Message from the New President of the JBCE:
It is a great honour to have been elected as the 6th President of the Japan Business
Council in Europe (JBCE). Since the JBCE was founded in 1999, it has positively
contributed and continues to contribute to EU public policy issues and raised the
visibility and influence of European industry with Japanese roots.
In my function as President of the JBCE, I will continue the excellent work of the
late JCBE President Mr Reinhart, who unfortunately passed away on 26
December 2008, and further the good relations between European institutions
and the JCBE.
Environment and CSR
Both 'environment' and 'CSR' are relevant issues at this point in the EU and
globally, and their selection demonstrates a continuance of the priorities of the
late JBCE President Mr Reinhart. In its Environment Committee, the JBCE is
focusing on the WEEE Directive - EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and
Electronic Equipment - and the RoHS Directive-EU Directive on the Restriction
Of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic
equipment.
The Committee communicates actively with EU policy makers based on the
publication and dissemination of position papers. The Committee has recently
followed the developments of several other key issues in the field of EU
environment policy, including the discussions over the EU's new chemicals
policy and the energy efficiency requirement for end-use equipment. The JBCE
Environment Committee will accelerate its discussions on these issues and will
continue to communicate with EU policy makers as well as with other stakeholders.
The commencement of its CSR Committee in 2003 demonstrates JBCE's
commitment to CSR. By establishing a close relationship with the leading
European business network on CSR, CSR Europe, and remaining in close contact
with the European Parliament on this issue, European industries of Japanese
origin can contribute to the future direction of European CSR policy and will
actively participate in shaping the EU's CSR roadmap.
Since our aim is to build a responsible corporate environment, CSR will continue
to be at the heart of JBCE's priorities during my tenure.
Personal History
I was born in 1958 and have been working for Panasonic in Europe since April
2004, when I became Deputy Managing Director of Panasonic France,
department of consumer products. In 2009 I became Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Panasonic Europe Ltd.
Over the years, I have worked as Managing Director of Panasonic France, while
also holding the position of Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation from
April 2008. Before joining Panasonic, I graduated from IMD global business
school in Lausanne, Switzerland. I began my career after I graduated from ISTEC
Business School in Paris, France in 1980.
It is a great pleasure to accept the Presidency of the JBCE, and I would like to
take a very active role in representing members' interests, promoting European
business of Japanese roots and contributing to Corporate Social Responsibility
and environmental protection.
As the new President of JBCE, I look forward to working with you and hope to
continue to enhance the visibility JBCE members.
Presidents Message PDF Version
Mr. Laurent Abadie,
JBCE President,
CEO of Panasonic Europe
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