Madrid Declaration of the European business

Lasting growth will only be achieved with greater stability

Leaders of the European business – BUSINESSEUROPE - met in Madrid on 11 June for a regular Presidents’ meeting to assess the latest economic development and to discuss essential business issues in the field of energy, climate change and industry. They adopted a common Declaration addressed to the European Council.

Entrepreneurs across Europe are sparing no effort to increase their activity and to participate in the global upturn. BUSINESSEUROPE predicts growth in the EU to average 1.1% this year and 1.6 % in 2011. This should allow the unemployment rate in the EU to stabilise in the coming months and job creation to resume in the course of next year. But this recovery momentum is fragile and the rapid deterioration of public finances has become a major destabilising force.

European business calls for discipline and growth which must go hand in hand. The presidents of BUSINESSEUROPE’s members are broadly supportive of the emergency actions undertaken in recent months. But Europe is at a crossroads and has a simple choice to confront: reform or decline. In the Declaration it is written: “We need a clear direction from European leaders and a commitment to safeguard the historic achievements of the single market and the single currency.”

Madrid Declaration [pdf 288 kB]

Vladimíra Drbalová
International Organisations and EU Affairs