BusinessEurope Headlines No. 2018-29
What a successful energy transition takes
“The energy market is undergoing a big transformation, as it delivers an energy transition that is no longer contested but rather seen as a new opportunity if properly managed. We need to ensure the best conditions for a power sector that will foster a market-driven approach, while ensuring an adequate security of supply and affordable prices”, said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope, in a panel discussion organised by Oesterreichs Energie. The event, which took place on 19 September in Vienna, discussed the next steps for industry in the energy transition. Amongst others, the session tackled the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the new Electricity Market Design, the latest climate objectives and their effects on the overall energy markets, as well as the low carbon EU 2050 strategy.
Contact: Cecilia Serrano-Piedecasas
Video message on CETA - one year later
One year ago, the EU-Canada free-trade agreement (CETA) entered into force and abolished customs duties on 98% of the products the EU trades with Canada. Watch what business representatives have to say about it.
Trade and climate are not incompatible
“There is no contradiction between trade and climate, the two can support each other. New technologies that companies develop to address climate change can bring a competitive trade advantage for European exporters while at the same time they can support efforts in developing economies to address climate change”, said Luisa Santos, BusinessEurope Director for International Relations, in the panel debate “Trade vs Climate”, organised in the European Parliament by a number of its members and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). Santos stated that free trade agreements (FTAs) can support multilateral agreements in the area of climate but they cannot replace them. For instance, the FTA that has just been concluded with Japan is the first to make an explicit reference to the Paris climate agreement. “We can look at ways on how an FTA can better support climate objectives. But we also need to take into account the level of development of our trading partners. Many developing economies are not prepared to sign any free trade agreement that binds them to stringent objectives in the area of environment and climate change”, she highlighted, concluding that ultimately the objective should be to improve worldwide commitments to address climate change using trade as leverage in combination with other policies.
Contact: Luisa Santos
Photo copyright: European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Company engagement in the Single Market
The EU Single Market should be brought back to the top of the political agenda, and companies should be enabled to actively and responsibly engage in the design and enforcement of Single Market rules. These were the main messages of BusinessEurope’s Director for Internal Market Martynas Barysas during the closing conference of the Single Market Forum in Riga on 14 September, which was themed “25 years, European, free and single”. “We heard much about the problems in the Single Market for goods”, Barysas said, “but I would also like to focus on business engagement in solutions. Part of these solutions link to self-certification of products by industry, or the industry role in standardisation under the New Approach framework for goods for example”. He added that Standardisation used to be an excellent example of how companies could deliver tailored and market-relevant solutions within the EU’s regulatory framework for harmonised goods. “Unfortunately, the New Approach to technical harmonisation is currently facing challenges whereby a business role and partnership approach are weakened”, Barysas highlighted. He also stressed the importance of transparency on regulatory decisions by Member State administrations and effective access to remedies for companies to challenge enforcement decisions.
Contact: Basje Bender
Calendar
- 21 September: One-year anniversary of the implementation of the free trade agreement between the EU and Canada (CETA)
- 24 September: Friends of Industry ministerial conference in Paris
- 26-29 September: European Forum for New Ideas (EFNI) in Sopot
- 27 September: Competitiveness Council
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