Confederation of European Business

EU lobby group

Confederation of European Business

Abbreviation| BusinessEurope
Formation| February 28, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-02-28)
Location|

* Brussels, Belgium

Region served

| European Union

President

| Fredrik Persson

Director General

| Markus J. Beyrer
Website| businesseurope.eu

The Confederation of European Business, shortened as BusinessEurope, is a lobby group representing enterprises of all sizes in the European Union (EU) and seven non-EU European countries. It is made up of 40 national industry and employers' organizations. The current president of the confederation is Fredrik Persson, while the Director General is Markus J. Beyrer.

Based in Brussels, the confederation is officially recognised as a social partner at European level, is involved in a range of economic and social decisions and cooperates with a number of stakeholders and business partners. It promotes the interests of corporate citizens to ensure that public policy supports the European economy. It is generally considered the strongest interest organisation in Brussels[1] and represents 20 million companies through its member trade associations in 36 European countries.

## History

[edit]

In 2014, Unilever terminated its membership in BusinessEurope's Advisory and Support Group because it opposed the organisation's stance on carbon dioxide emissions.[2][3]

### Leadership

[edit]

The association is led by a president, which has been held by the following persons:[4][5]

* 1958–1961 Léon Bekaert
* 1961–1962 Georges Villiers
* 1962–1967 H. J. de Koster
* 1967–1971 Fritz Berg
* 1971–1975 Paul Huvelin (businessman) [fr]
* 1975–1980 Pol Provost [nl]
* 1981–1983 Guido Carli
* 1984–1986 Raymond Pennock
* 1986–1990 Karl Gustaf Ratjen [de]
* 1990–1994 Carlos Ferrer Salat [es]
* 1994–1998 François Perigot
* 1998–2003 Georges Jacobs
* 2003–2005 Jürgen Strube
* 2005–2009 Ernest-Antoine Seillière
* 2009–2013 Jürgen Thumann [de]
* 2013-2018 Emma Marcegaglia
* 2018-2022 Pierre Gattaz
* Since July 2022 Fredrik Persson

BusinessEurope is administered by a director general. Markus J. Beyrer has been holding that position since 2013.[6]

## Activities

[edit]

The Confederation of European Business organises the biannual BusinessEurope Day in Brussels.

## Member organisations

[edit]

Members in countries outside the European Union

Country  | Organisation(s)

|

Austria | Federation of Austrian Industries
Belgium | Federation of Belgian Enterprises
Bulgaria | Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business
Cyprus | Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB)
Czech Republic | Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic
Germany | Federation of German Industries
Confederation of German Employers' Associations
Denmark | Confederation of Danish Industries
Confederation of Danish Employers
Estonia | Estonian Employers' Confederation
Finland | Confederation of Finnish Industries
France | Mouvement des Entreprises de France
Greece | Hellenic Federation of Enterprises
Croatia | Hrvatska Udruga Poslodavaca
Hungary | Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists
Ireland | Irish Business and Employers Confederation
Iceland | The Federation of Icelandic Industries
Confederation of Icelandic Employers
Italy | General Confederation of Italian Industry
Lithuania | Lietuvos pramonininku konfederacija
Luxembourg | Business Federation Luxembourg
Latvia | Employers' Confederation of Latvia
Montenegro | Montenegrin Employers Federation
Malta | The Malta Chamber of Commerce Enterprise
Netherlands | Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers
Norway | Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise
Poland | Polish Confederation Lewiatan
Portugal | Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa
Romania | Concordia
Serbia | Unija poslodavaca Srbije
Slovenia | Association of Employers of Slovenia
Slovakia | National Union of Employers (Slovakia)
San Marino | Associazione Nazionale dell'Industria Sammarinese
Spain | Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations
Sweden | Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
Switzerland | Économiesuisse
Schweizerischer Arbeitgeberverband
Turkey | Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD)
Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations
Ukraine | Federation of Employers of Ukraine
Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs
United Kingdom | Confederation of British Industry

## See also

[edit]

* European Business Summit
* European Trade Union Confederation
* EuropeanIssuers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Brussels' most powerful lobbyist? Step forward BusinessEurope". Corporate Europe Observatory.
2. ^ "Unilever confirms it has quit BusinessEurope lobby group". 22 August 2014.
3. ^ "WBCSD - World Business Council for Sustainable Development". Archived from the original on 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
4. ^ "History of the organisation". Business Europe. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
5. ^ "Jürgen Thumann wird EU-Lobbyist". Handelsblatt (in German). 29 June 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
6. ^ "Ex-HP-Vorstand Rudolf Kemler wird ÖIAG-Chef". Die Presse (in German). 7 September 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2016.

## Sources

[edit]

* European Social Partners as recognised by the Treaty of Lisbon
* European Transparency Register
* RFI 20 May 2011
* Europolitique 21 January 2011

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Confederation of European Business

Initiatives|

* European Business Summit
* BusinessEurope Day

Members|

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Switzerland
* economiesuisse
* Schweizerischer Arbeitgeberverband
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Germany
* Federation of Industries
* Confederation of Employers' Associations
* Denmark
* Confederation of Industries
* Confederation of Employers
* Estonia
* Spain
* Finland
* France
* Greece
* Croatia
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Iceland
* Federation of Industries
* Confederation of Employers
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Latvia
* Montenegro
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa
* Romania
* Serbia
* Slovenia
* Slovakia
* San Marino
* Sweden
* Turkey
* TÜSİAD
* TİSK
* United Kingdom

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States

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