“Limited and costly credit from banks is still hindering businesses considerably, meaning that they do not have the means to invest for the future. This is damaging to the European economy and wholly unacceptable if we consider the number and scale of support measures provided by national governments to financial institutions”, EUROCHAMBRES’ President Pierre Simon wrote today in a letter addressed to Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer.
“The European Council should reiterate the need for Member States to be proactive in solving liquidity constraints on the real economy”, He said.
We welcome the creation of a European Systemic Risk Board and the establishment of a European System of Financial Supervisors. This should help avoid systemic risks in the future and thus ensure the sta Considerations on the reinforcement of the regulation of financial markets should not side-track the EU from its key objective of reducing regulatory barriers encountered across the real economy and in relation to the Internal Market. In this respect, the advancement of the EU Better Regulation Agenda, as well as the correct and full implementation of the Services Directive by the end of the transposition phase on 28 December 2009, would prove highly instrumental in stimulating the economy”.
“The importance of financial stability and open markets of course extends beyond the EU27. The 20 meeting in late September should clearly assess what has been achieved so far vis-á-vis the ommitments taken at the Washington and London summits with regard to global financial overnance and the need to keep global markets open and functioning. We repeat that protectionism must be avoided at all costs and, central to this, is progress on the Doha round of WTO negotiations, for which a precise timetable is needed”.
Pierre Simon called for the following measures:
1. The creation of a network of ‘mobility ambassadors’ for Vocational Education and Training students, relating especially to apprentices;
2. The establishment of a task force charged with the better promotion of sectors lacking human capital;
3. Significant improvements in skills forecasting tools taking into account especially the needs of
SMEs and influencing the provision of training.
“The mobility of the European labour market is of course hampered by well-established linguistic and cultural barriers, but these are not insurmountable and can be mitigated indirectly by tackling other obstacles and by putting in place simple services, such as a pan-European vacancy bulletin. Not only geographical mobility is a problem, but also horizontal. Member states must facilitate smooth transitions between employment statuses (freelancer to employed, temporary to ble economic environment needed for Europe’s long term growth and competitiveness permanent etc) by reducing administrative burdens, enabling flexible contractual arrangements and reforming and adapting social security systems”, Pierre Simon wrote.
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