Strengthening the EU economy: Key takeaways from the Macroeconomic Dialogue

On 10 March, our Director General, Markus J. Beyrer, joined the Macroeconomic Dialogue at Political level, chaired by Andrzej Domański, Minister of Finance of Poland, alongside fellow European social partners and top EU leaders—including Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB; Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup; and Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner for Economy and Productivity.

The discussion focused on the recent and expected economic developments and key regulatory barriers that contribute to the fragmentation of the Single Market for services. During the meeting, Beyrer emphasised the urgent need to address two critical challenges: reducing the regulatory burden on businesses and closing the energy cost gap with major global competitors. "The EU economy continues to underperform that of its competitors," he warned.

He spoke about BusinessEurope’s 68 concrete suggestions on how to reduce regulatory burden. Beyrer also acknowledged that the first Simplification Omnibus is a first step towards making Europe a better place for doing business. "However, while the direction is right, more needs to be done and delivery will be crucial,” Beyrer highlighted.

Images copyright: European Union, 2025

Meeting with Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič

On 7 March, a BusinessEurope delegation consisting of President Fredrik Persson, Director General Markus J. Beyrer and Deputy Director General Luisa Santos, met with the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Maroš Šefčovič, to discuss key priorities for Europe's economic and strategic resilience. The meeting underscored the need to maintain European unity amid growing geopolitical challenges, reinforce the EU’s trade diversification strategy – including ratification of the Mercosur agreement, and support Europe’s competitiveness to increase negotiation power.

Picture copyright: European Union, 2025

Advancing gender equality in Europe

Watch MEP Lina Gálvez, Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, sharing her views on how the EU can support female entrepreneurs and boost women's STEM and IT skills.

Also, check out our new paper on strengthening gender equality in Europe. We call for a comprehensive approach to increasing women’s economic activity.

Did you know?

Quote of the week

"Europe must be united in its response. The EU's top priority is to protect its interests, with the ultimate goal of finding a negotiated solution."

Our Director General Markus J. Beyrer quoted by AFP on USA's decision to impose a new 25 percent tariff on all imported steel and aluminum products. Read our press release here.