The voices of European business jointly call for renewed economic integration in the EU

In the wake of last week’s Summit of the European Council, five of the EU’s largest cross-sectoral business associations joined forces today to issue a joint statement calling out the EU institutions and national governments for a decade of inaction to deepen and improve the EU Single Market.

Following the lacklustre European Council conclusions on the ambitious outcomes of the recent Conference on the Future of Europe, the statement makes extensive recommendations as to how to advance a fresh dynamic of EU integration in the current context. To avoid a recession and provide a sound response to the current economic headwinds, the European Council should focus its next meeting on economic issues and mandate the European Commission to spearhead a comprehensive programme that addresses the increasing number of barriers in the Single Market.

In issuing the statement today, the associations involved: BusinessEurope, DigitalEurope, ERT, Eurochambers and Eurocommerce – seek to make their voice heard in advance of this week’s EU Industrial Forum due to take place in Brussels, on Wednesday, 29 June. They will be pleading for a 180°  change in the way the EU deals with the Single Market – in the presence of Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner Thierry Breton and high-level representatives of the 27 EU Member States.

The joint statement is the latest in a series of appeals by European businesses, to address ongoing pain points in the Single Market and in the process, make the EU a more competitive and resilient trade bloc. A full list of recent publications about European competitiveness and the EU Single Market is included in the statement.