On 4-5 February 2019, the delegation of the AEB Board members, headed by Johan Vanderplaetse, Chairman of the Board, visited Brussels in order to discuss EU-Russia economic relations with European policy-makers, more particularly with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European External Action Service, the Permanent Représentation of the Russian Federation to the European Union as well as European partner associations.

During this traditional mission, the AEB delegation voiced to the European authorities the concerns of the European businesses with regard to the following issues:

• State of play of EU-Russia relations and EU Strategy towards the Russian Federation, in the current geopolitical context;

• Dialogue at the technical level between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU);

• Current economic situation and investment climate in Russia;

• Possible role and contribution of the European businesses in improving EU-Russia relations, possible areas of cooperation more particularly in the energy and transport sectors;

• Latest Russian government measures more particularly on localisation, state procurement, labeling, and parallel imports; 

• Contribution of the European businesses in the implementation of the EU strategy on connectivity between the European Union and Russia.

The AEB representatives highlighted the importance of stability, welfare and peace on the European continent for European investors in Russia. They also underlined the legal uncertainty created around the US sanctions that created a toxic environment for the foreign investments in Russia.

The AEB delegation welcomed the current cooperation of the European policy-makers with Russia and the EAEU, at the working level, in areas of mutual interest that are not falling under economic and financial sanctions. The AEB also stressed the role of a renewed dialogue on technical barriers to trade between the EU and the EAEU.