Press releases
Education, training and skills
Better education and skills for a more competitive Europe
Today, education was brought back to the political agenda with the European Commission’s education package (EC press release). It includes the revision of the EU Key Competences Framework, the D...
Circular economy
EU Plastics Strategy – ambitious targets with a balanced approach
Today, the European Commission took an important step forward in the Circular Economy Action Plan with a publication of the Plastics Strategy. The Strategy settles an ambitious target – by 2030,...
Economy and finance
EU Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020: ensure unity and swift agreement
Ahead of today’s conference of the European Commission on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2020, followed by an important debate at the college of Commissioners, BusinessEurope publish...
Industrial relations and EU labour law
Written statement directive: yes to modernisation, no to new burdens on companies
BusinessEurope understands the need to modernise the written statement directive (1991/533/EEC) and was prepared to negotiate this revision. However, we always insisted on the need to respect the natu...
EU single market
Goods Package – timely proposals to improve the free movement of goods
Today the European Commission presented a ‘Goods Package’ with proposals to improve the free movement of goods in the Single Market. The package consists of proposals for new regulations in the ar...
Digital economy
Council should not exempt the free flow of data
The European Commission’s free flow of data proposal aimed to end digital single market fragmentation through restricting national measures that force data to be geographically located when proc...
Bilateral relations
Business welcomes European Council decision on Brexit – companies need certainty
Today, the European Council confirmed that sufficient progress has been made pertaining to phase one of the Brexit negotiations. This will allow to start negotiations on the transition and the framewo...
Bilateral relations
EU and Japan showing leadership on trade
BusinessEurope welcomes the finalisation of the free trade agreement between the EU and Japan, which was announced today.
Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope, said: “It&rs...
Bilateral relations
Brexit negotiations progress is a positive sign
The formal decision of the European Commission to recommend to the European Council that sufficient progress has now been made on the strict terms of the divorce of the UK from the European Union is a...
Bilateral relations
Cliff-edge Brexit – BusinessEurope publishes company examples
The EU Single Market has enabled European and British companies to set up complex supply chains and close-knit partnerships that benefit competitiveness, growth and employment in both economies. With...
Economy and finance
European Commission roadmap for EMU is an important step forward
Following the publication today of the European Commission’s communication on ‘Further steps to completing Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union’, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyr...
Multilateral / WTO
11th WTO Ministerial Conference: business calls for a strong WTO, against protectionism, for the benefit of all
Ahead of the 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 10-14 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Council of Presidents of BusinessEurope adopted a Statement that reiter...
Financing research and innovation
EU research and innovation: 28 industry leaders call for ambitious funding programmes
Today, 28 leaders of large multinational companies in Europe published a statement showing their full support to scale up ambition for the next flagship EU research and innovation funding programme (F...
Climate change
COP23: Good on stakeholder engagement, slow on progress at global climate negotiations
Negotiators from almost 200 countries managed to make some steps in the right direction during their two-week meeting at the annual climate change conference in Bonn (COP23).
European business had ur...
EU social dialogue
Social summit for fair jobs and growth, Gothenburg – Joint statement of the European social partners
Europe is one of the best places to live, work and do business in the world because our social market economies combine free markets, private initiative, economic freedoms, free movement of people and...
BusinessEurope and CBI statements following meeting of European business groups with the UK Prime Minister
Photo copyright: Gov.uk
The CBI and business groups from across Europe, representing millions of employees, met with UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday (13 November).
They discussed the importa...
Climate change
EU ETS reform deal: Strong on ambition, less so on protection
Today EU negotiators reached a provisional agreement on the reform of the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
BusinessEurope acknowledges that the negotiators have made some steps in the righ...
Economy and finance
EU’s economic recovery picks up momentum
Today, BusinessEurope published its Autumn Economic Outlook 2017. It’s showing the EU's economic recovery is picking up momentum.
European business federations expect a continuation of the...
Climate change
Climate conference COP23: We need progress and transparency
European business expects substantial progress to be made at the climate conference starting on Monday in Bonn (COP23). Under the Fijian Presidency, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...
Industrial relations and EU labour law
BusinessEurope offers to negotiate with ETUC on written statement directive
In its second-stage consultation of the social partners issued on 21 September 2017, the European Commission asked the European social partners whether they are willing to enter into negotiations with...
Posting of workers: a bad compromise driven by political symbolism
Yesterday, the EPSCO Council reached a general approach on a revision of the posting directive. We are deeply concerned about key aspects of the deal. The compromise reached foresees to reduce the dur...
Data protection
Divided e-Privacy vote demonstrates lack of Parliament debate
Today, the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee in the European Parliament narrowly voted its e-Privacy report through. This demonstrated its fragmented position before Council n...
Education, training and skills
EU employers: For better apprenticeships, better policy needed
Today the European Commission has published its proposal for a Council Recommendation on an EU Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyre...
Economy and finance
EU Commission VAT proposals can lead to less complexity, less fragmentation, less tax fraud and evasion
Following the release of the European Commission proposals on the definitive VAT system for cross-border trade within the EU single market, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer made the fo...