Europe Day Special: Big ambitions for Europe’s small businesses

Looking back, looking ahead: Fredrik Persson reflects on four years as our President

With one more week as President of BusinessEurope, Fredrik Persson looks back on four years marked by the post-pandemic, the energy crisis and major geopolitical shifts in this special episode of Espresso Briefings.  He shares his perspective on the challenges facing European business, the lessons learned, and what lies ahead for Europe’s competitiveness.  Special thanks to Alan Sherlock, Manager of Strategic Engagement at Ibec, for once again taking the microphone for our Espresso Briefings podcast.

Europe Day Special: Big ambitions for Europe’s small businesses

As Europe Day approaches, it’s a good moment to ask: what does European cooperation really deliver for businesses on the ground? For small and medium-sized enterprises, the answer is crucial – it can mean the difference between staying local and scaling across borders. Our Communications Director, Sofiya Yevchuk, is joined by Ema Paulino, Chair of BusinessEurope’s Entrepreneurship and SME Committee and an entrepreneur in Portugal’s pharmaceutical sector. Together, they explore what’s holding Europe’s small businesses back, what needs to change, and what it really takes to scale up in Europe and beyond.

Navigating Europe’s digital rulebook

How does Europe’s digital rulebook, built on risk-based compliance and proportionate data protection, impact innovation and cross-border operations?  In our latest Espresso Briefing podcast, we take a closer look at how the evolving digital framework is impacting businesses across the EU, from how they use data to how they operate across borders and deploy new technologies.  Our recent publications point to a growing challenge: increasing complexity, uneven enforcement and rising compliance costs. At a time when global competition is accelerating, these trends risk holding back innovation and Europe’s competitiveness.  In this episode, our Senior Adviser Svetlana Stoilova walks us through the key issues and what they mean for businesses on the ground.  Listen now to understand what’s at stake for Europe’s digital future.

Why intellectual property matters for Europe

Our Senior Legal Adviser Elena Bertolotto explores the challenges, global landscape, and policy changes needed to strengthen Europe’s intellectual property framework. IP is at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness, a key driver of how companies turn innovation into real economic value. Yet Europe still faces fragmentation, uncertainty, and growing pressure from faster-moving global competitors.

From Diagnosis to Delivery, Reform Barometer 2026

Europe’s political ambition on competitiveness has increased, but delivery still lags behind.  Our DG Markus J. Beyrer discusses the key findings from BusinessEurope’s Reform Barometer and what businesses say are the main obstacles to productivity, innovation and growth.