4th Transatlantic Market Conference

Transatlantic Cooperation for Growth and Employment


Washington, D.C., July 19-21, 2009

in cooperation with the DIN-Group, Berlin and the United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C., supported by the German American Business Council (GABC), Washington, D.C., the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany e.V., Berlin and Frankfurt, the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), Washington, D.C., and the Representative of German Industry and Trade (RGIT), Washington, D.C.

 

The conference, which was attended by close to 150 German and American representatives of politics, business, academia, international organizations and the media, focused on those areas of the economy that are becoming increasingly important - both in the US and in Germany - when it comes to fighting the economic crisis and the threat of unemployment, and that offer new employment potential with the help of innovative 'green' technologies. These include, for example, the areas of the environment, energy and climate, and the automotive industry. Particular importance was also attached to the initiatives and activities of the Transatlantic Economic Council. An attempt was made to assess what has already been achieved and to develop new impetus for continuing and intensifying this dialog. In this context, questions of market regulation and standardization arose repeatedly. Standards may facilitate or act as an obstacle to reciprocal trade. They permit a common language and make products interchangeable. Compliance with high production standards increases a product's image, while a lack of common standards raises production costs. Nonetheless, Americans and Europeans have a quite different view of standards. In the US in particular, standards are seen to some extent as involving competitive aspects and the 'win-lose aspect'.