News
Implementation of structural reforms essential to strengthen EU economy
“Recent months have reminded us of the fragility of the EU economy, with lower business growth and confidence,” commented BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer at the Macroecono...
Global Business Coalition: trade and digitalisation are top priorities
Business leaders from major world economies met in Delhi, India, on 11 and 12 February and agreed that trade and digitalisation should remain top priorities for the international business community in...
CETA creates new opportunities to promote trade in green tech
“By eliminating tariffs on green tech and boosting collaborative research, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is one of the first free-trade agreements (FTAs) that c...
Happy 20th birthday to the €uro!
The 1st of January 2019 marks 20 years since the euro was introduced, with exchange rates being frozen and prices denoted in euros. Introduction of the euro has brought important benefits to businesse...
Romania takes its turn in holding the presidency of the Council of the EU
Romania will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time since it joined the EU, from January to June 2019. This opens the trio of presidencies composed also of Finland and Cro...
Our best wishes
We wish you a merry Christmas,
a festive holiday season
and all the best for 2019...
Better Regulation: businesses push for ambitious agenda
BusinessEurope hosted a conference on Better Regulation bringing together high-level speakers and guests from EU institutions, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), nation...
Advisory and Support Group CEO Event 2018
On 27 November, President Pierre Gattaz, Director General Markus J. Beyrer, three Vice-Presidents of BusinessEurope and 20 CEOs of its Advisory and Support Group gathered in Brussels and met EU leader...
L’Eco européen: Interview with Pierre Gattaz
Podcast 35 min in French
In this first episode of l’Eco européen, it is Pierre Gattaz, President of BusinessEurope, former President of Medef, who speaks at the microphone of EUradio. "In a worl...
Escalating global trade tensions and skills shortages a risk for the EU economy
The danger of escalating trade conflicts is a key risk for the economic grow. It could reduce global GDP by almost 1% in 2020. At the same time, digitalisation is rapidly increasing and the demand for...
Business community calls for a political agreement on the EU budget before the European elections
On 5 November, the European Parliament will vote on its interim report on the multiannual financial framework (MFF), also the Council must speed-up its work. Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: &l...
“La jeunesse africaine n’a pas besoin qu’on lui donne du poisson…”, Pierre Gattaz – Président de BusinessEurope
Après avoir dirigé pendant plus de 5 années le Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) au sein duquel il a mené plusieurs campagnes pour renforcer les relations économiques entre les sociétÃ...
EU-US relations: Beyrer meets US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
European business is keen to actively support any actions that create more trade and investment opportunities for both US and EU companies - was the main message given by Markus J. Beyrer in the meeti...
Gattaz: extremely concerned about lack of progress in Brexit negotiations
“Avoiding a chaotic Brexit is a top priority for us”, said BusinessEurope President Pierre Gattaz today at the Tripartite Social Summit in Brussels. “It’s absolutely essential...
Gattaz: We need a new global order, not a global mess
"In a world undergoing profound changes, companies are a crucial factor of adaptation while ensuring stability. My main task as President of BusinessEurope will be to make sure that uncertainties...
European industry: need to transition to low-carbon economy
“The energy transition is very much driven by the need to combat climate change. European industry is fully engaged in making the transition to a low-carbon economy a reality. Different sectors...
EU unemployment at its lowest since the financial crisis
The strengthening of economic growth has led to a further improvement in labour markets. Eurostat’s latest unemployment figures, released today, show that EU unemployment is with 6.8% in July 20...
Africa and the EU need to move closer
At the end of this month, negotiations on a Post-Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are due to be launched. Even if the agreement will cover thre...
Iran: first wave of U.S. sanctions
Following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Joint and Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, which was announced on 8 May, the first wave of U.S. sanctions agains...
EU GDP slowdown reinforces need for reforms
Recent official data indicate that growth is slowing down in the first half of 2018. Eurostat reported that EU quarterly GDP grew by 0.4% in both the first and second quarter of this year, a clear slo...
Thank you Emma Marcegaglia and welcome Pierre Gattaz
On 12 July, BusinessEurope member federations together with guests from European associations and institutions, gathered in Château Sainte-Anne in Brussels to thank the outgoing President Emma Marceg...
Business priorities for the Austrian Presidency of the EU
Austria has taken over the EU Presidency from Bulgaria on 1 July, at a critical moment for the EU. BusinessEurope sent a letter to Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, highlighting that with only 1 yea...
Europe must be united, strong and smart to respond to the current challenges
Ahead of the June EU Summit, union and business leaders today issued a unprecedented joint appeal for urgent progess in Brexit negotiations, calling for agreement key issues, including regulatory alig...
EU-Vietnam FTA: an ambitious agreement bringing Europe closer to Asia
Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope, voiced the support of European business to the conclusion and rapid ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) when meeting with th...