Presentation
EU-India Business Joint Declaration
Created in 2000 and held annually, the EU-India Business Summit is the highest platform for exchanges between EU and Indian business and political leaders, offering business leaders from India and Europe a unique opportunity for networking and addressing key challenges of mutual interest.
The 11th EU-India Business Summit will be held on 10 December 2010 in Belgium, during the Belgian Presidency of the European Union and be coordinated by the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB), together with BUSINESSEUROPE, the EU-India Cleantech initiative (promoted by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
The EU-India Business Summit is being held in parallel with the annual summit of political leaders from the two regions in question. Accordingly, the Business Summit will not only be an excellent opportunity for European and Indian companies to communicate their ideas to the political leaders present, but also constitute a high-level networking opportunity, bringing together European and Indian businesspeople and officials. Nearly 250 participants and over 20 high-level speakers are expected to attend the Summit, including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and the Belgian prime minister.
The greatest current challenges are the respective environmental, energy and economic crises we face, though they also constitute a clear opportunity to redefine our economic system, placing it on sustainable foundations. The most successful companies in the 21st century will be those that incorporate sustainable development into their daily operations and anticipate inevitable constraints, rather than merely reacting to them when they become apparent. The development of technologies that can provide affordable renewable energy and the establishment of sustainable transport infrastructure are key elements that will pave the way towards attaining such development. Collaboration between the EU and India is essential for accelerating the implementation of clean solutions that meet both global and local needs.
