IIEA Talks

As the conversation on the future of industrial policy in the European Union continues, questions on the future of European competitiveness, the green transition, and trade policy have grown in importance. In her remarks to the IIEA, Garance Pineau reflects upon these key concerns and offers the French vision for the future of the European business environment. About the Speaker: Garance Pineau is the Director General of the Mouvement des Enterprises de France (MEDEF), the largest business organization in France since November 2023. Before joining MEDEF, she served as European advisor to the French President, Emmanuel Macron. She was previously Chief of Staff to the European Affairs Minister and managed the 2019 European elections for the President’s political party. She also worked as the Deputy Director of Social Relations at MEDEF and lent her expertise as a Diplomatic Advisor in the office of the Minister for Labour. In addition to this, Garance Pineau has worked for the UN and the OSCE in the field of Human and Asylum Rights.

In conversation with Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), he explores the most pressing issues facing the aviation industry today. The conversation looks at the industry’s ambitious commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities that stakeholders face. Mr Walsh also discusses topics such as increased pressure on airport capacity, regulatory challenges that aviation companies face, as well as the broader aviation supply chain and current EU and international aviation policies. This conversation aims to provide a comprehensive look at the future of aviation, with insights into how international and European institutions interact to ensure the aviation industry can operate safely and efficiently. About the Speaker: Willie Walsh became the eighth person to lead the International Air Transport Association (IATA) when he took on the role of Director General in April 2021. Mr Walsh began as a cadet pilot with Aer Lingus in 1979 and rose to the position of Chief Executive at the airline in 2001. In 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways (BA), leading them through the 2008/09 global financial crisis, he also established a transatlantic joint business venture with Iberia, Finnair, and American Airlines, and oversaw the 2011 merger of BA and Iberia under a newly established parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG). He was the Chief Executive of IAG from its inception until September 2020. Mr Walsh served on the IATA Board of Governors between 2005 to 2018, including serving as Chair from 2016 to 2017.

'The end of the free market and free trade in Europe?' The recent imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by the EU, which won the support of member states including Ireland, is just one illustration of how the potential downsides of free trade have been given greater prioritisation in Europe in recent years. The appointment of a European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security for the first time underscores a fundamental rethinking of core EU competences such as competition policy, state aids, and trade. Elvire Fabry, Martin Sandbu, and Sander Tordoir will discuss the origins of this rethink and how it will shape future policy outcomes in the EU. Elvire Fabry is Senior Research Fellow at the Jacques Delors Institute, in charge of the geopolitics of trade and rapporteur of the working group on EU-China relations. Her areas of expertise include EU bilateral trade negotiations, EU-US relations, EU-China relations, investment, global governance, WTO reform, Brexit, and perceptions of globalisation. Martin Sandbu is the European Economics Commentator at the Financial Times where he writes on a range of international affairs issues drawing insight from the intersection of economics, politics, and ethics. He is the also the author of a number of books, including The Economics of Belonging: A Radical Plan to Win Back the Left-Behind and Achieve Prosperity for All. Before joining the Financial Times, he worked in policy consulting and academia, including at Harvard, Columbia, and the Wharton School. Sander Tordoir is Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform where he works on eurozone monetary and fiscal policy and the institutional architecture of EMU and European integration. Prior to joining the CER, he worked at the ECB in Frankfurt, as advisor to the ECB Representative at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC and at the German Federal Finance Ministry.

