COP30 was not a missed opportunity; it is a snapshot of a complex moment in which we must strive to find solutions. Businesses must demonstrate that achieving these goals is possible, but we need certainty, legal and regulatory security, and this requires maintaining leadership—in our case, that of the European Institutions in the multilateral arena. The EESC must continue working towards achieving these objectives.
The European Union’s Single Market, often hailed as the crown jewel of European integration, promised frictionless trade and a level playing field. Yet today, it remains unfinished showing a patchwork of 27 national corporate laws, tax codes, accounting rules, and labour systems. For businesses operating across borders, this legal maze acts as invisible tariffs: up to 45% on goods and over 100% on services. Expanding across borders still means paying lawyers and accountants, not hiring engineers or sales teams.
Europe’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs) are at a turning point and the discussions at the SME Assembly showed just how urgently change is needed.
Europe stands at a crossroads. As new members join, they bring vital fresh energy and perspectives, ready to tackle the complex challenges ahead. But thanks to colleagues who have worked relentlessly in the past mandate to put competitiveness at the heart of the EU agenda, members will not start from scratch: our group already has its priorities, and financially we will continue to operate within our 2025 budget envelope.
Over a year ago, the Letta and Draghi reports sounded the alarm bell about the state of the European internal market. The findings were clear: our single market — the cornerstone of European integration — is eroding. Fragmented, overregulated, and underutilized, it increasingly holds back rather than drives our collective progress.
Our Group is not representing political parties nor ideologies – we are representing proud entrepreneurs, SMEs, and employers—people who care about their companies, their employees and the communities they sustain.
