Confederation of European Business

{{Short description|EU lobby group}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox organization | name = Confederation of European Business | image = Emblem of the Confederation of European Business.svg | image_size = | caption = | abbreviation = BusinessEurope | formation = {{start date and age|1958|02|28|df=y}} | status = | purpose = | location = Brussels, Belgium | region_served = European Union | leader_title = President | leader_name = Fredrik Persson | leader_title2 = Director General | leader_name2 = Markus J. Beyrer | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | budget = | website = [http://www.businesseurope.eu/ businesseurope.eu] }} The '''Confederation of European Business''', shortened as '''BusinessEurope''', is a lobby group representing enterprises of all sizes in the European Union (EU) and seven non-EU European countries. It represents 42 national business federations and employers' organizations<ref>https://www.businesseurope.eu/members/</ref>. The current president of the confederation is Fredrik Persson, while the Director General is Markus J. Beyrer.

Based in Brussels and registered in Belgium as an ''Association internationale sans but lucratif'',<ref>BusinessEurope, [https://www.businesseurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025-11-24-EMB-IFRS-BusinessEuropeLClassForeignExDiff.pdf Re: Classification of Foreign Exchange Differences ... under IFRS 18], correspondence published on 24 November 2025</ref> the confederation is officially recognised as a social partner at European level and involved in a range of economic and social decisions and cooperates with a number of stakeholders and business partners. It promotes the interests of corporate citizens to ensure that public policy supports the European economy. It is generally considered the strongest interest organisation in Brussels,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://corporateeurope.org/en/power-lobbies/2017/11/brussels-most-powerful-lobbyist-step-forward-businesseurope|title = Brussels' most powerful lobbyist? Step forward BusinessEurope |publisher=Corporate Europe Observatory}}</ref> and represents 20 million companies through its member trade associations in 36 European countries.

==History== {{missing|section|BusinessEurope's achievements|date=November 2025}} The association was founded in 1958, first called UNICE (Union des Industries de la Communauté Européenne) and later changed its name to BusinessEurope in January 2007 during the presidency of Ernest-Antoine Seillière. In 2014, Unilever terminated its membership of BusinessEurope's Advisory and Support Group because it opposed the organisation's stance on carbon dioxide emissions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2361524/unilever-confirms-it-has-quit-businesseurope-lobby-group|title = Unilever confirms it has quit BusinessEurope lobby group|date = 22 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wbcsd.org/Pages/EDocument/EDocumentDetails.aspx?ID=16166&NoSearchContextKey=true |title=WBCSD - World Business Council for Sustainable Development |accessdate=2015-02-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20150204121317/http://www.wbcsd.org/Pages/EDocument/EDocumentDetails.aspx?ID=16166&NoSearchContextKey=true |archivedate=2015-02-04 }}</ref>

===Leadership=== The association is led by a president, which has been held by the following persons:<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the organisation|url=https://www.businesseurope.eu/history-organisation|publisher=Business Europe|accessdate=17 June 2016|archive-date=5 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605024339/https://www.businesseurope.eu/history-organisation|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Jürgen Thumann wird EU-Lobbyist|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/koepfe/juergen-thumann-wird-eu-lobbyist;2404964|accessdate=17 June 2016|work=Handelsblatt|date=29 June 2009|language=German}}</ref>

* 1958–1961 Léon Bekaert * 1961–1962 Georges Villiers * 1962–1967 H. J. de Koster * 1967–1971 Fritz Berg * 1971–1975 {{ill|Paul Huvelin (businessman)|fr|Paul Huvelin}} * 1975–1980 {{ill|Pol Provost|nl}} * 1981–1983 Guido Carli * 1984–1986 Raymond Pennock * 1986–1990 {{ill|Karl Gustaf Ratjen|de}} * 1990–1994 {{ill|Carlos Ferrer Salat|es}} * 1994–1998 François Perigot * 1998–2003 Georges Jacobs * 2003–2005 Jürgen Strube * 2005–2009 Ernest-Antoine Seillière * 2009–2013 {{ill|Jürgen Thumann|de}} * 2013–2018 Emma Marcegaglia * 2018–2022 Pierre Gattaz * Since July 2022: Fredrik Persson.

