At B20 Summit in Tokyo, Japan, global business leaders of the private sector's voice of the G20 economies warned against the rise in protectionism around the world and the increasing opposition to trade. BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “We must avoid trade conflicts where each side tries to play by its own rules. A ‘winner takes it all’ attitude will end in a battlefield of losers on all sides. Trade wars are extremely dangerous for companies around the world, which are relying on global value chains and the ability to choose from the best and most competitive goods and services. We need to make sure that protectionism and unilateralism will not become the ‘new normal’. The World Trade Organisation is a central pillar of today’s rules-based trading order. We need to reform it, make it more effective and able to respond to challenges posed by state-centric economies, including subsidies and the prominent role of state-owned enterprises.” Read our press release and B20 Joint Recommendations "Society 5.0 for SDGs".

Today the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force. This is a milestone for EU-Japan relations and the business community, workers and consumers on both sides. Trade in goods and services between Japan and the European Union amounts to over 150 billion euros a year, and exports between the two regions are projected to increase by 34% for the EU and 29% for Japan when all tariffs are phased out and the agreement is fully implemented. This agreement, BusinessEurope President Pierre Gattaz said, is the perfect example that building bridges is better than raising walls. At a time when protectionism is on the rise, the EU and Japan show the world that they remain open to modern and rules-based trade. Read more or watch message by Director General Markus J. Beyrer (31 January 2019)

- Business Ambition 2030 – A Europe with opportunities for all -

Today in Rome, Europe’s umbrella organisation for employers and industry, BusinessEurope and its Italian member federation Confindustria presented the European business community’s “Ambition for 2030 – A Europe with opportunities for all”. This is the first of a series of activities that BusinessEurope is taking ahead of the European elections in May 2019. The Ambition recalls the great achievements of the EU, looks at the serious challenges we currently face and explains how European business is committed to transforming them into opportunities for European citizens. Business stands ready to play its role in defending our European way of life. At the press conference in Rome BusinessEurope President Pierre Gattaz said: “The European project brought us 70 years of peace and prosperity. This is a great achievement but it isn’t sufficient anymore for today’s challenges”. Read more