Ill Ref. Ares(2020)3897336-23/07/2020
Ref. Ares(2021)2798863 - 27/04/2021
Minutes of the EVP videoconference with the national members of Businesseurope
01/04/2020
EVP presented the measures the Commission has already taken or would take the
next day.
Participants asked questions and commented. They agreed on the following points:
1. Overall support and recognition of quick action by the Commission
2. Lack of liquidity for SMEs remains a problem, notwithstanding national and
european initiatives
3. Single market very important. Thank commission for green lane initiative and
for guidelines on free movement of people. However insistence that have to
go back ASAP to open borders
4. EU should remain open for business; No to protectionism
5. EU should review entry into force of (already approved) legislation that
increases costs to business: examples given on cleaner cars, posting of
workers, mobility package ... and slow down new costly initiatives
Points of disagreement concerned the need to intervene with ESM or coronabonds or other,
along known national lines. DE said we mobilised everything we could, that is good and
enough.
IT, PT said that in exceptional circumstances you need exceptional responses and that if
everyone goes it alone, the difference in fiscal space will lead to an unequal impact.
On this point
concluded that BusinessEurope line is no mutualisation of debt but
yes to some kind of instrument, eg via ESM , which would allow use of OMT.