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BusinessEurope Headlines No. 2017-11

60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome

On 25 March 2017, Europe will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome.

  Hear the voices of the business community in our photo & video gallery.

Balkan Employers' Round Table discussed current challenges and future prospects

On the invitation of the European Economic and Social Committee, Director General Markus J. Beyrer spoke at this years’ Balkan Employers' Round Table on the topic of ”current challenges and future prospects for the Employers' organisations in the Balkan region”.  Stressing the geopolitical importance of this region to the EU, Markus rounded his presentation up with a tour d’horizon over the current political and economic situation for the EU, and how BusinessEurope acts and reacts on the various current challenges.

Contact: Christian Feustel​

Beyrer meets the EP ENVI chairwoman Vãlean

“Circular economy can be a game changer. It has the potential to become a real growth driver, and this requires a complete rethinking of how we shape our economy. BusinessEurope is setting up a web platform to showcase good practices among Europe’s industry and to engage in a dialogue on the challenges”, Beyrer said at a meeting with Ms Adina Ioana Vãlean, the new chairperson of the ENVI committee of the European Parliament. They also touched upon the ongoing review of the European chemicals regulation REACH, on international developments on climate change and on the forthcoming negotiations on the reform of the EU emission trading scheme (ETS). On the latter, Beyrer stressed that “any increase in ambition to boost the carbon price must be accompanied by more focus on making sure the best in class gets enough free allowance through a 5% points shift.”

Contact: Alexandre Affre

B20 believes in open markets

At a moment where many are doubting the benefits of open markets and free trade, B20, representing the entire business community of the G20 countries continues to believe that protectionism and isolation are not the answers. Globalisation and trade are beneficial for our societies as they spur growth, but some might feel excluded. So, we need to address existing concerns on trade and investment liberalisation to make sure that protectionism and anti-trade rhetoric does not continue to rise. This year, BusinessEurope President Emma Marcegaglia is chairing the B20 Trade & Investment Taskforce that focuses much of its work on explaining the benefits of a rules- based open trading system and how a more inclusive trade can respond to some of the critics. If we want to succeed and roll back the protectionist wave, governments and business have to work together to explain better the benefits of trade. But we have also to accept that trade does not solve all the problems. Expectations have to be scaled down when it comes to issues that should be addressed in other policy areas. As the work is culminating to finalise the Policy Papers of the different Taskforces operating under the framework of the B20 Germany 2017, BusinessEurope travelled to Paris to participate in a series of meetings taking place at the premises of the OECD. The Policy Papers will be communicated to the G20 during the summit taking place in Berlin 2-3 May 2017.

Contact: Luisa Santos

A global EU position on cross-border data flows should be predictable and enforceable

Cross-border data flows are major enablers to trade, economic growth and job creation. Therefore, the development of provisions on cross-border data flows to be included in the EU’s future Free Trade Agreements is particularly important, as these rules should help to effectively address barriers – such as data localisation measures and limitations on data transfers – that European companies face when they trade and invest abroad. At the same time, it is BusinessEurope’s conviction that these provisions on cross-border data flows should also be fully compatible with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The European Commission and the Member States are currently working on a global EU position. At a time where European companies are faced with acute digital protectionism, our concern is that the concept paper that is currently on the table does not help to establish a level-playing field, as it renders it extremely difficult to launch a case against a government that adopts a measure that constitutes a barrier to trade. In this context, a letter signed by BusinessEurope’s Director General, Markus J. Beyrer, was shared with the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission.

  Contact: Sofia Bournou​

Free movement of goods: unlocking the full potential

The free movement of goods is one of the four freedoms underlying the Single Market. Upholding the free movement of goods is a continuous effort, and in practice there are still obstacles between Member States that distort competition. In view of the upcoming Compliance package (expected in April) and the upcoming Goods package (expected in June), BusinessEurope sent a letter to Mr Nunes de Almeida, the new director of Single Market Policy, Regulation and Implementation at DG GROW. The letter welcomes the Commission’s efforts to unlock the full potential of the Single Market, underlines the importance of the alignment of the two packages and sets out BusinessEurope’s positions regarding the free movement of goods.

