Unice's Strube sets competitiveness, US trade as key aims

30 June 2003 17:12  [Source: ICIS news]

Jurgen Strube

LONDON (CNI)--Jurgen Strube, ex management board chairman at German chemicals group BASF, named European competitiveness and a revival in transatlantic trade among his priorities as president of the European employers’ federation Unice.

Strube, who took over on Monday as Unice head, pledged to keep up the pressure on European Union (EU) member states to make progress towards meeting the competitiveness objective agreed in Lisbon three years ago. It is also essential that Europe enhances its research efforts and puts in place the right framework for innovation, which is vital to future prosperity and job creation, said Unice in outlining Strube's main objectives.

It also listed improvement in trade and external relations, stressing that Strube has a strong personal commitment to revival of the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). Unice added that the Doha trade talks must be accelerated to give a new impetus to liberalisation as trade and foreign direct investment are stagnating.

Strube also wants to adopt an industrial policy that ensures a favourable framework within which industry can flourish and improve its competitiveness without governmental intervention, said Unice.

It added that Strube will also aim to make regulation more business-friendly through a reduction in excessive red tape, independent impact assessment of business-relevant initiatives and allowing industry a greater say in the way it is regulated. Environmental policy is an example, it added.

The new president will also be aiming to enhance dialogue with social partners, grouped around three major themes: employment, mobility and enlargement that will be handled on a more autonomous basis. 

Strube’s appointment as Unice president was first announced about a year ago. He replaced Georges Jacobs, who is chairman of Belgian specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals firm UCB, for an initial two years.

Strube is currently chairman of BASF’s supervisory board and he also sits on the supervisory boards of other leading firms.

By: Russell Ong
+44 208 652 3214

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