This address by Prof Emanuel Del Re, the EU Special Representative for the Sahel, which is part of the IIEA Development Matters series supported by Irish Aid, focuses on the evolving dynamics of the EU-Africa relationship, with a particular emphasis on the Sahel region. In her address, Prof Del Re explores key strategic areas such as security, development, governance, and migration, highlighting how the EU's comprehensive approach in the Sahel aligns with broader African Union priorities. The discussion delves into the challenges and opportunities of fostering sustainable peace and development in the region, addressing complex issues like violent extremism, climate change, and humanitarian crises. About the Speaker: Emanuela Del Re is the European Union Special Representative for the Sahel. She was Italian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from June 2018 to February 2021. She was an Elected Member of the Italian Lower House of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, from March 2018 to June 2021 and resigned to take up her appointment by the EU Council as the EU Special Representative for the Sahel region in Africa. She was a member of the Foreign Affairs Commission at the Italian Parliament until June 2021 and was appointed President of the Standing Committee on the implementation of Agenda 2030 and sustainable development until June 2021. She is a Jean Monnet Professor of Sociology at the Sapienza University, a director of film-documentaries on conflicts, coexistence and ethno-religious persecutions, and founder and president until 2017 of EPOS, a non-profit organization active in conflict areas with projects for the reconstruction of the Civil Society and governance, in particular for refugees and welcoming communities.

In his address to the IIEA, Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez discusses the evolving partnership between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). This discussion highlights the partnership’s commitment to multilateralism to reduce global inequalities, strengthen solidarity, promote international cooperation, and fight and mitigate climate change. Ambassador Niño Pérez also looks towards the upcoming EU-AU Summit in 2025, where leaders from Europe and Africa will continue to shape this important relationship. About the Speaker: Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez is the Head of Delegation for the EU Delegation to the African Union, a position he has held since January 2024. Previously, he held various positions within the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission, including Director/Deputy Managing Director for Americas, Head of Division for US and Canada, and Head of Division in Turkey. He has served as an Ambassador in Haiti and Cuba and has held various positions within the Political and Economic Sections of European Commission Delegations in Trinidad & Tobago and Burkina Faso. Ambassador Niño Pérez holds a M.A. in Advanced Political Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, an LL.M. in European Law from the Free University of Brussels, and a degree in Law from the University of Valladolid.

'Does Ireland have a Europe strategy?' Europe is in flux. Countries are re-arming in response to growing security threats. Economic security risks are leading to a rethinking of EU state aid rules, competition and trade policies. With public opinion shifting against immigration across the continent, how the EU and its members handle asylum applications from outside the bloc is rising up the agenda. Dr Eoin Drea, Senator Michael McDowell and Dr Kathryn Simpson share their views on how Ireland is positioning itself on these issues, how they think it should position itself, and how have Ireland’s alliances with other member states have evolved in these rapidly changing circumstances? Dr Eoin Drea is Senior Researcher in the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies focusing on the political economy of the European Union, the future of the Eurozone, EU-UK and EU-US relations. He is a regular media contributor and his opinion pieces have appeared in Foreign Policy, Politico, The Guardian, The Times of London and The Irish Times among others. Senator Michael McDowell was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2016. He served as Attorney General from 1999 to 2002, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2002 until 2007, and as Tánaiste from 2006 until 2007. He is also currently a Senior Counsel, an Adjunct Professor in the UCD Sutherland School of Law and a weekly columnist with the Irish Times. Dr Kathryn Simpson is Associate Professor of Politics & Economics of the EU and Director of Research at Keele University. Her research interests include Ireland’s relationship with the EU, political behaviour and public opinion in the EU, UK & Ireland, the politics, and economics of Brexit on the island of Ireland and Ireland-UK relations post-Brexit. Her books include ‘Nationalism in Internationalism: Ireland’s Relationship with the EU’.

