Germany is taking over the G20 Presidency from China today. The G20 Summit will take place in Hamburg on 7-8 July 2017. The focus will be on initiatives to shape globalisation. The Economic Affairs Ministry will be setting the course in the G20 process for more inclusive growth which, through greater social participation, strengthens social cohesion. Public investment in education and infrastructure, and a better environment for private-sector investment, are key factors. At the same time, we need to ensure that growing incomes and opportunities on the labour market are shared more fairly around the world. The Economic Affairs Ministry will also be promoting the recognition of labour, social and environmental standards in global supply chains.

The Economic Affairs Ministry will be the host of the first G20 Digital Ministers Meeting in Düsseldorf on 6-7 April 2017. Federal Minister Gabriel said: “Digitalisation is the key driving force for economic growth and is bringing the world even closer together through integrated value chains, Industrie 4.0 and digital trade, as well as social networks and platforms. For this reason, I will be inviting the G20 Ministers for the Digital Economy to a first meeting and will propose ambitious goals to our G20 partners: transparency, legal certainty and a fair framework for competition in the internet, data sovereignty and harmonisation of standards for Industrie 4.0, and not least the promotion of digital education. We all need to work together on achieving these goals, and the G20 is an outstanding format for this.”

During the German G20 Presidency, the Economic Affairs Ministry will also continue with work on trade and investment and on energy in G20 working groups:

Building on the ongoing analytical work, the positive effects of economic liberalisation and integration are to be illustrated, e.g. via specific case studies and examples. A further priority will be placed on the field of digital trade, with an emphasis on improving the statistical data, on the role of the WTO, and on the development dimension. The results of these are to be fed into the G20 ministerial process on the digital economy.

Not least with a view to the ambitious implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, the issues of energy and climate are to be more closely integrated under the German G20 Presidency. The aim in the field of energy will be to discuss the common position of the G20 on the need for a long-term transformation of the energy sector and on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and by reducing subsidies for fossil fuels to create a suitable investment environment for the long-term decarbonisation of the energy sector.

Also, the issue of overcapacities in the steel sector will be on the agenda of the G20 process. Here, the decisive issue is not merely the capability to respond quickly to distortions on the global steel market. The aim is also to find ways to reduce the current global overcapacities. Since this is a global task, the German government will use the G20 Presidency to bring together the greatest possible number of steel-producing countries in order to find specific solutions which can cut inadmissible subsidies and state aids and thus reduce the overcapacities which have emerged.

Important dates relating to theh activities of the Economic Affairs Ministry in the G20 process

The Digital Economy

• 12.01.2017: Joint conference with the OECD: “Key Issues for Digital Transformation in the G20”, Berlin
• 13.01.2017: 1st meeting of the Task Force on the Digital Economy, Berlin
• 03.03.2017: 2nd meeting of the Task Force on the Digital Economy, Berlin
• 15.-17.03.2017: “Digitizing Manufacturing - Conference on Initiatives and Policy Approaches”, Berlin
• 06.04.2017: “Multi-Stakeholder Conference on the Digital Economy”, Düsseldorf
• 06./07.04.2017: Digital Ministers Conference: “Digitalisation: Policies for a Digital Future”, Düsseldorf

Trade and investment

• 06./07.02.2017: 1st meeting of the “Trade and Investment Working Group” (TIWG)
• 02.03.2017: 2nd meeting of the “Trade and Investment Working Group” (TIWG)
• 22./23.05.2017: 3rd meeting of the “Trade and Investment Working Group” (TIWG)

Energy

• 13.12.2016: G20 Workshop on “Energy Policy after the Paris Climate Agreement” (invitation to all WG members and external experts from the G20 countries)
• 14./15.12.2016: Working Group meetings (Sustainability Working Group, Energy Sustainability Working Group und Climate Sustainability Working Group)
• 22./23.3.2017: Working Group meetings (Sustainability Working Group, Energy Sustainability Working Group und Climate Sustainability Working Group)
• 02.-04.05.2017 (tbc): Working Group meetings (Sustainability Working Group, Energy Sustainability Working Group und Climate Sustainability Working Group)