CIM: You exchanged ideas with Günter Verheugen, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry. What did you take home?
Nicolas Le Brun: It was a great privilege to spend an hour with the vice-President of the European Commission. I felt he was eager to demonstrate that the European Commission is there to help and notably to listen to us. He was also keen to underline the fact that several important decisions had been put into practice that already have a daily influence within our business.
So far there is no Directorate General (DG), no unit responsible for the meetings industry. What can EFAPCO do about this?
Mr Verheugen said that for historic reasons his DG became “responsible” for our sector because in their eyes it was an integral part of tourism. Like the majority in our sector, we believe this isn’t correct. We pointed out that the image of leisure/tourism has a negative impact – especially in an economic crisis. Congresses should be perceived for what they are: essential drivers in stimulating recovery, unique platforms for exchange and development in every field of our economy.
To which DG should meetings belong to?
Most important of all, we could feel that the Commissioner understood that, above all, we are a service industry and thus probably belong as much to DG Enterprise and Industry as to DG Internal Market and Services, with whom EFAPCO has also developed relations. The next Commission needs to create or identify a unit that will tackle the meetings industry’s specific challenges and issues. EFAPCO will follow up on this with great enthusiasm.
Why has our industry no voice yet?
I don’t agree. Some associations have been active, defending specific or general interests of our sector. What is true is that we realised that none had taken really effective action towards European institutions. EFAPCO was set up with the aim of not only speaking in one united voice on behalf of PCOs but the European meetings industry as a whole.
Why does EFAPCO care more than other associations about Brussels?
People need to understand that the Commission is wary of regulating. Nevertheless its influence on national legislation has become enormous. Local and national governments often hide behind this. EFAPCO feels it is essential to act at the source and to try to underline all of the possible effects of policy making. My wish is that the contacts further developed today, and the relations we are building longer term, will be made to the benefit of the European meetings industry in its entirety.
Nicolas Le Brun is President of EFAPCO (European Federation of Associations of Professional Congress Organisers).
