BusinessEurope Headlines No. 2017-28
President Emma Marcegaglia participates in Ambrosetti Forum
Global challenges and their impact on business, the economic outlook, the future of the Euro and Brexit were among the topics discussed at this year’s edition of the Ambrosetti Forum, which took place on 1-3 September at Cernobbio, in Italy. BusinessEurope President Emma Marcegaglia participated in the event and met with a number of high-level interlocutors, including the French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire and the Vice-President of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich. This annual event of international scope has been gathering Heads of State, representatives of European institutions, ministers, businessmen, managers and experts from around the world since 1975 to discuss current issues of major impact for the world economy and society as a whole.
Contact: Daniele Olivieri
New European industrial strategy discussed at the European Parliament
“We do acknowledge that a number of initiatives have been taken by the European Commission on Industrial Policy. But more ambitious work is necessary to develop a horizontal and integrated EU industrial strategy that can steer positive change without hurting our industry”, said BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer during a breakfast event on 6 September at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was co-organised with the Member the European Parliament (MEP) Patrizia Toia and had the presence of Pauline Dejmech-Hack, Member of Cabinet of the European Commission President Juncker. The main issues discussed included why an EU industrial policy is needed, what consequences its absence can bring to the unity of the European Single Market, and what are the main elements of BusinessEurope's industrial strategy. Photos
Contact: Joana Valente
Private sector has key role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
In a hearing on the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) opinion on what is the core role of trade and investment in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which took place on 5 September in Brussels, BusinessEurope Adviser Sofia Bournou highlighted that “trade and sustainable development are linked and can be mutually reinforcing”. She added that European businesses work closely with institutions and governments in defining objectives and plans for implementing the SDGs. In addition, as leaders in sustainability, European companies invest in development and can share the expertise they have in a wide variety of sectors such as Education and Infrastructure. BusinessEurope is currently working on a position paper on sustainability and trying to determine how European companies can build business models that are competitive, while promoting high level environmental and social standards.
Contact: Sofia Bournou
Upgrading EU Company Law
EU Company law needs to embrace the challenges of the XXI Century as market opportunities are no longer bound by national borders, especially in the digital age. This was one of the key messages stated by Joëlle Simon, Vice Chair of the BusinessEurope Legal Affairs Committee, during the latest European Company Law Conference organised by the Estonian Presidency on 4-5 September in Tallinn. She added that companies need to be able to rely on legal certainty when they decide to operate within the internal market. At the same time, access to digital tools would make the interaction with national administrations and shareholders more cost-efficient. Therefore, BusinessEurope calls on the European Commission to adopt measures to help meet these goals. BusinessEurope has also replied to the recent Commission consultation on EU Company Law Upgraded.
Contact: Pedro Oliveira
Calendar 
- 8 September: Launch of the BusinessEurope future of Europe paper
- 11 September: Norway elections
- 13 September: European Commission President Juncker’s State of the Union speech
- 15 September: Eurogroup meeting in Tallinn
- 21 September: CETA provisional application
- 24 September: German Federal elections
- 27-29 September: Globalism, bilateralism, economic patriotism? Challenges for societies and business - European Forum for New Ideas 2017, Sopot, Poland