Today, we are publishing a new, in-depth study developed with economic consultancy Compass Lexecon, showing that a more competitive energy and climate transition is still possible but only if swift action is taken by EU legislators during the next EU cycle. The study shows that even in the case of a managed transition, with more supportive EU policies, energy costs in Europe would be at least 50% higher than that in the US, China and India by 2050. "This will put European companies at a serious competitive disadvantage with these key players, which is why we need urgent action at EU level to bridge this gap so that Europe can achieve climate neutrality by 2050 without deindustrialising", warned our Director General Markus J. Beyrer. Based on the study, we have identified seven concrete actions for a successful energy and climate transition. - Read more

Presidents and Directors General of our member federations gathered in Budapest at the invitation of our Hungarian member federation MGYOSZ – BusinessHungary. We shared business priorities for the Hungarian Presidency with Tamás Sulyok, President of Hungary, and Màrton Nagy, Minister of National Economy. “Now is the time to fill with life the new European competitiveness deal that will ensure the European Union remains home to successful companies that create quality jobs as part of an economically successful green and digital transition", said President Fredrik Persson, "and this will require a reboot of EU policies". Our priorities for the second half of 2024: better regulation within a well-integrated Single Market, open strategic autonomy to strengthen Europe globally, and an ambitious industrial strategy for a resilient future. We also exchanged views with Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute. We welcomed his call for a reboot of the Single Market to meet the demands of today's global landscape. - Read more - Photo © Sándor Palota