Publications
Financing research and innovation
Diversity and equal opportunities
EU action plan on tackling the gender pay gap – a BusinessEurope position paper
Key messages
BusinessEurope and its member federations are fully committed to the principle of gender neutral pay systems. Men and women carrying out the same work with the same performance shall b...
Data protection
GDPR: Making improved data protection a reality
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full force tomorrow (25 May) marking the largest change in data protection law Europe has ever seen. Discussions began six years ago and a...
Pierre Gattaz to succeed Emma Marcegaglia as President of BusinessEurope
During its meeting in Sofia today, the Council of Presidents of BusinessEurope unanimously elected Pierre Gattaz, current President of the French business federation MEDEF and CEO of Radiall, to succe...
Biography of Pierre Gattaz
Pierre Gattaz became President of BusinessEurope on 5 July 2018. Until then, he held the Presidency of BusinessEurope’s French member federation MEDEF.
A graduate of Telecom Bretagne...
Data protection
Climate change
Climate negotiations: business community concerned about slow progress
The latest round of the United Nations climate change negotiations – the Bonn climate change conference – finished yesterday in Bonn, Germany. BusinessEurope is concerned about the slow pr...
Data protection
The proposal for a Cybersecurity Act – Additional points by BusinessEurope
In relation to recent co-legislator developments, BusinessEurope annexes its position paper dated 23 November 2017 to comment on a number of new elements in relation to this dossier. Nothing within th...
Trade
U.S. decision on the Iran deal creates risks for political and economic stability
President Trump announced his decision to effectively pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal signed between China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States, the E...
Africa and the Caribbean
The post-Cotonou partnership between the EU and ACP countries – a BusinessEurope position paper
Key messages
The Cotonou Agreement, which has governed EU-ACP relations since 2000, did not prove effective in terms of promoting economic development and increasing market shares for European busi...
Labour markets and social policy
Proposal for establishing a European Labour Authority – a BusinessEurope position paper
Key messages
European business strongly supports initiatives supporting a better functioning of the single market, including free movement of workers. Geographic mobility in the EU provides employm...
Economy and finance
EU’s post-2020 budget: Further increase research and innovation funding and reach swift agreement
Today, the European Commission released its proposal on a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s budget for 2021-2027.
BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer made the fol...
Bilateral relations
U.S. duties: extension of EU’s temporary exemption is positive, but business needs predictability
The U.S. Administration announced yesterday that the EU’s temporary exemption from the decision to impose 25% additional duties on steel and 10% on aluminium, will be extended until 1 June.
Com...
Digital economy
Europe favours a responsible Digital Single Market
The European Commission launched today the 3rd Data Economy Package aiming to assess emerging data issues to ensure a fair Digital Single Market. Also, the Communication on Artificial Intelligence (AI...
Company law
Open the digital door and bring EU company law into 21st century
Today, the European Commission published its EU Company law upgraded Package which aims to facilitate companies’ use of digital technologies, specifically focusing on digital tools which allow c...
Access to finance / financial affairs
SME access to finance
Making the EU SME definition fit for SMEs in need of venture capital and other sources of growth finance
Key messages
Regarding the overall design of the EU SME definition, BusinessEurope holds the very broad consensus view that:
the current EU SME definition (dated 2003) is pragmatic and workab...
Labour markets and social policy
Council Recommendation on access to social protection – a BusinessEurope position paper
Key messages
Ensuring access to social protection in a financially sustainable and balanced way is important to ensure that we can accompany the changes in the labour market without stifling innova...
Bilateral relations
EU and US business committed to the transatlantic relationship: need to avoid major trade disruptions
EU and U.S. business leaders will meet in Washington D.C. for the ‘Transatlantic Business Works’ summit jointly organised by BusinessEurope and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on 16 April at...