Malta Business Bureau Consultation on the Future of Europe Webinar
On Thursday, 23rd of September, the Malta Business Bureau organized an online consultation session in collaboration with EUROCHAMBRES, on the upcoming ‘Future of Europe Conference’. Opening addresses were delivered by MBB President, Alison Mizzi, and EUROCHAMBRES CEO, Ben Butters.
The event featured a peak attendance of 40 participants, mainly business leaders who actively participated and shared their views. The three MBB moderators : Daniel Debono, Mark Seychell, Gabriel Cassar worked in tandem with EUROCHAMBRES policy experts , Erwan Bertrand, Stefanie Sieberer, Adam Gajek, to present three breakout sessions relevant to the Future of Europe debate during which the eager participation of the audience was noted.
During the Single Market breakout session, participants agreed that the Single Market is the EU’s greatest achievement aside from decades of peace, but remains far from complete. Certain barriers remain, for example with regards to contract law, public procurement and the need for increased digitalisation before moving onto more advanced technology like AI.
On the environment and sustainability, it was argued that many EU member states act as a leader and demonstrate increased ambition with the EU Green Deal and related packages. However, this ambition must also be matched with appropriate support to businesses who may lack internal capacity and funding to undergo sustainability investments.
During the future of work session, participants said the digital transformation presents challenges and opportunities to the labour market and these have been accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis. The EU has limited competencies in skills, education and training policies, but still has a relevant role to play to help labour markets function better and make our economies more competitive.
Finally, EUROCHAMBRES Policy Director Lina Konstantinopolou discussed the Future of Democracy and Governance in the EU in a session chaired by MBB CEO. During this session Ms Konstantinopolou stressed the importance of Better Regulation and business-friendly regulation which is proposed, taking into account the necessities of SMEs and then appropriately implemented at national level. The importance of business participation through consultation, including through Chambers of Commerce was also explained.