  Contact: Basje Bender​

The state of collective redress in Europe

On 21 March 2017, BusinessEurope hosted a joint event in cooperation with AmCham EU and the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) to present a study on the state of collective redress in Europe. (Collective redress: putting together claims of several individuals into one single process). The findings of the study were discussed with Renate Nikolay, Head of Cabinet of European Commissioner Jourova, who gave an insight on the state of play within the European Commission. A panel discussion bringing together businesses, academia and lawyers, highlighted how the EU should concentrate on improving public enforcement, and not shifting towards a private enforcement system, as well as the need for clear safeguards to avoid abuses and frivolous litigation, in case any action is taken.

  Contact: Guido Lobrano

Employers explain why opposed to revision of Posting of Workers Directive

BusinessEurope is opposed to the proposed revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. Rather than changing the European directive, which provides the conditions for fair competition within the European Single Market, national governments have an important role to explain the situation at home. Most situations used as a trigger by some governments to justify the proposed revision are in fact situations where the existing rules are not respected in practice. To promote fair competition, policy makers should focus on efficient enforcement of the current rules. By contrast, the proposed revision would bring legal uncertainty and discourage businesses to provide cross-border services. In particular, the proposed rules on subcontracting chains should be rejected, as they would lead to additional administrative burdens, frequent changes of working conditions, and pay discrimination within a company. These were the main messages presented by Maxime Cerutti, Social Affairs Director of BusinessEurope, during the conference on posting of workers on 16 March 2017 organised in Brussels by the Polish Confederation Lewiatan.

Contact: Magdalena Bober

Talking about trade challenges to Canadian diplomats

BusinessEurope was invited by the Canadian Mission to the EU to talk about the challenges for Trade Policy in the EU. Will the EU be able in the future to deliver a trade agreement as comprehensive as CETA? Will the EU be able to resist the protectionist trend that is gaining strength across the Atlantic and how will the EU resist the temptation to become more inward looking at a moment it is being confronted with a number of internal challenges? These were some of the topics discussed with Canadian diplomats stationed in different European countries, having CETA as background and platform to promote stronger economic and political relations between the EU and Canada. The need for the EU and Canada to work together in promoting free trade, open markets and open societies were discussed. And the importance of ensuring a good implementation of CETA on both sides of the Atlantic were part of the exchange. There is a clear case for business in the EU and Canada to work together with governments on both sides to ensure companies are rapidly able to take up the opportunities created by CETA once the agreement starts being provisionally applied.

Contact: Eleonora Catella​

Schwimann, DG GROW, gave detailed insight on Services and Compliance Packages

During BusinessEurope’s Internal Market Policy Committee on 23 March, our members had the opportunity to discuss recent development in Single Market policy with Irmfried Schwimann, Deputy Director General of DG GROW of the European Commission. She provided a detailed insight on the proposed Services Package and the upcoming Compliance Package and invited BusinessEurope to be involved in the debate on these initiatives. This was an opportunity to discuss specific issues related to the European services e-card, the Single Digital gateway, SOLVIT and the Single Market Information Tool (SMIT).

  Contact: Guido Lobrano

More clarity on implementation of new data protection rules is needed

Businesses and Member States have until May 2018 to get ready to comply with the New General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It’s crucial for business that this time should be used to clarify remaining outstanding points and to make sure national authorities (DPAs) have a common view on how to enforce the new rules. This was a key message,Guido Lobrano gave at the 21 March Brussels workshop on GDPR implementation in Belgium, organised by Eubelius and AccessData. The practical, logistical and financial impact of the regulation on companies was discussed. BusinessEurope is contributing to the activities of national authorities and the European Commission, calling for consistent application across the European Single Market, the need for legal clarity on various obligations and the importance of a realistic and business-friendly approach to the GDPR implementation.

  Contact: Guido Lobrano

Calendar

Last updated: 23 March 2017