Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD)

Listening to the business community

A significant success in our efforts to build bridges between communities on both sides of the Atlantic is the Transatlantic Business Dialogue. Launched in Seville in November 1995 by the European Commission and the US government, the TABD is now a business-driven process whereby business leaders from both sides of the Atlantic develop joint policy recommendations. Its aim is to boost transatlantic trade and investment opportunities by removing obstacles to the efficient conduct of international business. Each year the TABD brings together over 100 EU and US business leaders and high-level representatives of the European Commission and the US Administration in a two-day conference which provides substantial input to governments on a number of, mainly trade-related, areas. TABD is currently focusing on six ‘priority issues’ — regulatory cooperation, intellectual property rights, capital markets, trade and security, innovation and the WTO Doha round.

Its goal is to help establish a Barrier-Free Transatlantic Market which will serve as a catalyst for global trade liberalization and prosperity. Unified markets are needed to create a business environment which will stimulate innovation and economic growth, more investment and create new jobs.

The TABD meets at the senior level, or the Executive Board, twice per year to lay out the priorities of the business community and direction of the TABD process. Throughout the year, the working level representatives of these companies meet to discuss the details on the recommendations established by the Executive Board. Outreach to other companies and business organizations is conducted at this level to ensure that the TABD recommendations represent the widest business consensus possible. The TABD works in close cooperation with its conveners in the U.S. Administration, the European Commission and the Presidency of the European Council. The TABD also keeps legislators in the European Parliament and the US Congress informed of its activities.