Human impacts on the global ocean are increasing in scale and scope. As we learn more about climate change, plastic pollution, deep sea mining, and overfishing we see more clearly that these impacts alter our relationship with the ocean. Around the world, communities of people are working together to observe, understand, and act to sustain ocean habitats. In her address to IIEA, Tessa Hill, author of At Every Depth, discusses our growing knowledge about the ocean and the changes that threaten it. The discussion provides an overview of the major themes and lessons from the book, and how they apply to people who are working to protect marine environments on a local, national, and international level.  About the Speaker:  Dr Tessa Hill is a Professor in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department, and Associate Vice Provost for Public Scholarship and Engagement at UC Davis. Dr Tessa Hill is a Professor in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department, and Associate Vice Provost for Public Scholarship and Engagement at UC Davis. She holds a Ph.D. in Marine Science from UC Santa Barbara (2004). Her research interests include climate change, both past and present, and understanding the response of marine species to environmental perturbation.  She is part of the Bodega Ocean Acidification Research (BOAR) group at Bodega Marine Laboratory, which aims to understand the impacts of ocean acidification and partner with local community groups to address these impacts. Tessa is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the California Academy of Sciences. Tessa’s work has been featured in a variety of media outlets including National Public Radio, Al Jazeera, and New York Times. She was the recipient of the Rachel Carson Lecture from the American Geophysical Union in 2023. She is co-author of At Every Depth: Our Growing Knowledge of the Changing Oceans (Columbia, 2024).

In his remarks to the IIEA, Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board and Vice President of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank, provides an overview of major trends of relevance for the macro financial outlook in Europe. He discusses how these trends are reflected in the ECB’s monetary policy and banking supervision priorities. Mr Elderson also reflects upon the specific actions the ECB is undertaking in monetary policy and banking supervision in relation to climate and nature-related risks. Mr Elderson will be joined by Sharon Donnery, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, for a fireside discussion and Q&A which will be moderated by Dan O'Brien, the IIEA's Chief Economist. Frank Elderson is a member of the Executive Board and of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. He is Vice-Chair of the ECB’s Supervisory Board and oversees the ECB’s Legal Services. He co-chairs the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Risks of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Mr Elderson previously served as Executive Director of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). At DNB he held several senior positions before joining its Governing Board in 2011.Before joining DNB in 1999, Mr Elderson worked as a lawyer specialising in EU competition law.  Sharon Donnery is Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Ireland for Financial Regulation on 1 July 2022. She is an ex-officio Member of the Central Bank Commission and is a member of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the General Board of the European Systemic Risk Board.

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), Intelligence gathered using publicly available data from sources such as social media, has changed how we think about intelligence gathering and secrecy. Though OSINT has been used for years by researchers, Russia's war in Ukraine has illustrated the effectiveness of OSINT tools for both researchers, and governments around the world. In his address to the IIEA, George Barros discusses the growing importance of OSINT, how OSINT may change the future of intelligence gathering, and provide his assessment on the ongoing war in Ukraine.  About the Speaker: George Barros is the Russia Team & Geospatial Intelligence Team Lead on the Russia and Ukraine portfolio at the Institute for the Study of War. George's work with the Russia and Ukraine portfolio focuses on Russian information operations, the Kremlin’s operational art and campaign design in Ukraine and Belarus, and Ukrainian politics. His work within the Geospatial Intelligence Team focuses on innovating ISW's open-source research methodology with remote sensing data collection, data visualization, and geospatial analysis. George received his B.A. with Honors in International Relations and Global Studies with a concentration in Russian and Post-Soviet Studies from the College of William & Mary. Prior to joining ISW, he worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as an advisor on Ukraine and Russia for a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, driven by advancements in generative AI, machine learning, and quantum computing, organisations and enterprise have been faced with increasing uncertainty. Amongst this uncertainty, climate change, geopolitical competition and demographic changes continue to pose challenges to society and businesses across Europe. In this panel discussion, expert speakers discuss how horizon-scanning tools can assist and support policymakers, citizens, and organisations in making sense of, and addressing, uncertainty as well as identifying potential opportunities arising. This panel has been organised in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. About the Speaker: Larry O'Connell is the Director of the National Economic and Social Council. Aaron Maniam is a Fellow of Practice and the Director of Digital Transformation Education at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. Soile Ollila is the Foresight Manager at Business Finland. Alessandra Colecchia is the Head of Science and Technology Policy at the OECD.