European Business Summit

Despite growing unemployment, millions of jobs across the EU cannot be filled, according to Rudi Thomaes, the CEO of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium. Europe's workers do not have the right skills to meet the needs of modern businesses, he said. 

Any hope Europe had of becoming the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010 have been dashed by the global economic downturn, with all of Europe's economies hit hard by recession, according to a report to be published later this week (12 March).

Over two thirds of European businesses face growing difficulties in accessing credit, and as a consequence, 45% will decrease their investment activities over the next six months. The repercussions for workers could be severe, with 35% of companies warning that they may be forced to cut staff.

There has been a broadly positive response to moves by European finance ministers to cut VAT rates, with small business representatives welcoming the certainty the plan will bring for SMEs.

EU leaders meeting in Brussels today (20 March) are rejecting pressure from the US to increase stimulus packages, and instead placing their hopes of economic recovery on European welfare and social spending.

The European Commission is seeking powers from EU member states to conclude an agreement on a Unified Patent Litigation System (UPLS), which would establish a court with jurisdiction for existing European patents and the future Community patent system.

A key report launched yesterday (26 March) at the European Business Summit urges governments to pay to train workers who would otherwise be laid off, in an effort to address the yawning skills gap that is opening up across Europe.

European companies will remain world leaders in developing green technologies even in times of economic recession, but Europe must work on attracting more venture capital to bring these products to the market, business leaders told a European Business Summit session last week.

Politicians in Austria are weighing up the benefits of a financial transactions tax (FTT) versus a tax on banking assets. Christoph Leitl, head of the country's federal Economy Chamber, tells EURACTIV why he thinks an FTT is preferable.

European firms remain optimistic about China's economic growth prospects, but are less confident about the near-term outlook for profits and are very concerned about regulatory unpredictability, according to a survey.

A 22% boost in new industrial orders has provided a much-needed fillip for business leaders gathering in Brussels for this week's European Business Summit.

Innovative companies could see a dramatic reduction in the cost of patenting new inventions, if a controversial European Commission plan is adopted by EU governments. The new rules could pave the way for a single European patent to be issued in one of just three languages – English, French or German.

In an upcoming discussion paper, the European Commission calls on member states to automatically adapt retirement ages to changing demographic and economic trends in order to avoid potentially heated debates on pension reform.

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday (20 March) thrashed out a common strategy before next month's G20 summit in London, pushing for tighter rules to regulate global financial markets and tax havens. But they did not make any additional commitments to fiscal stimulus plans promoted by the United States.

Europe should turn to natural gas in its search for the affordable and reliable energy sources of the future, energy company representatives said at the European Business Summit (EBS) yesterday (1 July).

Europe's fledgling venture capital market has hit a ''trough'' and needs public money to stimulate its return to growth, according to the European Investment Fund – the EU's long-term investment body. EURACTIV reports from the European Business Summit (EBS) in Brussels.

Up to 200,000 corporate insolvencies are expected in Europe this year, according to the European Commission's SME envoy, Françoise Le Bail, who said the reluctance of banks to lend to SMEs will force thousands of viable companies out of business.

Irish MEP Gay Mitchell (EPP-ED) has called on the European Investment Bank (EIB) to persuade China to invest billions of euro in the bank, which would then be repaid through additional customs duties collected from increased trade.

Despite their best efforts and some encouraging employment figures, most EU countries have not lived up to the challenge of keeping Europe competitive in the long-term, the EU executive found on Wednesday (27 January). The bloc's goal of becoming "the world's most dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010" is thus no more than an "illusion", experts noted, especially in the wake of the financial and economic crises.

'Don't tax what you earn, tax what you burn'. In an interview with EURACTIV, EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard throws her weight behind an EU carbon tax and speaks about Europe's efforts to stay ahead of the game in international climate negotiations.

Stavros Dimas, the EU's environment commissioner, says Europe is looking forward to seeing the details of US climate change legislation in order to assess whether it meets the "comparability test" with the EU. He spoke to EURACTIV on the sidelines of this week's European Business Summit in Brussels.

