AL-INVEST Verde participated in the 7th European Business Parliament, an event that brought together private sector representatives from across Europe and Latin America to discuss the challenges and opportunities of sustainable trade and business cooperation. The presence of the programme allowed to share the progress made in strengthening Latin American SMEs and promoting more sustainable and competitive business practices.
More than 700 entrepreneurs from 43 countries attended the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by the Vice-President of the Parliament, Victor Negrescu, representing a broad panorama of the European and Latin American entrepreneurial ecosystem. For one day, they took on the role of MEPs, participating in debates, exchanging ideas with EU policy makers and voting on key issues for the business community.
Outstanding voting results:
- 91 % voted in favour of the European Commission appointing an EU SME Envoy to champion the needs of the more than 99 % of European businesses.
- 90 % believes that the EU must do more to ensure that companies benefit from free trade agreements.
- 93 % faces additional obstacles in its supply chains due to geopolitical tensions.
- 88 % is of the opinion that the Single Market is not sufficiently integrated, limiting the operation and competitiveness of its companies.
- 99 % suffers from high energy costs, making it difficult to remain competitive and invest in the green transition.
- 98 % has not perceived any significant reduction in administrative burden in the last 12 months.
- 86 % considers that sustainability reporting is not an effective tool for strengthening competitiveness and advancing sustainability.
AL-INVEST Verde: fostering cooperation and sustainability
AL-INVEST Verde's participation underlines the importance of connecting regions, strengthening SMEs and promoting sustainable and competitive practices. The programme reaffirms its commitment to a fairer, greener and more resilient economy, showing how cooperation between Europe and Latin America can generate tangible impact in the business sector.
The European Business Parliament remains a unique forum for entrepreneurs to communicate directly to policy makers how their decisions affect businesses on the ground.
This activity was organised by Eurochambres, a member of the Implementing Consortium of Component 1 - private sector support - of the AL-INVEST Verde programme.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 1, the programme manages funds for the implementation of innovative small business partnership projects to boost sustainable practices in the private sector. Component 1 is led by sequa, a German non-profit organisation operating worldwide with the aim of promoting the private sector. For more information visit: www.alinvest-verde.eu