Czech Presidency – an opportunity not to be missed

In the second half of 2022, the Czech Republic will hold its second presidency of the Council of the EU. Apart from dealing with COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the EU will intensively negotiate initiatives that will affect the competitiveness of European companies, such as the green and digital transition, improving the functioning of the single internal market, the digital agenda, social issues and industrial competitiveness. CEBRE founders issued a declaration that summarizes several main areas on which the Czech government should focus while preparing the programme of the presidency.

Firstly, the Czech Republic should promote measures that support the functioning of the internal market, and reject protectionist solutions impeding the free movement of goods, persons, services, capital and data. Principles of better regulation and thorough impact assessments throughout the whole legislative process would support this goal. Crucial negotiations are awaited regarding the green transition, therefore proper discussions with stakeholders are necessary considering the global situation, technological possibilities and impact on the competitiveness of EU industry. Proper funding opportunities must be available to help companies bear the costs of the green transitions.

Another important topic is the digital agenda. CEBRE founders consider free movement of data the fifth freedom of the internal market, therefore barriers to the flow of data must be removed. A proper legislative framework will have to be set up that will promote the digital transition while supporting key technologies like artificial intelligence. The potential in the digital area, however, must not be suppressed by exhaustive administrative requirements. Industry will play a key role in the recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the implementation of the Green Deal goals. Therefore, the EU desperately needs a strong industrial policy that will embrace the key role of industry in achieving these goals and will support its competitiveness.

Last but not least, labour market and employment policies are one of the biggest priorities of Czech businesses, therefore the presidency should focus on strengthening active labour market policies, the effective functioning of public employment services and the involvement of private employment agencies. Apart from that, digital transformation will require policies aimed at acquiring digital skills. The full declaration can be found on CEBRE website.