2022 was a difficult year for Europe on many levels. This certainly presented considerable challenges for businesses and thus shaped the focus and activities of Eurochambres.
As the year began, the priority of the business community and policy-makers alike was ensuring that the tentative economic recovery gathered momentum after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the severe constraints on both production and demand that characterized 2020 and 2021, the aim for 2022 was to restore Europe’s competitiveness and capitalise on the single market to drive the digital and green transition. Chambers of commerce and industry across the continent were engaged in this process, acting as the bridge between the millions of businesses looking to revive their activities and the public authorities seeking to provide effective support.
The brutal and unexpected invasion of Ukraine by Russia in late February was a major setback for peace and stability in Europe, and our focus changed to dealing with the human and economic impact of the war. The ripple effect of the war spread swiftly across Europe and, as energy prices and costs in general soared and supply chain disruption grew, chambers again worked with policy-makers in seeking to mitigate the negative impact on businesses. This was to continue throughout 2022.
Eurochambres underlined the vital role of key growth levers in the hands of the EU, notably the single market and our international trade agenda, which must remain ambitious in the face of protectionist tendencies and geopolitical uncertainty. We also insisted on the need to adjust the EU’s policy agenda and objectives to take into account the hugely challenging conditions in which businesses were operating.
Our 2022 annual report provides an overview of Eurochambres’ work throughout the year: our advocacy on behalf of the business community, our coordination of EU-funded activities for businesses delivered by chambers, and our initiatives to support the connectivity, cooperation and development of the European chamber network. Although it was a year overshadowed by war, there were many positive moments and encouraging developments, as you will see from this report.
Eurochambres works with the chamber network to enable entrepreneurs to adapt to changing business conditions, responding to challenges and identifying opportunities. We would like to thank our members, our interlocutors in the EU institutions and the many other organisations and stakeholders with whom we worked for their cooperation in tackling the many challenges that emerged during 2022. We look forward to our continued collaboration as we all strive for a united, secure and prosperous Europe.
Luc Frieden, Eurochambres President
Ben Butters, Eurochambres CEO
Download Eurochambres 2022 Annual Report