Press releases
Energy and environment
IED revision will unnecessarily make industrial operations more complex
Today, the European Commission proposed to revise the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). This directive is one of the main instruments to regulate industrial activities and related emissions from a...
Bilateral relations
EU-China summit: key to resume dialogue and resolve problems
Tomorrow, the 23rd EU-China Summit will take place with the participation on the EU side of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, and on the Chinese...
Circular economy
EU Commission’s Sustainable Product Initiative is an opportunity for more circularity
Today, the European Commission presented its Sustainable Product Initiative (SPI). It broadens the scope of the eco-design directive, introduces circularity criteria and proposes rules for sustainabil...
Digital economy
EU makes a bold step towards fair competition in the digital sector
Yesterday, a political deal at EU level on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to harmonise rules to ensure contestable and fair markets in the digital sector has been found among the co-legislators. The Re...
Market access
International procurement: business welcomes long-awaited instrument
After ten long years of discussions, yesterday the EU institutions finally agreed on the International Procurement Instrument (IPI).
Commenting on the breakthrough BusinessEurope’s Director General...
Corporate and legal
EU companies need workable rules on corporate due diligence
Today, the European Commission presented its proposal on sustainable corporate due diligence. It will impose new obligations on companies and on how they monitor and operate in their supply chains, al...
Digital economy
Data Act: EU data sharing framework should foster investment
Today, the European Commission presented its proposal for a Data Act. It is part of the EU Data Strategy presented in February 2020 to unlock the potential of non-personal, business data. The aim is t...
EU single market
Ability to lead on global standards crucial for EU’s competitiveness
Today, the European Commission presented its standardisation strategy. It rightly stresses the importance of standardisation for our global competitiveness and supports policies aimed at better antici...
Economy and finance
EU own resources plans must not add burden on business
Today, the European Commission presented its communication on own resources and directives on a minimum corporate tax and fighting shell entities.
BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer sai...
Labour markets and social policy
EU Commission proposal ignores the diversity of platform work
(9 December 2021) - Today the European Commission published its proposal for an EU law on platform work. Within this the Commission is proposing a rebuttable presumption of employment. This does not r...
Industrial relations and EU labour law
EU’s social policy should not interfere with Member States’ competences
Today the Council published its general approach on the European Commission’s proposals for directives on minimum wages and on pay transparency. BusinessEurope did not support the two directive prop...
BusinessEurope Council of Presidents committed to green and digital transitions but urges to combat legislative complexity
Today, the Presidents of BusinessEurope’s 40 member federations urged the future French Presidency of the European Union to combat the complexity of EU legislative proposals that is hampering the de...
Multilateral / WTO
WTO reform requires commitment from all its members
Today, BusinessEurope published its key priorities ahead of the 12th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference which takes place from 30 November to 3 December in Geneva.
BusinessEurope Direc...
Competition and state aid
EU competition policies need to acknowledge global challenges
Following Executive Vice-President Margarete Vestager setting out her strategy for the future of EU competition policy, BusinessEurope’s Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “We support reviewi...
Climate change
EU business proposals for climate neutrality and industrial competitiveness
Fit for 55 package: "momentous action needed to meet the ambitious 2030 targets"
Today, BusinessEurope published its essential positions on the European Commission's 'Fit for 55' package to significa...
EU SME strategy
Business needs an EU SME Envoy without delay
This week, the SME Assembly 2021 was held in Portoroz, Slovenia, during the European SME week, together with the Slovenian Presidency of the EU.
Pierre Gattaz, BusinessEurope President, said: "C...
Climate change
COP26: EU’s global trading partners miss out on solid 2030 commitments
Today the global climate conference COP26 in Glasgow ended without sufficiently ambitious announcements for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by the EU’s largest trading partners.
Business...
Economy and finance
Price rises must be met with moderation
EU is undergoing strong recovery and is well on track to reach pre-crisis GDP level this year
But businesses are experiencing strong upward price pressures including surging energy prices. Which push...
Bilateral relations
European business welcomes EU-US deal on steel and aluminium
Reacting to the announcement Markus J. Beyrer Director General of BusinessEurope said: "The announcement of the deal to address the major outstanding trade conflict between the EU and the USA is very...
Access to finance / financial affairs
Implementing globally agreed bank rules should not put EU companies at a competitive disadvantage
Following the European Commission’s proposals to implement the final parts of the Basel III framework for banks, BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: "Financial market stability is...
Governance
Conference on the Future of Europe
BusinessEurope lays out its priorities for the EU
BusinessEurope has presented its contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. In 10 key messages, we address decision-makers and explain...
Economy and finance
Economic governance must put public finances on sustainable footing
Following the European Commission’s relaunch of the EU’s Economic Governance framework today, BusinessEurope’s Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “We support the European Commission’s d...
Bilateral relations
Transatlantic business strongly supports the new Trade and Technology Council
Today’s inaugural meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh is a welcome opportunity for transatlantic collaboration to set standards for new technologies, foster common appr...
Bilateral relations
Mediterranean opportunity: companies call on EU and Morocco to strengthen ties
BusinessEurope, the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and EuroCham Maroc have adopted a “Modernisation Pact on Trade and Investment between the European Union (EU) and the Kingd...