"It gives me great pleasure to provide you with an overview of our activities since our Annual General Meeting in Paris last year. While we were very much looking forward to hosting you all in Brussels this week, the current crisis and associated travel restrictions has forced us to improvise and turn our meeting into a virtual AGM.
On one level this is disappointing, as our annual meetings have traditionally been great opportunities to interact with our peers, get to know each other better and further forge an esprit de corps which is the backbone of any membership organisation. On another level, it also demonstrates the flexibility we can show in bringing everyone
together remotely around one table.
This latest report is structured around the work and efforts of our nine Committees, two Platforms and our Brexit Task Force. These bodies are the life-blood of our Association as they bear overall responsibility for developing sound, unified and evidence-based common positions around relevant EU/global initiatives and campaigns.
This is not simply a matter of the number of meetings held over the last 12 months. It is what we have managed to achieve collectively, and I believe this report will give you a good sense of our achievements.
It is fair to say there has only been limited Level 1 activity during this period. However, a lot has happened at Levels 2 and 3, but also at pre-Level 1. This provides a good indication that the European Commission intends to put forward many new proposals in the coming months and years. As many of these proposals will impact our industry, it is important to ensure that EFAMA’s voice is heard (and understood) loud and clear by the authorities. This can only happen with your continuous support.
While substantial efforts have been made to increase EFAMA’s visibility over the last twelve months, more can, and will, be– done as we move forward. This though, should go hand in hand with increasing our research capabilities. There is little doubt that our capacity to influence is commensurate with our ability to substantiate our positions with data, facts and figures. Increasingly, numbers speak louder than words. This and other strategic issues will be addressed by the Board later this year.
I am grateful to the EFAMA staff for its hard work and positive mindset, even more so in such a turbulent environment. I am equally thankful to our Board members for their strong commitment and ongoing constructive approach.
I look forward to continuing to serve you, and to the year ahead.
Stay safe!"
Tanguy van de Werve
