On June 24 2016, the German Council of Economic Experts has held the "International Conference of Councils on Economic Policy" in Berlin. The event took place on the premises and with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and was attended by representatives from Canada, Finland, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. The welcome address was given by Parliamentary State Secretary Iris Gleicke. The conference participants first discussed similarities and differences in the tasks and structures of their respective institutions. The focus was then set on current macroeconomic issues: On one hand challenges for economic growth in advanced economies and on the other hand the implications of the economic transformations in the People's Republic of China. Participants also discussed the outcome and the economic consequences of the referendum on the membership of the United Kingdom in the European Union.
The aim of the Council is to strengthen the cooperation and exchange of views on international level. The bilateral consultations with the Conseil d'Analyse Economique, which have taken place for years, formed the starting point.