Comité Económico e Social Europeu
European entrepreneurs are firmly convinced that despite current challenges, the COVID-19 crisis presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the EU, as history shows that large-scale crises force us to significantly rethink and create opportunities to rebuild better and put Europe on the path of a sustainable, green and digital recovery.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how resilience is properly built only by securing a fully functioning Single Market. This was the main message pronounced by EU Commissioner for the Internal market, Thierry Breton, who joined the Extraordinary Employers' Group meeting (1 March) to discuss a wide range of topics from the vaccine rollout, to the revised EU Industrial Strategy and Europe's sustainable recovery.
Monsieur le Commissaire,
It is a great pleasure and an honour to greet you at this Extraordinary Group meeting of the Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee.
I would like to greet you first and foremost as the Commissioner responsible for some of the most important portfolios for us, such as the Single Market, industrial policy, SME policy and even Space policy.
The COVID-19 crisis has severely hit SMEs across Europe, many of which risk being swept out of business in its wake. While the impact of the crisis depends on the sector in which the SME operate and on the restrictions and financial support of the Member State, COVID19 continues to pose uncertainty to all. There is a clear risk that many SMEs lost due to this pandemic will be lost for good.
The Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee takes note of the encouraging economic projections released yesterday by the European Commission in the Winter forecast and welcomes today's signing ceremony of the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility, which lies at the heart of the EU’s recovery plan.
The list of new work appointments for January 2021 and the most recent list of ongoing EESC work are available for download in the attachments below.
The Employers’ group of the European Economic and Social Committee expresses serious concerns with the difficulties linked to the EU vaccine rollout programme and calls for a change of tone and action, comparable to the one we have seen in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.
With a sigh of relief, the European Union welcomes Joe Biden as the new US president. The Trump administration systematically tried to undermine EU unity[1], contrary to established US policy since World War II. Europe now looks forward to a fresh start. Mr Biden knows Europe well. He sees the EU as a stable US ally and values European unity.
[1] Anthony Luzzatto Gardner, Stars with stripes; the essential partnership between the European Union and the United States, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020.
Statement by Employers’ Group President Stefano Mallia
EU employers welcome the Brexit deal agreed on Christmas eve and warmly congratulate the European Commission negotiating team, masterly led by Michel Barnier. But as businesses are trying to make sense of the 1,200-page trade treaty they call for a period of adaptation to face the steep learning curve.
The list of new work appointments for December 2020 and the most recent list of ongoing EESC work are available for download in the attachments below.
