COVID-19: EU institutions and member states must support and protect businesses and workers

The European business community fully supports the measures taken so far and calls on the European Commission, the Council and the European Central Bank to do whatever it takes to make sure that as many businesses as possible survive this crisis and can help rebuild our economy and protect our European way of life once the health crisis caused by COVID-19 is overcome.

We support the measures necessary to contain the further spreading of COVID-19. Public health is the first priority. Our sympathies are with the families already affected. We express our gratitude to the workers and businesses who are showing exceptional courage and resilience, both to treat the sick and to maintain the vital goods and services we all depend upon.

This crisis is not only a major challenge for public health but will also have substantial negative impact on EU growth in 2020, with the likelihood of a large number of EU member states experiencing a significant or in some cases even massive downturn. Workers and companies, especially SMEs, are already suffering dramatically from the necessary restrictive measures which have been put in place.

Protecting our society will require extraordinary responsibility, action and solidarity from all parties, said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope:

• Responsibility as businesses, workers and citizens, to ensure everything we do helps address this crisis.
• Action, both to maintain the essential functioning of our economy in the immediate future and to ensure that once the spread of the virus is addressed, we have maintained the business eco-system vital to fully restoring our treasured European way of life.
• Solidarity between businesses of all sizes, between businesses and governments and between all EU member states.

Please find attached the BusinessEurope statement regarding the urgent measures we expect from the European Central Bank, the European Commission, Council and the EU member states in order to mitigate the economic impact of this crisis and to protect workers and businesses against its most severe consequences. All necessary monetary, fiscal and further specific steps should be taken to protect the economic and social basis of our society.