Protecting Workers Against Hazardous Substances

Protecting workers against carcinogens

A revision of rules to protect workers of carcinogenic and other hazardous substances has been informally agreed by the European Parliament and Council negotiators. During the negotiations, MEPs secured the inclusion of reprotoxic substances in the fourth revision of the Carcinogens and Mutagens at Work Directive (CMD4). These substances have adverse effects on reproduction and…

Beyrer Comments on EU Tax Proposals

Cut Taxes

The European Commission has presented its communication on own resources and directives on a minimum corporate tax and fighting shell entities. Reaction came from BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer who said: “It is important that the EU has a stable funding source through its own resources. The best way to ensure we are able…

Prospects for Brewing post-Coronavirus

Beer and Brewing

As Europe continues to battle the pandemic, it must maintain its support measures for the beer sector, says The Brewers of Europe. The call comes as The Brewers of Europe, the voice of more than 12,000 breweries, released its 2021 European Beer Trends Statistics Report, which revealed how overall beer sales had collapsed in the…

Swedish Forests at Dubai Expo 2020

swedish forests

Expo 2020 in Dubai has now opened, and many Swedish industries, authorities and organisations are here, including the Swedish Forest Industries Federation. Dubai is currently hosting 190 countries at the World Expo on the theme ‘Connecting Minds – Creating the Future’. Much of Swedish industry is here, including companies such as Scania, Ericsson and SSAB, and…

Coordinating Rules for Digital Platforms

Digital Platforms

More coordinated rules for digital platforms are called for in an opinion adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at its December plenary session. In the global process of transforming industry, digitisation has taken on a fundamental strategic role.  The phenomenon is rapidly expanding beyond the borders of the European Union itself. Given the scale…

Calls to Step Up EU Safety for Toys

Toy Safety

MEPs want to strengthen current rules and market surveillance to ensure that all toys sold on the EU market, including from non-EU countries and online, are safe. In a report unanimously approved last week with 44 votes in favour, Parliament’s internal market committee stresses that, while the Toy Safety Directive (TSD) provides children with a…

Democracy at Work

Democracy at Work

The plenary of the European Parliament will this week debate an S&D report on democracy at work, with a vote tomorrow. The report calls for strengthening workers’ participation at workplaces across the EU and proposes a new framework for information, consultation and board-level representation to replace the existing patchwork of sometimes contradictory rules. With this framework,…

Renewing the Dynamic of European Integration.

ERT dynamic single market

Business bosses demand “more breadth, depth and governance” of EU’s Single Market. The European Round Table for Industry (ERT), a forum that brings together chief executives and chairs of leading multinational companies of European parentage, has kicked off a new campaign, calling for renewed integration to strengthen the EU Single Market. Its new publication includes…

EU Data Governance

MEPs have welcomed new data sharing rules adopted by the EU. They say the new measures will be a “catalyst” for new business models. “These new rules set the foundation for trust in the data economy. Only if trust and fairness are guaranteed, can data sharing flourish to its fullest potential”, declared Angelika Niebler MEP,…