The Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers has repeatedly described the destructive impact on the economy of both the pandemic and the restrictions on business activity. Although the statistics are not extremely bad on the macro scale (despite the fact that the first recession in thirty years is a fact), some industries are feeling the effects of the pandemic particularly severely. As it usually happens in most cases, micro-enterprises are exposed to the highest risk of bankruptcies and layoffs. They do not have the financial reserves necessary to survive such a difficult time…

The single market is one of the greatest achievements of the European Union. Nevertheless, independent studies conducted by the European Commission and the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers show that protectionism is a serious problem affecting the majority of entrepreneurs and hindering the development of the single market. Elimination of existing barriers could attract an additional €17 billion of investment per year and generate another 1.3 million jobs – keys to restoring the competitiveness of the European economy in the aftermath of the pandemic…

In this document, we summarise the results of two independent studies that look at the effectiveness of government restrictions on reducing coronavirus transmissions. These studies show that among the non-pharmaceutical interventions used, the ban on public gatherings of more than ten people and the closure of schools both have the greatest impact on reducing the number of cases. Meanwhile, the impact of restrictions on economic activity, such as food catering industry or services, is limited…