The Chamber

On 14th October, over 800 business men and women from all over Europe will get the chance to take over the European Parliament hemicycle for an afternoon to debate and vote on issues that affect the day to day running of their business and the environment in which they operate.

The event will be opened by the Presidents of the three key EU institutions, namely Nicolas Sarkozy for the Council, Jose Manuel Barroso for the Commission and Hans Gert Poettering for the Parliament.

The afternoon will be divided into 3 sessions (international trade; sustainability; barriers to growth) at the end of which, Commissioners such as Gunter Verheugen and Charlie McCreevy and key MEPs will be asked to answer to the issues raised by the floor. A series of practical recommendations will then be voted on by the members and given to the press and EU leaders meeting in Brussels the next day.

The BCC has been allocated 73 seats in the hemicycle, in line with the number of MEPs that will represent the UK in the EP after the 2009 elections. These will be allocated to businesses on a first come first served basis and online registration will be available in early May.

If you’re interested or would like further information contact Esther Sumner on 0151 227 1234 # 2236 or email esther.sumner@liverpoolchamber.org.uk