Convening
Global Business Briefing with Her Excellency Adina-Ioana Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport
On May 23, 2023, the Meridian Corporate Council partnered with United Airlines to host a Global Business Briefing with Commissioner Vălean. The discussion, moderated by Karim Lesina, Chair, Meridian Corporate Council Executive Committee and Executive Vice President - Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom, covered key areas of global trends in the world of transportation and perspectives on global food chain supplies and the Russian invasion of Ukraine Adina-Ioana Vălean has been serving as European Commissioner for Transport under the leadership of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen since 2019.
She previously served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2007 until 2019, where she chaired of the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in 2019. Vălean became a Member of the European Parliament on 1 January 2007, with the accession of Romania to the European Union. Throughout her time in parliament, she served on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; in 2019, she became the committee’s chairwoman.
During her time on the committee, she was the Parliament’s rapporteur for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the European Union roaming regulations. The United States and the European Union (EU) have a significant relationship in the transportation sector, collaborating on various issues, policies, and initiatives but more can be done. In EVs the U.S. and EU have been working together to promote the adoption and development of electric vehicles.
The U.S. and EU have historically pursued different approaches to vehicle emissions standards. However, there has been some convergence in recent years. The EU has adopted stringent CO2 emissions standards for new vehicles, while the U.S. has implemented Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. It is integral for the two regions to continue engaging in dialogue and technical cooperation to align and harmonize standards where possible.
Lastly, research must lead the way – fostering cooperation in transportation research and innovation will only lead to new breakthroughs in alternative fuels, autonomous vehicles, and sustainable transportation solutions. Chaitan Jain, Director – Regulatory Affairs, United Airlines, Steve Morrissey, Vice President, International Regulatory & Policy, United Airlines, and Karim Lesina, Executive Vice President – Chief External Affairs Officer in conversation ahead of the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023.
Photo by Stephen Bobb Members of the Meridian Corporate Council make up a full table during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Photo by Stephen Bobb Steve Morrissey, Vice President, International Regulatory & Policy, United Airlines introduces Commissioner Valean during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Photo by Stephen Bobb. Commissioner Valean exchanges a laugh with Karim Lesina, Executive Vice President – Chief External Affairs Officer during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023.
Photo by Stephen Bobb Usman Rahim, Senior Vice President – Federal Public Policy Lead, Bank of America posits a question to Commissioner Valean during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Photo by Stephen Bobb. David Korkoian, Senior Federal Affairs Representative, FedEx asks a question to Commissioner Valean during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Photo by Stephen Bobb. Heather Wingate, Senior Vice President – Government Affairs, Delta Airlines, asks a question to Commissioner Valean during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023.
Photo by Stephen Bobb. Nate Smith, Manager – Government Affairs, Caterpillar engages in the discussion during the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Photo by Stephen Bobb. Bogdan Banu, Senior Director for Program Management, Meridian International Center, speaks with Commissioner Valean after the Global Business Briefing on May 23, 2023. Project summary Global Business Briefing with Her Excellency Adina-Ioana Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport | May 2023 Number of Visitors: 20 Number of Attendees: 20 Regions: Europe and Eurasia , Western Hemisphere Impact Areas: Transportation , Science and Technology , Business and Trade , Energy Program Areas: Diplomatic Engagement Partners: Diplomatic Corps , Private Sector .