BusinessEurope Headlines No. 2020-26
How to reach climate neutrality ambition
“The Climate Law puts Europe’s climate neutrality ambition into legislation, which increases the investment predictability for European businesses by showing that our politicians are serious about fighting climate change. It’s crucial that they also think together with us about how we reach this target”, said BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer on 6 July during an online event with MEPs Pieter Liese, Mairead McGuinness, Markus Pieper and others dedicated to discussing the Climate Law. Beyrer added that in particular, European companies need enough cheap and clean energy available to use in their production processes, and more consumer demand signals. Furthermore, the announced investment package of the Green Deal of 1 trillion euros will only cover a third of what is needed to reach possible higher 2030 climate targets, and COVID-19 is drastically reducing the capacity of companies and member states to invest. “The European Commission must take these impacts into account when conducting the 2030 impact assessment, as this will form the basis for revising the climate law in the future”, he pointed out.
BusinessEurope published its energy and climate strategy highlighting the framework conditions and related actions that are crucial for Europe to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (climate neutrality) by around mid-century. BusinessEurope also recently published its paper “What trade can do for climate”, highlighting 12 areas (including carbon border adjustments) how the EU’s trade agenda can be used to improve global climate action.
Contact: Leon de Graaf
BusinessEurope’s priorities for the German EU Presidency
The German Presidency of the Council of the EU has a key role to play in putting the European Union on the right track to recover from the COVID-19 crisis and revitalize economic activity across the continent. In a letter sent to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on 7 July, BusinessEurope stated that the European business community supports the main priorities of the German Presidency. “We agree that the Green Deal and Europe’s digital capacity have to be key pillars of Europe’s recovery strategy. However, the recovery plan must go beyond these two pillars. The response to the current crisis is more Europe, and it starts with improving our European Single Market and strengthening of the European Economic and Monetary Union to have solid economic foundations. To minimise long-term scarring to the EU economy, the EU and its member states need to continue to progressively reopen their economies and put in place ambitious coordinated measures to support business investment, consumer demand and employment”, said President Pierre Gattaz.
Contact: Lisa Kastner
Future of trade: reshoring production or diversifying supply chains?
On 8 July, BusinessEurope organised a webinar on “Reshoring vs Diversification – the role of the state and the impact on trade”. Drawing from the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on trade, high-level discussants focused on positive solutions for the recovery from the crisis and the development of resilience in Europe. An on-going debate is taking place on the preferred path forward for the EU – is re-shoring of production going to improve the EU’s resilience or is diversification of supply chains a more effective solution? The discussants supported that the right reply lies in ensuring that the framework conditions are in place to keep production in Europe. In parallel, they argued that the EU should maintain an open and ambitious approach to trade to support diversification. Another important point raised in the discussion was the changing role of the State, which was further accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussants agreed that although intervention is necessary in the recovery of the economy, it should be targeted and temporary.
Contact: Sofia Bournou
BusinessEurope supports the European Patent Office activities
On 30 June and 1 July 2020, the Administrative Council of the European Patent Office held its virtual meeting and discussed - among other things - the Annual Review 2019 and the latest developments on the Unitary Patent. BusinessEurope, represented at the meeting by Pedro Oliveira and Elena Bertolotto, Director and Advisor for Legal Affairs, welcomed the results shown in the Annual Review 2019 and the extensive involvement with users in the various initiatives led by the European Patent Office and the enhanced dialogue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oliveira also highlighted the importance of the creation of the European patent system for the industry and called for its entry into operation as soon as possible.
Contact: Elena Bertolotto
Calendar 
- 9-10 September: 8th International Conference on Sustainable Development
- 12-16 October: 18th European Week of Regions and Cities
- 19-22 October: EU Green Week
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