ECCO is an European association for companies, individuals, and
institutions involved in offset and countertrade. The association
organizes symposiums where members and guests can unravel matters
related to international law, customs, trade, and government
procurement. Offset research and training are also aims of the
European Club for Countertrade and Offset.
The most recent ECCO symposium was hosted in Paris (France) on the
6th and 7th of September. The first day�s program focused on offset
in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the theme of the second day
investigating �Legal and Economic Impacts of Direct Offset.�
Speakers and experts hailed from various disciplines, with the 100
delegates representing 15 countries.
An analysis of the demographics and national laws of the UAE shed
some light on the major changes that were witnessed in the country
over the past years. Information on industries and the goal of the
government�s long-term plan to diversify the economy were topics
that led to interactive debate.
An overview of the European Union�s (EU) bilateral negotiations
showed that it has successfully concluded a number of important
trade agreements with trading partners, and is in the process of
negotiating agreements with many more. In addition to the World
Trade Organization�s (WTO) multilateral negotiations, the EU
concludes bilateral agreements and devises specific trading policies
with third-world countries and regional areas.
The trade section of the European Commission (EC) shared information
on preferential and non-preferential rules of origin, sharing base
principles and recent developments in this field. A representative
of the French Custom General Directorate further elaborated on the
subject.
The World Customs Organization presented its aims to harmonize the
rules of origin, explaining the economic impacts of the rules on
international trade and investment. A speaker from the WTO offered
an interesting perspective on �Made In The World� and explained why
the world is moving from trade in goods to trade in tasks.
The theme of the following ECCO symposium is �Offset Within The EU:
Enforcement Of The 2009/81/EC Directive.� This event will be hosted
on December 14 and 15 (2011) in Brussels. Speakers will discuss
their experiences in applying or implementing the new Directive,
while countries outside the EU will demonstrate how offset benefits
their industries. �Best Practices In Offset� is also on the agenda.
To
become a member of ECCO or for more information visit
www.ecco-offset.eu.
