- Sánchez Llibre highlights the “excessive regulation” that small and medium-sized businesses in both Spain and Europe face.
- For the president of Foment, in this election “businesses have everything at stake” to maintain “productivity and competitiveness.”
- Duch proposes improving European defense so the continent can regain strategic autonomy.
The European Parliament Office in Barcelona and Foment del Treball held a colloquium today at the employer association’s headquarters with Jaume Duch, Director-General for Communication and Spokesperson of the European Parliament, to address the final stretch of the current mandate and the preparation for the campaign and the European elections on June 9. The president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre, welcomed the event by highlighting the significance of the upcoming European elections, in which “businesses have everything at stake” to maintain “productivity and competitiveness.”
Duch also agreed in his analysis, stating that the European elections in June are “the most crucial” that the community project has faced so far, not only due to the war in Ukraine but also because of the numerous challenges that the European Union will face in the coming years.
The European Parliament spokesperson cited issues such as the improvement of European security and defense, the energy transition and reindustrialization, as well as ensuring the supply of energy and essential goods; which would set the course towards greater strategic autonomy, essential for the future of the EU.
Regarding the current legislative term that is about to end, Duch positively assessed the role the EU has played in facing major crises such as Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine: “There has been much more information about what was being done in Europe because they were front-page news. This has given greater visibility and credibility, also more pressure, and more expectations, which is why the elections are approached differently.”
Sánchez Llibre and Duch emphasized the direct influence that the results of the US elections will have on EU policy. “We are already beginning to foresee a negative scenario for the entire European continent. We are in a phase that we would not have imagined for many years,” warned the European spokesperson.
Competitiveness of the European economy
The president of Foment placed special emphasis on the “excessive regulation” that small and medium-sized enterprises in both Spain and Europe suffer from, which affects their global positioning, compared to other competitors, especially from the US and Asia, who have a more favorable environment in this aspect.
According to the employer leader, it is necessary to move towards a less bureaucratized economy, which facilitates access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, and enables their internationalization and growth.
In this regard, Sánchez Llibre shared Foment del Treball’s involvement with the report on how to improve the competitiveness of the European economy that is being prepared by the former president of the European Central Bank and former Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, for the EU. The head of the Catalan employer’s office in Brussels, Ana Ollé, who was present at the event, leads this ongoing initiative. Additionally, the report on the future of the common market commissioned to former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, in which Foment is also contributing, was referenced.
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