THE EUROPEAN SERVICES FORUM (ESF) PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY

The European Services Forum (ESF) represents the European services sectors' interests towards international stakeholders and decision makers.

Service Sectors include:

1. Audiovisual Services
2. Business Services
3. Distribution/Retail Services
4. Engineering and Construction Services
5. Environmental Services/Utiluities
6. Financial Services
7. General Services
8. Insurance
9. Professional Services (Lawyers, Accountants, Architects, Notaries)
10. Postal and Express Delivery Services
11. Shipping
12. Telecommunications
13. Tourism

Corporate Members include:

1. BDO
2. British Telecommunications Plc
3. Deutsche Bank AG
4. Deutsche Telekom AG
5. Deutsche Post DHL
6. Ernst & Young
7. HSBC Holdings Plc
8. IBM Europe, Middle East & Africa
9. Inmarsat
10. KPMG
11. Microsoft Corporation Europe
12. Oracle Europe, Middle East & Africa
13. Orange
14. Prudential Plc
15. Siemens AG
16. Standard Chartered Bank
17. TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
18. Telefonica SA
19. Telenor Group
20. Thomson Reuters
21. Vodafone
22. Zurich Financial Services

Trade Associations include:

1. Architects' Council of Europe (ACE)
2. Bundesverband der Freien Berufe (BFB) German Association of Liberal Professions
3. Bureau International des Producteurs d'Assurances et dee Réassurances (BIPAR)
4. Business Europe WTO Working GRoup
5. Confederation of Danish Industry (DI)
6. Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK)
7. Conseil des Barreaux de la Communauté Européenne (CCBE)
8. Conseil des Notariats de l'Union Européenne (CNUE) Council of Notaries of the European Union
9. ECommerce Europe
10. EuroCiett
11. EuroCommerce
12. European Association of Cooperative Banks( EACB)
13. European Banking Federation (EBF/FBE)
14. European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
15. European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA)
16. European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA)
17. European Satellite Operators Association (ESOA)
18. European Savings Banks Group (ESBG)
19. European Public Telecommunication Network Operators' Associoation (ETNO)
20. Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens (FEE)
21. Fédération de l'Industrie Européenne de la Construction (FIEC)
22. Foreign Trade Association
23. Insurance Europe
24. Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC)
25. Law Society of England and Wales
26. Mouvement des Entreprises de France
27. PostEurop
28. Svenskt Näringsliv (Confederation of Swedish Enterprises)
29. The CityUK

Over the years, ESF has been recognized by relevant stakeholders active in international trade policy as the voice of the European service industries. Initially, ESF's mandate was to support the WTO's services negotiations. Now, it also covers the negotiations on EU bilateral agreements with EU trading partners in third countries.

ESF's activities include:

1. Engaging in direct dialogue with key decisionmakers: The ESF closely collaborates with international organisations that represent service industries in the developed and the developing world. The Forum is a member of the Global Services Coalition. ESF is involved in the Market Access Advisory Committee work, participates in the European Commission's Civil Society Dialogue Meetings and is a member of the  DG Trade's Civil Society Contact Group. ESF increasingly monitors the European Parliament's work related to trade policy.
2. Issuing Position Papers: To highlight the European services sectors' stakes in international trade in services, ESF produces a large number of position papers. The recipients of ESF's position papers include, if appropriate, the European Commissioner for Trade, the European Commission's DG Trade and other relevant Directorates, the EU Trade Ministers and their representatives
3. Issuing Press Releases: To raise public awareness, ESF issues press releases on topics related to its activities whenever appropriate.
4. Participation in Conferences: To present the views of the European Services sector.