Espresso Briefings by BusinessEurope

What does Europe’s security have to do with its competitiveness? A great deal.

 “If we don’t have a good defence for Europe, businesses will have a hard time thriving. We see this from the hybrid and cybersecurity threats we are facing and the disruptions they create in our supply chains”, says BusinessEurope’s VP in charge of Security and Defence Klaus Holse in this Espresso Briefings episode.

Speaking to our Communications Director Sofiya Yevchuk ahead of last week’s event on security, resilience and competitiveness, Holse explored how Europe can strengthen its industrial capacity, prepare for crises and deepen cooperation with NATO and trusted partners.

In this episode, our new President, Maciej Witucki, talks about the big topics for European businesses this autumn – from cutting regulatory burden to turning Europe’s competitiveness agenda into real results. We also discuss his priorities as President, what he hears from companies on the ground, and what Europe can learn from Poland’s economic transformation. 

And if you’d like to get to know our new President a little better, stay until the end. We put Maciej through our Espresso Round: a few quick, more personal questions – from his morning habits and favourite European city to the person he’d most like to have an espresso with.

And, of course: espresso, cappuccino… or something else?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As International Women’s Day approaches, we put the spotlight on advancing gender equality in the workplace as a driver of skills, innovation and competitiveness.

Gabriella Sebardt, Chair of our Equal Opportunities Network, reflects on the progress being made on the ground, the role of enterprises in building a more inclusive and resilient European economy, and the clear message employers across Europe want to see delivered this year.

In this episode, we explore BusinessEurope’s call to action for 2026, a focused set of priorities to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in the year ahead. Our President Fredrik Persson explains why urgent and united action from European leaders is needed now, not just to keep pace, but to take the lead. 

This episode takes a closer look at a new tool that has quickly become central to the EU’s regulatory agenda: omnibus packages. These are designed to be fast‑moving, cross‑cutting simplification initiatives to reduce burdens, improve clarity, and help restore Europe’s competitiveness.  

Our Director for Legal Affairs Pedro Oliveira guides us through what they are, why they matter, and what the first of these packages - Omnibus 1 - means for European companies.