2024-10-18 14:26:00
Establish an ambitious multiannual financial framework that, together with a simpler and more flexible cohesion policy, stimulates investment in housing, research and innovation; allocate new European funds for large joint investment projects between member states; reduce regulatory complexity for European businesses, paying particular attention to public procurement; and adopt more incisive measures to reduce the price of energy, promoting the integration of the European market.
These are some of the main axes of the first joint declaration signed this Friday by CEOE and Confindustria – the main Italian business organization – on the occasion of the second bilateral meeting between the two organizations.
Two days of work which, for CEOE and Confindustria, served to reaffirm the common vision on the economic and social future of the European Union, underlining the urgency of quickly adopting the new plan for the relaunch of European competitiveness announced by the Council elected president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with Clean industrial pactwhich must be consistent with the investments necessary for the development and progress of Europe.
To this end, the Declaration underlines that it is necessary to implement more incisive measures to mitigate energy costs, promote the integration and interconnections of energy markets and accelerate authorization procedures.
Strengthen the single market
But such an ambitious new industrial strategy cannot be achieved without strengthening the single market, with an effective plan to improve regulation to make it easier to do business in Europe, eliminating current barriers.
In this context, public procurement should become an effective tool to promote innovation, sustainability and European competitiveness.
All this requires a European budget that promotes public and private investment. The European Union must adopt an ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) that strengthens investments, including adequate resources for Research and Innovation and for a cohesion policy which currently requires a more agile and flexible regulatory framework to achieve its goals. long-term goals.
The signed declaration also indicates that the new European Housing Plan must integrate into these objectives, supporting the sectors involved in their transition processes and satisfying, at the same time, the housing needs of families and workers across Europe.
As Mario Draghi highlighted in his Report, the European Union needs 800 billion euros in funding every year to address competitiveness challenges.
In this context, CEOE and Confindustria support the creation of a Competitiveness Fund that supports the efforts of the private sector in transitions, while ensuring equal conditions within the Single Market.
On the other hand, CEOE and Confindustria agree on the fact that the investment objectives can only be achieved by strengthening the banking union and deepening the Capital Markets Union, building the so-called Savings and Investment Union, proposed by Enrico Letta in his report. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure the efficient use of Next Generation EU funds in the last phase of its implementation and consider extending the deadline beyond August 2026.
Dialogue with the private sector
On the other hand, the declaration highlights that a deeper dialogue with the private sector is essential, both for the design and implementation of all these policies; and that strengthening this collaborative framework will help ensure the success of European integration.
During the meeting, the CEOE president, Antonio Garamendiunderlined that “both organizations have the need and opportunity to go hand in hand in building the future EU, to transform it into a competitive economic environment, with leadership in issues such as innovation or sustainability”.
“We remain firmly committed to the green agenda, so now is the time to make it work,” he added, also underlining that “a permanent dialogue with businesses is essential to support a transition that does not reduce their competitiveness and to deepen commitment public – private collaboration”.
Finally, he underlined that “this meeting served CEOE and Confindustria to take a step forward in the work of cooperation and promotion of the entrepreneurial interests of both countries that we were already developing. I hope to continue to strengthen these relations in the third bilateral meeting to be held in Madrid in 2025.”
“The biggest challenge ahead is closing the European Union’s competitiveness gap. We must recover attractiveness and trust, necessary prerequisites for investments”, stated the president of Confindustria for his part, Emanuele Orsini.
“With today’s signature, while aware that Italy is ahead of everyone else in implementing the Plan, together with Spanish companies we ask for a more effective use of the funds and the extension of the terms of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) ), currently scheduled for August 2026. Politics needs a clear message. We can’t wait too long. It is necessary to enable the sector to structure itself,” he added.
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