As the European Parliament considers amendments to the draft report on Product safety and regulatory compliance in e-commerce and non-EU imports, ensuring a pragmatic, enforceable, and future-oriented framework for customs and market surveillance is more urgent than ever.

The Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers welcomes the European Commission’s AI Continent Action Plan and shares the urgency outlined by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen: “AI is no longer ‘just’ a competitive advantage; it’s a necessity.”

On Tuesday, 25 March 2025, Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP) co-organised a working dinner on “EU-Ukraine Trade at a Crossroads: A Strategic Perspective” in partnership with the SME Connect and the European Enterprise Alliance, hosted by NIELS FLEMMING HANSEN MEP in the European Parliament in Brussels. To join us were H.E. VSEVOLOD CHENTSOV, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union; IHOR BRYZHATYI, EU-Team, Project Director and Programme Manager, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung; MARCIN NOWACKI, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, President European Enterprice Alliance, Vice President ZPP; RUSLAN ILLICHOV, Director General, Federation of Employers Ukraine; JANIS AIZSALNIEKS, Team Leader for Socio-Economic policy team, Unit ENEST.D.2

ZPP – Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers together with European Enterprise Alliance & SME Connect co-organized an event on Future of EU Health Policies: Balancing Demands, Resources and Innovation, 19 March 2025, hosted by MEP Adam Jarubas, Chair of the Sant Committee, in the European Parliament in Brussels under the patronage of the Polish Presidency. Experts and Brussels politicians discussed how the evidence-based approach could improve access to medicines in Europe and reduce the burden related to key health challenges, including processed food and tobacco policies. 

The European Union (EU) is entering a crucial period for health policy. The 2024-2029 term will shape how the EU responds to ongoing and new health challenges. Aging populations, rising chronic diseases, and mental health concerns are straining healthcare systems while advancements in medical research, digital health, and pharmaceutical innovation are accelerating. At the same time, the lingering effects of past crises, particularly COVID-19, have exposed both strengths and weaknesses in EU health systems—highlighting gaps in preparedness, medicine shortages, and workforce limitations. While coordination between EU institutions and national governments played a key role in crisis response, it also underscored the limits of subsidiarity in health policy.

The rapid expansion of e-commerce has fundamentally reshaped global trade, presenting both  opportunities and challenges for customs systems worldwide. In the European Union (EU), cross border online sales have surged, necessitating reforms to modernize the Customs Union and adapt it  to the complexities of the digital economy.