To contribute to the debate on a modern and more effective WTO, BusinessEurope published a paper illustrating the importance of trade in services for manufacturers. The paper includes nine real-life examples of individual companies showing the close interconnection between trade in goods and trade in services. "Trade in services and trade in goods are indissociable", President Pierre Gattaz said. "Through globalisation and technological innovation, services play a crucial role in manufacturing: services such as logistics are supporting global value chains, services such as software and design are an integral part of goods, and services such as customer care are supplied together with goods. A trade policy fit for the 21st century can no longer ignore this reality."

Today, BusinessEurope published its priorities for the next institutional cycle in the area of intellectual property (IP). We propose a comprehensive strategy on IP with concrete actions to help IP deliver its well-recognised benefits to companies, citizens and society at large. IP is a fundamental tool to drive innovation, growth, competitiveness and job creation in Europe. Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “Innovators, creators and businesses must be able to rely on a solid IP system in the EU. European companies need an effective enforcement of IP rights and our discussions on industrial policy in Europe must include IP rights as they today include innovation and competitiveness. The EU should maintain a high-quality and coherent IP strategy when discussing any bilateral trade agreements, as well as possible revisions of WTO rules. The acceleration of technological progress and the digital revolution open up new opportunities, but also create new challenges in the IP environment. The EU must ensure a good balance between IP protection and legal certainty to encourage new technologies.” Read our strategy on IP here.