Presidents and Directors General of BusinessEurope’s member federations gathered in Warsaw today at the invitation of our Polish member Lewiatan, where they discussed economic priorities with Polish leaders. The Polish EU Presidency, beginning alongside the new European Commission’s term, presents a vital opportunity to reboot EU policies and drive investment and growth. Presenting our Warsaw Declaration outlining business priorities, President Fredrik Persson emphasised: "To remain an anchor of peace, prosperity, and stability, Europe must act decisively to strengthen its economy and close the widening competitiveness gap with major global players. Security will be the central theme of the incoming presidency, and today we underline that a strong and competitive economy is the foundation for Europe’s security.” - Read more
Today, we have published a new paper outlining our priorities for EU-China relations over the coming EU cycle. How should the EU engage with China in an ever challenging geopolitical context? Watch our DG Markus J. Beyrer comment on the evolving dynamics, key challenges, and strategic responses, presenting our new paper.
A robust intellectual property policy is key to boosting innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. What’s needed to unleash its potential and help make Europe an attractive hub for investment? Our Director Pedro Oliveira and Senior Adviser Elena Bertolotto explain.
“Achieving our ambitions on sustainability, social progress, and higher living standards depends on a strong economic foundation. Yet, in recent years, the EU’s economic engine has slowed significantly. As highlighted in the Draghi Report, the EU must take decisive action to avoid the 'slow agony' of stagnation. Now it will be crucial to see delivery on the promise to make it easier to do business in Europe” this was the message of our Director General Markus J. Beyrer today at the Macroeconomic Dialogue with the European Central Bank and the EU institutions. Beyrer presented our new Economic Outlook: “The EU economy is projected to grow by just 0.9% in 2024 and 1.3% in 2025 – both figures are downward revisions of 0.3 and 0.5 percentage points compared to our last forecast. Over the two-year period from the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2024, the EU economy grew by only 1.2%. Businesses in the manufacturing sector continue to face challenging times as energy prices remain high compared to major competitors. Most worryingly, industrial capacity utilisation had fallen below 80% by September 2024, back to levels last seen in late 2020.” - Read more in the Economic Outlook
On October 28-29, industry leaders and policymakers from across Europe gathered in Sønderborg, Denmark, for the Powering European Industry conference. The conference discussed necessary strategies and action to reinvigorate European competitiveness. It was hosted jointly by our Danish member DI, Danfoss, the International Energy Agency and BusinessEurope. “Securing energy at competitive prices is central to preserving Europe’s industrial base and ensuring global competitiveness for European companies,” said our Director General Markus J. Beyrer. The high energy costs place Europe at a significant disadvantage compared to other major economies, underlined our recent energy study, conducted in partnership with Compass Lexecon.
How can we improve conditions for productive investment and facilitate the creation of quality jobs in Europe? This crucial question was the focus of discussions between the European social partners and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of the European Council meeting addressing the competitiveness challenges in the light of the Letta and Draghi reports. “The next 18 months will be crucial to give clear signals to European companies and foreign investors. Meeting Europe’s substantial investment needs requires first and foremost improving the EU attractiveness as a location for private investment”– emphasised President Fredrik Persson. Persson added: “If well designed, employment and social policy can enhance Europe’s competitiveness and productivity”. On this occasion, we also presented BusinessEurope’s“Priorities for the EU’s social dimension in 2024-2029”. - Read the speech
29/11/2024
Press releases
Business message to the EU Polish Presidency
20/11/2024
Video messages
The EU must take a strategic, long-term, and unified approach to China
15/11/2024
Video messages
Unlocking EU competitiveness: The critical role of intellectual property
04/11/2024
Press releases
EU must act decisively to avoid the ‘slow agony’ of stagnation
30/10/2024
Event
Powering European Industry conference: Urgent call for a new industrial strategy
16/10/2024
Speeches
EU leaders and social partners discuss actions to improve competitiveness ahead of the European Council
Organised by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), this second edition of the Forum will have debates around key themes, workshops and masterclasses to share best practices.
The EU-UK Forum Annual Conference will take place for the first time in person as well as online on Tuesday, 4 February, 2025 in Brussels. It will address the evolving dynamics of EU-UK
Staying on target for climate neutrality is a key challenge in changing political and economic frameworks. The aim is clear: no more fossil fuels! Becoming the first climate neutral continent will offer Europe a key competitive advantage and increase our resilience in all sectors. In 2025, the...
