This event has ended.

Environmental standards can be powerful companions in the transition to circularity. Making sustainable products the norm is a key objective of the Green Deal. Internationally, the prospect of access to a Single Market of 450 million consumers can incentivise producers to align with EU benchmarks, while national authorities can take inspiration from the EU’s regulatory approach. The global environment can benefit from greener policies. At the same time, it is important to ensure that new standards do not impose excessive compliance costs and are well understood by both businesses and international partners.

Can EU standards inspire higher environmental standards in partner countries? Can partner countries inspire EU environmental standards?
How can the EU’s standard setting influence form the basis of strategic partnerships and active regulatory cooperation
How should the EU develop its approach to “Green Diplomacy”?
How to boost trade on a green level playing field?

This session will explore the measures that can strengthen EU’s international partnerships in a rapidly shifting context - from advanced regulatory cooperation – involving both public and private actors - to awareness-raising and investments.

Panellists:

Werapong Prapha, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Thailand and Thailand Trade Representative
Bruno Tobback, Member of the European Parliament, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Belgium
Catherine Chevauché, Chairperson of International Standards Organisation (ISO) Technical Committee on Circular Economy, Circular Economy Director Veolia
Harald Tepper, Sr Director, Group Sustainability at Philips, Global Lead Circular Economy, EcoDesign & ESG Transformation
Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations

Moderator: Martijn Quinn, Senior Expert, Green Diplomacy, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment