BusinessEurope's Council of Presidents gathered in Warsaw, hosted by the Confederation Lewiatan, ahead of Poland assuming the EU Presidency. The meeting included discussions with Poland’s Minister of Finance, Andrzej Domański, and focused on setting priorities for the upcoming presidency. Attendees also met with President Andrzej Duda and exchanged views with Sauli Niinistö, former Finnish President and Special Adviser to the European Commission President.
Fredrik Persson, BusinessEurope President, emphasized the importance of strengthening Europe's economy to maintain peace and stability. "To continue being an anchor of peace, prosperity, and stability, Europe must act decisively to strengthen its economy and close the widening competitiveness gap towards our major competitors," he stated. Persson highlighted that the Polish EU Presidency offers a crucial opportunity to revitalize EU policies for investment and growth.
Persson outlined ten priority actions for the Presidency: "These include defining an ambitious Single Market strategy by mid-2025 and proposing a new clean industrial deal that is sufficiently ambitious on reducing regulatory burdens on companies, accelerates permitting procedures, reduces energy costs, and addresses labour and skills shortages. Trade diversification is equally critical in view of the current geopolitical context."
Maciej Witucki, Lewiatan President, expressed gratitude for hosting leaders from across Europe in Warsaw. He reaffirmed support for Ukraine amidst ongoing conflict: "We are honoured to welcome to Warsaw the leaders of major business associations from across Europe. Today we have reaffirmed our support for Ukraine and its people." Witucki noted that since Russia’s invasion, nearly €122 billion has been mobilized by the EU in various forms of assistance to Ukraine.
The council stressed that maintaining a resilient EU economy is essential for sustaining this support as long as necessary.