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BusinessEurope Headlines No. 2018-20

Digitalisation needs to be a priority for the EU

“It is key to get regulatory frameworks and competition right to encourage companies to invest. It is also crucial to improve our digital infrastructure, change our education systems, and roll-out new technologies for instance in the fields of healthcare, transport and emergency services”, stated Emma Marcegaglia, President of BusinessEurope, at the event "Italy, France and Europe in the digital world” at the LUISS University in Rome, on 30 May. President Marcegaglia added that “if we want digitalisation to take place, it is essential to provide high class digital infrastructure in all regions. Likewise, we need to enable the free flow of data and increase citizens trust in technologies by upholding their privacy and taking actions against cyber-attacks, but in a way that still allows a fully functioning internet and companies to innovate”.

Contact: Daniele Olivieri

Photo copyright: LUISS Guido Carli University

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for sustainable and quality work

​The impact of AI on labour markets is one of the most turbulent discussions surrounding this topic. Indeed, the roll-out of AI has a variety of specific challenges to overcome but this should be balanced with the opportunities on offer. Apart from clear economic benefits, Europe has the opportunity to improve society and its global standing through AI roll out. This message was delivered by Patrick Grant, Digital Economy Adviser for BusinessEurope, on 30 May at a Conference on Artificial Intelligence – For sustainable and quality work in Brussels. Grant added: “the common taboo must be broken: AI does not equal job loss. Tasks may change, but AI offers the opportunity for our workforce to move away from dangerous or tedious duties and into more fulfilling and rewarding roles”. He explained that it is clear that this will require private action such as deploying life-long learning but also public initiatives, such as closing our digital skills gap to ensure our workforce is ready for the jobs of tomorrow. BusinessEurope remains committed to responsible AI roll out. That is why we have cited our interest to join the European Commission’s high-level stakeholder group in order to continue as an active stakeholder in real-time policy discussions on a number of topics this technology relates to.

Contact: Patrick Grant

Denmark - setting an example in making trade work for all

Following the publication of the study “Making trade work for all – the Danish case” by Copenhagen Economics, a discussion took place in the Bruegel Institute in Brussels on 28 May, with the participation of Brian Mikkelsen, Danish Minister of Business, Industry and Financial Affairs. Representing BusinessEurope, Senior Adviser Sofia Bournou highlighted the importance of having strong institutions at national level that promote social partnerships and formulate solutions to potentially negative effects of globalisation, redistributing benefits in the society in a more equal manner. Bournou stressed that addressing the current backlash against trade cannot take place through protectionism, as this would only aggravate the problem. “Closing markets means less exports, less imports and investments, therefore less jobs, less growth and innovation”, she argued. In this regard, a more effective system is needed at multilateral level, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at its centre. BusinessEurope is currently working on recommendations that go towards this direction and aim at ensuring that the EU is able to pursue an ambitious trade policy agenda and set modern rules, better adapted to today’s environment.

Contact: Sofia Bournou

Business-university cooperation essential for enhancing graduate employability

Companies are the main clients of higher education institutions. Therefore, these institutions should become competence hubs where students can acquire the skills that will enable them to smoothly enter the labour market after completing their studies and to contribute to the productive and innovative capacity of European companies. This was a key message given by Dr Gerhard F. Braun, Vice President of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations and head of the BusinessEurope delegation at the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) ministerial conference that took place on 24-25 May in Paris. The conference also discussed the ongoing need to better embed a learning outcomes-based approach in higher education and to modernise the content and delivery of degree courses in response to changing labour market needs brought about by digitalisation.

Contact Robert Plummer

Cutting administrative burdens on SMEs: broadening the use of the REFIT Platform

BusinessEurope's Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Committee, chaired by Anna-Lena Bohm, discussed the European Commission’s Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) on 22 May.  The programme aims at making the EU regulation more efficient while reducing burdens. It has led the Commission to initiate more than 60 simplification initiatives in 2016-2017. The REFIT Platform reviews selected EU legislative acts and makes simplification proposals to the European Commission. “A new opportunity exists for submitting proposals to the Commission aiming at making existing EU legislative acts more SME friendly”, said Jens Hedström, member of the REFIT Stakeholder Group and Director of the Brussels office of the SN, BusinessEurope's Swedish member business federation. Our members are encouraged to submit, either by themselves or through BusinessEurope, proposals for simplifying EU legislative acts having a significant impact on SMEs. On the REFIT platform it is possible to access incoming submissions, work in progress and adopted opinions.

Contact: Daniel Cloquet

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Last updated: 31 May 2018