1. What are the priorities of your Presidency for the new legislative term?
Our message for the new term is that the EU needs to ‘get back to business’. This reflects my view that the previous 5 years overlooked the business perspective. New legislation on sustainability, environmental protection, corporate governance and consumer protection piled on top of existing requirements and reporting obligations for businesses. This, coupled with the hugely challenging economic context caused by the pandemic, then spiralling energy costs and supply chain disruption, created a perfect storm for Europe’s entrepreneurs. Growth rates have dropped compared to competitor economies around the world and the threat of deindustrialization has unfortunately become a reality in parts of our continent. We need a change of approach.
The EU of course needs to continue with our response to climate change and with other established policy objectives, but this cannot be to the detriment of our competitiveness. Policy makers must recognise that a healthy business community is vital for Europe’s prosperity, security, sustainability and way of life. For this, I’m calling for a stronger focus on improving the functioning of the single market, on cutting regulatory and administrative burdens, on tackling skills shortages, on developing a business case for the EU Green Deal, and on enabling our businesses to trade globally. We will be conveying these priorities to new and returning MEPs and during the establishment of the policy priorities and strategic guidelines of the next European Commission.
Chambers have a huge role to play in rolling out these priorities to the SME community of course, so we will be backing up our messages with practical support and services to entrepreneurs. Italian chambers are excellent examples of this.
2. The triple transition (green, social, digital) is particularly challenging for the business sector. What role are Chambers playing to support it?
Chambers of commerce actively contribute to training and upskilling initiatives across the EU. They represent businesses and the users of these skills, developing and delivering VET policies. Over 2.5 million people receive training from chambers annually. Chambers also support the labour market integration of migrant and refugee groups by offering skills assessments, professional training, and assistance to companies in navigating administrative procedures and fostering employment opportunities. A recent study by Eurochambres, the OECD, and the International Chamber of Commerce also highlights that chambers are proactive in skills policies, identifying gaps in local labour markets, engaging employers, and acting as intermediaries between the public sector, education providers, and employers.
The shift towards a greener and more sustainable economy certainly has a profound impact on the European labour market. Green skills and green jobs are instrumental in translating the new opportunities created by clean and sustainable technologies into actual economic growth. Decisive skills-related measures need to be implemented by European, national, and regional authorities, social partners, civil society, and industry as part of an effective green transition.
In 2022 Eurochambres conducted a survey on green skills within the chamber network. The survey investigates the hurdles that companies face in implementing policies to speed up the green transition and dealing with skills shortages, while also highlighting the importance of investing in green skills.
This study has also shown, that a multistakeholder approach is critical to ensuring the success of the green transition in labour markets. Currently, businesses themselves are responsible for financing and organising the vast majority of labour market relevant training; however, conducting a massive up/reskilling towards green jobs is a significant burden for an individual business to bear, especially an SME; therefore, public employment offices, education providers, and public and regional authorities must step in and assist businesses in the green transition, in close collaboration with chambers as trusted service providers.
Regarding the digital transition, chambers of commerce provide crucial resources such as digital literacy training, workshops, and seminars on emerging technologies. Additionally, chambers facilitate networking opportunities, connect businesses with tech experts, advocate for supportive policies, and offer access to funding and grants for digital projects. By fostering a supportive ecosystem, chambers help businesses navigate digital adoption, ensuring they remain competitive and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth.
3. How do you see the future of the EU Single Market? How to unlock its full potential?
A well-functioning single market is key to deepen Europe’s economic integration and to scale up its productivity and competitiveness. However, major economic indicators and key metrics reveal that the EU is lagging in business performance, investment in infrastructure and industrial intensity.
Furthermore, long-standing challenges for productivity growth and the competitiveness of European economies have been highlighted in the EU for years and businesses still face significant barriers to cross-border trade as recently identified in our 2024 Eurochambres Single Market Barriers Report.
EU lawmakers can unlock the full potential of the single market by:
· Prioritising sustained, pragmatic policy actions, guarantee the free movement of goods, services, capital and people and reduce trade barriers. Member states must commit to structural reforms that align with the broader goals of market integration.
· Promoting integration of the single market especially for cross-border services – the area which holds to biggest potential for rapid growth in the EU.
· Maximising the potential of the “once only principle” by further enabling cross-border information sharing and centralising the maximum number of administrative procedures. Businesses cannot waste time nor resources in repetitive information gathering processes.
· Levelling the playing field further by prioritising harmonisation of rules and standards.
· Guaranteeing uniform implementation and enforcement of legislation which deals with Europe’s declining industrial output and reestablishment of supply chains.
· Ensuring that EU consumer law framework remains coherent and fit for purpose and promoting access to justice while at the same time protecting businesses from opportunistic litigation.
4. EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova have just begun. What are the expectations of the business community on the enlargement process and how to deal with them?
According to a survey on the business perspective towards EU Enlargement published by Eurochambres last March, the business community is optimistic regarding the economic impact of EU enlargement. 82% of the surveyed companies in the candidate countries consider that compliance with the EU acquis will improve the overall operations of their businesses. The business community acknowledges the powerful transformative effect of the prospect of EU membership to boost the necessary reforms in the candidate countries. The business community who is traditionally supportive of EU enlargement wants to be structurally involved in the process. According to the survey, the business community supports the gradual integration into the EU single market. Companies could enjoy benefits and opportunities even before formal accession to the EU, through aligning and harmonising rules in the candidate and potential candidate countries with EU norms and standards, if progress had been made.
One of the lessons that can be drawn from previous enlargements is that compliance with legislation at grass-root level is as important as the adaptation of the candidate legislation at institutional level. It is therefore crucial that companies are properly and timely informed not only on the business-related EU acquis, but also on the opportunities and challenges of future accession to the EU. This would allow businesses in the candidate countries to identify, at an early stage of the process, the areas where the most effort will be needed to comply with the EU acquis so that they can plan the necessary adaptations. It would additionally allow the business community in both the EU and the candidate countries to actively contribute to the enlargement process and ensure that their interests are considered. Eurochambres is committed to support companies in this process.
Chambers, as leading business organisations have a key role to play to make sure that 1/ the business community fully contributes to the accession process by providing relevant information to policy-makers; 2/ they assist enterprises in adapting their business to the changing conditions implied by the accession process to make sure that whenever accession takes place, the business community will be ready for it.