The next IPR Working Group meeting is scheduled on April 20th in Shanghai. Your attendance at this meeting is of great importance as we will not only hold the 2015-2016 election of Chairs and Vice Chairs for the Working Group, but also hold the key discussions on the initial draft of the position paper at this time. This will determine the course of the working groups lobbying efforts and activities for the year to come.
Chairs Election:
The IPR Chair and Vice-Chairs play a crucial role in driving the Working Group, which includes a leadership role in the drafting of the Position Paper, communicating key messages to Chinese and European government authorities and steering Working Group meetings. The desired characteristics of a Chair and Vice-Chair are a senior industry representative with relevant industry expertise and government contacts who has the time and willingness to support the Working Group. The IPR Working Group plans to have one Chair and two Vice-Chairs in Shanghai or Beijing.
Please note the following Chair and Vice-Chair eligibility requirements:
- Chairs and Vice-Chairs must be physically based in China
- Chairs and Vice-Chairs are recommended to run in the chapter, where he/she is based
- maximum length of Chair/Vice-Chairmanship is 3 consecutive terms (1 term = 1 year)
Should you be interested in putting your name forward for election, please, firstly, read the attached Working Group Chairs’ Code of Conduct and Roles and Responsibilities documents. To apply, please send your CV and a short motivation letter in 1 document, stating whether you intend to run for Chair or Vice-Chair, to Mr. Robert Jan Slavenburg at rjslavenburg@europeanchamber.com.cn by Wednesday, 8th April COB.
In accordance with European Chamber guidelines, another email will be sent to the Working Group prior to the election, with the biographies and motivation letters of all candidates attached. Voting for the election, one vote per company, must be conducted in person at the Working Group meeting. All elected Chairpersons must sign the attached documents, following election.
IPR Position Paper:
I will be sending out a separate call for comments on this year’s position paper shortly. During the WG we will further discuss the initial draft of this year’s IPR Position Paper. The Position Paper is the European Chamber’s key lobbying document and is widely recognised by the Chinese and European governments, EU institutions, business associations and the media as the authoritative voice of EU business in China. It is used extensively for policy considerations, bilateral discussions, cooperation projects and background information. The value and importance of a well-written and well-represented Position Paper cannot be overstated.