Page 6 - CSA Celebrity Speakers | CSA Speaker Bulletin January 2016
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EUROPE

        Our World in 2016
        New Europe

Viviane Reding, MEP and former          terrorism, with Daesch perpetrating      these problems have in common?
Vice-President of the European          an ever-increasing number of dramatic    EU’s trade policy. In other words,
Commission, talks here about            attacks. Economically, 90% of growth     EU’s ability to open foreign markets,
bilateral trade negotiations            is generated outside Europe, with        promote development and raise
between the EU and the US and           South East Asia and the Four Tigers      global standards. Unlike the previous
the impact of trade on business         developing faster than ever. Digitally,  ones, the decisive battle of the
decisions. Viviane believes that        start-ups flourish in the Pacific Rim,   XXIst century will be won or lost
2016 will be the year of trade, for     from the Silicon Valley to Singapore     without armies, only with economic
better or worse.                        and Bangalore.                           ammunitions. As once stated by
                                                                                 former US President Eisenhower, “If
A stronger trade policy for             Environmentally, China continues to      we fail in our trade policy, we fail
a stronger Europe in 2016               be responsible for 25% of worldwide      in all: our domestic employment,
                                        CO2 emissions, with air pollution        our solidarity, our security and our
Throughout the world, 2015 will         reaching unprecedented levels in         standard of
remain tainted by terror. Both within   many cities. Energy-wise, Russia         living”.
and outside Europe, the feeling of      remains pivotal and starts looking
insecurity is all-pervasive. Populism   eastwards, while China seeks to build    In 2016 as much as in 2015, China,
is rising and countries are shutting    the most ambitious Eurasian              Russia, Syria and the rest of Asia will
themselves away.For decades,            bridges of the century with its Silk     be in everyone’s mind. Yet, if
Europe has shaped the world. Today,     Road project.                            this fact was alarming yesterday,
Europeans feel shaped by it.                                                     looks bleaker today, what will it be
                                        In the meantime, Europe seems            tomorrow? There are competing
Instead, all eyes are riveted on Asia.  border-less, job-less, voice-less,       visions for the world. On which side
Militarily, the Middle East remains     duty-free and energy-dependent.          do we want to be: standard-makers
the main source and destination of      In all the meanings of the term,         or standardtakers? Do we want to
                                        security is deficient. What do all       establish the rules of the game or be a

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