The employers' organisation BusinessEurope submitted a series of recommendations to reform the economic and social environment of the EU, to coincide with the publication of its 2018 barometer on EU reforms ('EU CAP reform Barometer Spring'), on Wednesday 21 March.
According to the report, ten years after the start of the crisis, the EU economy is still growing more slowly (9% between 2007 and 2017) than that of the United States (15%). Furthermore, just 22% of the reforms implemented in 2017 by the member states are reported to be satisfactory. The organisation is therefore submitting a raft of recommendations to make the European economy more competitive.
It advises the member states to adapt their education and training systems to the needs of the market, particularly regarding technology, engineering and mathematics. It recommends reducing the non-salary costs of employment (social security).
BusinessEurope proposes reforms that will encourage workers to remain in work for longer, make pension systems sustainable in the long term and ensure that legal migrants are able to integrate into the labour force.
The organisation also calls for the internal market to be thoroughly embedded in the field of the digital economy, telecoms, energy and services, for European and national rules to be implemented and respected, and for the energy market to be fully liberalised.
The report stresses the need to spend more on research and development and the deployment of 5G, and to complete the Capital Markets Union.
In particular, the organisation stresses that the Stability and Growth Pact gives the member states the possibility to channel their investments into growth-sustaining projects, if they so choose. It also hopes to reduce the level of taxation on employment and capital, including corporate tax.
The EU as a facilitator and distributor of information. Interestingly, the organisation stresses the EU's role as facilitator and coordinator, reiterating that its main objective is to provide the member states and social partners with information, put incentives in place and roll out best practice to accompany the member states in the reforms.
To consult the report in full: https://bit.ly/2FXJ0bC. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)