After the new European Commission began its work this week, the German Retail Association (HDE) is urging that strengthening EU competitiveness be prioritized. According to the HDE, the EU Commission's work program, expected for early 2025, must address the current challenges facing entrepreneurs who are currently faced with excessive bureaucracy and an imbalance in competition with large platforms from third countries.
'The new European Commission has already set important priorities with the orientation of its departments. Now it must work for a competitive and efficient EU and drive forward the reduction of bureaucracy,' says Antje Gerstein, HDE Managing Director of European Policy. Existing and future regulation must be reduced to the necessary minimum in order to promote the productivity of companies. Only then can the internal market be a fully functional platform for trade, consumers and growth. 'With regard to international competitors, it is important to work towards equal competitive conditions, i.e. a level playing field, so that the European economy does not end up at a disadvantage,' emphasizes Gerstein. The European Commission must, for example, actively ensure that large platforms from third countries adhere to EU standards in the same way as European companies.
From the HDE's point of view, efficient, coherent and transparent EU legislation is a prerequisite for the EU's competitiveness. "Before a new regulation is proposed, the proposal should be subjected to a competitiveness check," said Gerstein. This would enable unnecessary regulation that slows down the development of the internal market to be identified and stopped at an early stage.
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Handelsverband Deutschland
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