The EU's agenda for growth

Lunch with DG Grow Director-General Calleja

Daniel Calleja, Director-General, Directorate-General of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow), European Commission

As part of the European Commission's efforts to foster entrepreneurship and growth and support access to global markets for EU companies, the EC's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow) is leading a Mission for Growth to Taipei from 3-5 June. Led by DG Grow's Director-General Daniel Calleja. At this exclusive Premium Event lunch, DG Calleja will address ECCT members on the subject of the EU's agenda for growth, covering various trade aspects, internationalisation and digital union.

The Missions for Growth are a series of high-level political and business meetings to discuss areas of mutual interest between the countries involved and the policies of DG Grow. The intention of the mission to Taiwan is to meet with key industry leaders, policymakers and local entrepreneurs with a view towards helping European companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to operate internationally by exploiting business opportunities in Taiwan. In the mission to Taiwan DG Calleja will be accompanied by a delegation of representatives of business associations and entrepreneurs to discuss with Taiwanese entrepreneurs how to foster industrial cooperation and identify business opportunities in industry sectors including ICT and related services, electronics, green technology and environmental protection and energy and biotechnology.

Daniel Calleja is the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow, formerly DG Enterprise and Industry) and the Special Envoy for SMEs, which is in charge of the European Union's internal markets for goods, competitiveness and innovation, SMEs and entrepreneurship, international negotiations and tourism. Prior to this from 2004-2011 he was Director for Air Transport at the European Commission, in charge of the single European aviation market and its external dimension. In this position he successfully negotiated, on behalf of the EU, the EU-US Open Skies Agreement.

Between 1999 and 2004, he was Head of Cabinet of the Vice President of the European Commission, Loyola de Palacio, responsible for Transport, Energy and relations with the European Parliament. During this period, he participated actively in the elaboration of the EU transport policy, notably in the launching of the Transport White Book, the Single European Sky, the creation of the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) and the Galileo programme. Between 1995 and 1999, he was the Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Marcelino Oreja. Between 1986 and 1993, he was Member of the Legal Service of the Commission and he represented the institution in numerous cases before the European Court of Justice.

Daniel Calleja is the author of several publications. He has lectured in European law in several universities and institutes of various EU member states. He has a degree in Law and in Business Administration from the University of Comillas, Madrid.