Petr Kužel on his visit to EU institutions

Petr Kužel, president of the Czech Chamber of Commerce (CCC), met important EU officials as well as the Heads of the Czech institutions in Brussels on 25th October 2011.

His aim was to stress the need to focus on a daily life of a business and not only on macroeconomic issues and to consider growth-enhancing measures. Kužel also highlighted the necessity to restart the Single Market as to use its full potential, avoid incoming counterfeit and health deleterious goods from third markets, make the apprenticeships more attractive and modernize professional qualifications recognition as well as to ease business access to finance and reduce administrative burden.

„We have to know what kind of skills graduates must have in the next decade. Apprenticeships as well as support to crafts must find their place in the future cohesion policy”, stressed Kužel. “It will be also important to ease the access of start-ups and SMEs to micro-credits as they can help to create jobs and employ people”, he added. Petr Kužel met Henri Malosse, president of the EESC Group I – Employers, François Arbault, Member of Michel Barnier´s cabinet, Daniel Calleja Crespo, EU SME Envoy, Jiří Plecitý from Commissioner Andor´s cabinet, Jakub Dürr, Czech Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU and last but not least Ivo Šrámek, Czech Ambassador to Belgium.

Declaration on restoring confidence in Europe’s economy:
The CCC is a full Member of UEAPME – European Association of Craft and SMEs, and EUROCHAMBRES – Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. On 24th Oct. 2011, Kužel attended the EUROCHAMBRES plenary which adopted a Declaration on restoring confidence in Europe’s economy. European chambers want to see a better focus on growth, stimulate access to finance, safeguard the euro, accelerate delivery of the many remaining elements of the EU internal market and avoid negative impacts of capital requirements on larger banks.