Improve the legal environment, simplify regulations, eliminate protectionism in individual member states towards other EU markets, but also build an environment conducive to the development of innovation and a modern technological market – these are the main postulates of the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs towards the upcoming Polish presidency in the EU Council. All these elements are intended to strengthen the competitiveness of EU companies and industries in the international arena, where they are currently losing to the USA and Asia.
“The priorities of Polish entrepreneurs have largely been outlined. Stable and understandable EU regulations are of great importance, which I hope will be more in the spirit and evaluation of entrepreneurs, not officials,” says Arkadiusz Pączka, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, to the Newseria Business news agency. “Europe is losing the competitiveness race with other countries, but this is also a topic related to the integration of academia and business, migration policy and the single market. Today we have many barriers and also economic protectionism in some countries. So there are many challenges related to the Polish presidency in the Council of the European Union ahead of us, but we as entrepreneurs want to highlight those that concern us and are very fundamental.”
The tasks of the Polish presidency in the EU Council were one of the two main issues discussed during the III Congress “Dialogue on the Economy” organised by the FPP this week. As emphasised by the Deputy Prime Minister in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, preparations are going according to plan. In November 2023, the previous government decided that the priorities of the presidency will be: strengthening cooperation between the EU and the US, EU enlargement to include new member states and its participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as ensuring the EU’s energy security. The current government maintains these priorities, but due to the international situation, emphasis should be shifted to ensuring security for Europe in various dimensions. According to entrepreneurs, the Polish presidency in the EU is a great opportunity to guide the Community’s economic policy.
“Draghi’s report shows where Europe is today and what challenges it is facing. This discussion, I hope, will continue throughout our presidency, because these priorities, mentioned by Ms. Minister Sobkowiak, relate to some extent to the economic sphere of what was highlighted in Draghi’s report or in Mr. Letty’s report, which are competitiveness, the single market, and innovation,” emphasises the Vice Chairman of the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs.
For entrepreneurs, the most important issue is the competitiveness of the European Union compared to the US or Asian countries, obstructed by overregulation within the community itself, in addition to national regulations implementing EU laws.
“This, among others, is what we as a Federation and a social partner are dealing with, that is, improving the legal environment. We want some reflection on creating new regulations and implementing directives into our legal system. We often want to add certain extensions, we want to excel in implementing EU regulations, but it’s about implementing regulations on a 1:1 basis, not overregulating certain areas, ” said Arkadiusz Pączka. “This then translates into the common single market. Today we have a number of systems, for example in taxation, employment or building regulations. There are so many discrepancies that the single market often doesn’t work. A stable legal environment for innovation, investment, and capital location in the European Union is crucial.”
As FPP experts point out, the EU now needs to find a balance between ambitious climate goals and industry competitiveness. All the more so as spending on green energy and climate neutrality is associated with heavy burdens.
“But we are also losing heavily to other markets in the context of R&D and building innovation and the flight of young scientists to other destinations. These are the threats facing Europe today and I hope that the time of the Polish presidency, which will be combined with the new European Commission, with a new hand, will be such a significant and strong vehicle that we will be able to articulate those expectations of entrepreneurs. They aim to stimulate innovation, stimulate investment, but also build the European Union as a modern technological market,” says the Vice President of the Federation.
The priorities will be presented to the European Parliament at the plenary session in January, scheduled for 20–23 January 2025. According to tradition, the detailed calendar of events, the logo of the Polish presidency and its dedicated website should be presented two weeks before its start, in December.
