European Corporate Governance Conference is an annual event that brings together decision-makers from public and private sectors to discuss major policy and regulatory trends or changes affecting European businesses within the context of corporate governance. The conference is one of the EU debate forums, and its location depends on which country holds the Presidency of the  European Council.

In 2024, the European Corporate Governance Conference was held in Brussels on March 20. This significant event, organised by E&Y in partnership with Accountancy Europe, BusinessEurope, ecoDa (which CGPA joined in 2023), EuropeanIssuers, Guberna and VBO-FEB, was a platform for crucial discussions on sustainability and corporate governance. CGPA, represented by Board Member Oksana Strashna, was invited to participate, underscoring our organisation’s commitment to corporate governance and its active role in shaping future policies. Ms. Oksana shared her insights from the conference at our request:

«The fact that the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) is currently moving through the legislative approval process in the EU definitely impacted the mood of the conference. The Directive outlines the perimeter of corporate responsibility (subsidiaries and value chain included) and imposes significant financial sanctions on violators.  I could feel that those who for years lobbied for increasing the responsibility and accountability of European companies to operate in a manner that protects both human rights and the environment were excited, felt rightfully accomplished, and hopeful about the future.

Decision-makers from the government, academia, business leaders, and representatives of civil society engaged in discussions about whether integrating sustainability into business strategies increases or decreases the competitiveness of businesses, the role and responsibilities of the boards in assuring proper implementation of sustainability goals and monitoring of the quality of the implementation. Top executives of global companies with headquarters in Belgium, including  Umicore (materials technology and recycling company) and Solvay (world-leading chemical company), shared best practices for integrating sustainability in their businesses.

The European Corporate Governance Conference will take place in Poland next year, and I recommend that those involved in corporate governance legislation development and implementation attend. This is a good way to prepare for Ukraine’s EU future».

Here is a link to the video recording for those interested in learning more about the speeches discussed during the event –

https://players.brightcove.net/1066292269001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6349728011112