italy
- Leopoldo Rubinacci, Deputy Director-General, DG Trade and Economic Security
- Javier Ormazabal Echevarria, President, ORGALIM and CEO, Velatia
- Henrik Andersen, Group President and CEO, Vestas Wind Systems A/S
- Antonio Marcegaglia, President and CEO, Marcegaglia Steel
- Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary, industriAll Europe
13:00-14:30 | Networking Lunch
14:30-15:45 | Panel 3: The need for Economic Security: navigating challenges that affect us and our businesses
- Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General, DG Trade and Economic Security
- John Harrison, General Counsel and Head of Public Affairs, Airbus
- Kozo Saiki, Special Adviser, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
- Michael Lund Jeppesen, Director for Economic Security, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Debora Revoltella, Chief Economist, European Investment Bank
15:45-16:00 | Break
16:00 | Closing Remarks
- Sabine Weyand, Director-General, DG Trade and Economic Security