Europe’s business community has come up with its own “wish list” for 2025.
BusinessEurope, the body that represents the business world at the EU level, released its business priorities for the next EU cycle with the publication of “Reboot Europe: Europe’s economic success—everyone’s business”.
This was also the focus of an event on 15 January in the European Parliament, which brought together MEPs from across Europe and the political groups.
Before the European elections, BusinessEurope called for a “REBOOT” in European policies, building on EU achievements, with targeted actions to tackle what it says are the “structural weaknesses that are undermining companies’ efforts to deliver for people.”
BusinessEurope says a “coherent” competitiveness strategy needs to include certain “key” ingredients
BusinessEurope President Fredrik Persson said:”Europe’s economy is falling behind. According to the OECD, Foreign Direct Investment into the EU collapsed from over 6% of EU GDP to negative figures between 2015 and 2023, while FDI inflows into the U.S. remained strong.
This stagnation threatens our ability to achieve the vital green, digital, social and security transitions. We are calling for a reboot of European policies in this new EU cycle to address the structural weaknesses that are undermining our companies’ efforts to deliver for society.
EU leaders have acknowledged that Europe’s prosperity is under threat and have committed to making competitiveness the top priority for the next five years. We welcome this new political direction, which must be duly reflected in upcoming initiatives such as the Competitiveness Compass, the omnibus proposal to simplify EU legislation, and the Clean Industrial Deal.
He adds,
Now is the time for action. Today, we propose concrete actions for the EU to take during the first 100 days and beyond. These include cutting red tape, reducing energy costs, diversifying export and import markets, boosting the digital economy and fostering innovation.
Meanwhile, the organisation welcomed news that the EU and Switzerland had concluded negotiations on a package of agreements that allow Swiss companies’ sectoral participation in the Single Market.
This includes updates to existing bilateral agreements and new agreements in key areas such as electricity, food safety and health. Switzerland will gain access to EU programmes, including Horizon Europe.
Beyrer said
“The conclusion of negotiations between the EU and Switzerland is an important step to stabilise and further reinforce bilateral relations. For European businesses, these agreements are critical for safeguarding and deepening existing value chains and ensuring that companies operate under clear and predictable rules. In today’s complex geopolitical environment, the agreements help to create a more integrated and resilient European economy. We now call on both sides to show a strong political commitment and take the necessary steps for swift implementation of the agreements.”
