Czech Business Today

In its opinion on the European Preparedness Union Strategy, the EESC highlights that Europe faces increasingly complex crises—from natural disasters and pandemics to cyberattacks and armed conflicts—making preparedness and resilience, including economic stability, more essential than ever. The EESC supports the European Preparedness Union Strategy, which aims to strengthen the EU’s ability to prevent and respond to crises through a coordinated, “all-hazards” approach involving various actors. It stresses, among other things, the role of organized civil society and the private sector in building resilience.

By engaging fully in preparedness efforts, the business community can help safeguard economic continuity, employment, and competitiveness, thus ensuring that Europe remains stable and prosperous in times of uncertainty. In this regard, ensuring the integrity and smooth running of the internal market is key. The EU must remain interconnected to boost societal and economic resilience. At the same time, it is essential to provide businesses with a clear and predictable legislative framework. Reducing administrative barriers and ensuring interoperability standards would enhance industrial cooperation and enable more efficient joint preparedness initiatives.

I had the pleasure of being a member of the EESC Subcommittee on European Preparedness Union Strategy, which worked on the above-mentioned opinion, as well as participating in the EESC plenary debate on this important topic. I highlighted that only a strong economy, backed by robust and resilient business community, can provide the foundations for Europe´s preparedness and resilience and addressing the challenges Europe faces. That is why, the EU must focus on what it can shape and control and redouble the efforts to improve its competitiveness – by tearing down internal barriers, cutting red tape and energy costs, and driving forward its trade diversification agenda. At the same time, I emphasized that the current lack of urgency and inactivity in the EU hurts us. Only through bold and decisive action can we bring about the change Europe so urgently needs.

Source: Jana Hartman Radová, EESC Member of Employers’ Group