Green activists strongly criticised heads of state and government for failing to put concrete sums on the table to help developing countries combat climate change at their meeting last week (19-20 March).

Maria João Rodrigues, one of the architects of the EU's Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs, believes the EU needs a revised strategy which is greener, with a stronger focus on climate change and energy. She spoke to EURACTIV in an interview on the sidelines of the European Business Summit.

Investment by EU member states in major national industries will trickle down to smaller companies as well benefiting large firms, the European Commission's SME envoy told EURACTIV in an interview.

'Don't tax what you earn, tax what you burn' should be the EU's response to safeguarding our welfare societies, EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told EURACTIV in an interview, expressing support for an EU carbon tax. She spoke about progress in international climate negotiations and the EU's efforts to stay ahead of the game.

Stavros Dimas, the EU's environment commissioner, says Europe is looking forward to seeing the details of US climate change legislation in order to assess whether it meets the "comparability test" with the EU. He spoke to EURACTIV on the sidelines of this week's European Business Summit in Brussels.

European companies’ competitiveness is hampered by unnecessary burdensome legislative instruments in climate, energy and environment and policymakers must rebalance industrial strategies towards manufacturing, BusinessEurope President Jürgen Thumann said in an interview with EURACTIV, as the European Business Summit (EBS) gets underway today (15 May).

Policymakers need to understand how the real economy is operating, especially with industry under pressure, says the commissioner for industry and entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani. In a video interview, te tells EURACTIV that getting European funds out to SMEs is critical to the target of increasing industrial output to 20% of European GDP by 2020.

Europe has some of the most innovative countries in the world, Intel executive Christian Morales says in a video interview, but investment must be maintained across energy, health and other sectors to ensure that the continent keeps its competitive edge.

The European Commission has received much praise for putting innovation and creativity at the centre of attention in 2009, but it remains to be seen whether the special year can go beyond mere symbolism and deliver concrete results at a time when Europe is engulfed in a global economic recession.

From 7-18 December, governments from 192 countries meeting in Copenhagen will attempt to thrash out a sweeping agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, amid growing signals from scientists that global warming is occurring more quickly than expected.

Following the agreement on a roadmap to negotiate a succesor to the Kyoto Protocol at the UN conference in Bali, EURACTIV examines some of the main policy options and instruments available for mounting a global response to climate change. 

If European Union countries implemented existing waste-management regulations, they could create some 400,000 jobs and save diminishing resources, a senior European Commission environment official has said.

Closer cooperation between European countries and an emphasis on energy efficiency would be more effective at lowering prices in Europe than dreams about an American-style shale gas boom, the EU's climate chief said on Thursday (16 May).

China and Africa will be an important engine for economic growth in the next 20 years and Europe should seize the opportunity to engage with them strategically and not see them as a threat, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said Wednesday (15 May) in Brussels, where he attended the European Business Summit.

Europe’s most influential business lobby will have its first female leader starting in July, but as BusinessEurope holds its annual summit over the next two days, men will dominate at the podium.

European companies’ competitiveness is hampered by unnecessary burdensome legislative instruments in climate, energy and environment and policymakers must rebalance industrial strategies towards manufacturing, BusinessEurope president Jürgen Thumann said in an interview with EURACTIV. The European Business Summit (EBS) begins today (15 May).

Conservative leader Nicos Anastasiades easily won the first round in Cyprus's presidential elections but failed to avoid a runoff vote, reflecting deep divisions among Cypriots on a bailout deal to save the island nation from bankruptcy.

Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), urged world governments to ensure that stimulus packages aimed at restoring growth also embrace low-carbon technologies. He spoke to EURACTIV in an exclusive interview ahead of the European Business Summit, which opens today (26 March) in Brussels. 

Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), urged world governments to ensure that stimulus packages aimed at restoring growth also embrace low-carbon technologies. He spoke to EURACTIV in an exclusive interview ahead of the European Business Summit, which opens today (26 March) in Brussels. 

European business organisations joined forces at the European Business Summit on Thursday (16 May) to press for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.