Gattaz to EU leaders: agreement on EU recovery stimulus urgently needed

On Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July, EU leaders will meet in Brussels to negotiate the EU recovery plan and the new long-term EU budget aimed at boosting growth and employment after the COVID-19 crisis. Ahead of this crucial meeting BusinessEurope President Pierre Gattaz today urged EU leaders to reach agreement: "Across Europe, millions of entrepreneurs will not spend this summer on holiday but fighting for the survival of their businesses and for the jobs that depend on it, as our economies continue to operate well below full pre-COVID levels.

We need an operational European Recovery Plan as soon as possible to be able to deliver the fiscal stimulus needed in the coming two years. To ensure that the money is well spent, the focus must be on boosting the earning and job creation capacity of European business. The disbursement of funds must structurally improve our economies and therefore be linked to implementation of reforms."