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 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.
17 September 2025 – As the 2020-2025 mandate of the European Economic and Social Committee draws to a close with the September plenary (17-18 September), the EESC Employers' group announces its key leadership appointments for the next term.
On 16 July 2025, the EESC Employers' Group hosted a debate on the challenges faced by the Ukrainian private sector on the path to EU membership, with guests from the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the European Business Association, the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.
As the global trade landscape grows increasingly complex, European policymakers and business leaders are grappling with the dual challenges of geopolitical instability and shifting transatlantic relations. At a recent panel discussion, Group members discussed with experts the future of EU trade policy, with a particular focus on the transatlantic trade relations ahead of the looming July 9 deadline for resolving EU-US tariff disputes.