BusinessEurope is administered by a director general. Markus J. Beyrer has held that position since 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-HP-Vorstand Rudolf Kemler wird ÖIAG-Chef|url=http://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/economist/1287866/ExHPVorstand-Rudolf-Kemler-wird-OIAGChe|accessdate=17 June 2016|work=Die Presse|date=7 September 2012|language=German}}</ref>

==Activities== The Confederation of European Business organises the biannual [http://www.businesseuropeday.eu BusinessEurope Day] in Brussels.

==Member organisations== {{Legend|#FFE6F2|Members in countries outside the European Union}} {| class="wikitable" |- ! Country ! Organisation(s) |- | {{flag|Austria}} || Federation of Austrian Industries |- | {{flag|Belgium}} || Federation of Belgian Enterprises |- | {{flag|Bulgaria}} || Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business |- | {{flag|Cyprus}} || Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) |- | {{flag|Czech Republic}} || Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic |- | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Germany}} | Federation of German Industries |- | Confederation of German Employers' Associations |- | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Denmark}} | Confederation of Danish Industries |- | Confederation of Danish Employers |- | {{flag|Estonia}} || Estonian Employers' Confederation |- | {{flag|Finland}} || Confederation of Finnish Industries |- | {{flag|France}} || Mouvement des Entreprises de France |- | {{flag|Greece}} || Hellenic Federation of Enterprises |- | {{flag|Croatia}} || Hrvatska Udruga Poslodavaca |- | {{flag|Hungary}} || Confederation of Hungarian Employers and Industrialists |- | {{flag|Ireland}} || Irish Business and Employers Confederation |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Iceland}} | The Federation of Icelandic Industries |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | Confederation of Icelandic Employers |- | {{flag|Italy}} || General Confederation of Italian Industry |- | {{flag|Lithuania}} || Lietuvos pramonininku konfederacija |- | {{flag|Luxembourg}} || Business Federation Luxembourg |- | {{flag|Latvia}} || Employers' Confederation of Latvia |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | {{flag|Montenegro}} || Montenegrin Employers Federation |- | {{flag|Malta}} || The Malta Chamber of Commerce Enterprise |- | {{flag|Netherlands}} || Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | {{flag|Norway}} || Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise |- | {{flag|Poland}} || [http://konfederacjalewiatan.pl/en Polish Confederation Lewiatan] |- | {{flag|Portugal}} | Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa |- | {{flag|Romania}} || Concordia |- | {{flag|Serbia}} || Unija poslodavaca Srbije |- | {{flag|Slovenia}} || Association of Employers of Slovenia |- | {{flag|Slovakia}} || National Union of Employers (Slovakia) |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | {{flag|San Marino}} || Associazione Nazionale dell'Industria Sammarinese |- | {{flag|Spain}} || Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations |- | {{flag|Sweden}} || Confederation of Swedish Enterprise |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Switzerland}} | Économiesuisse |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | Schweizerischer Arbeitgeberverband |- |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Turkey}} | Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD) |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations |- |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | rowspan="2" | {{flag|Ukraine}} | Federation of Employers of Ukraine |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs |- |- style="background:#FFE6F2" | {{flag|United Kingdom}} || Confederation of British Industry |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * [http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/glossary/social_partners_en.htm European Social Partners] as recognised by the Treaty of Lisbon * [http://europa.eu/transparency-register/index_en.htm European Transparency Register] * [http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20110520-philippe-buck-directeur-general-businesseurope-represente-le-patronat-europeen RFI 20 May 2011] * [https://archive.today/20130218064737/http://www.europolitique.info/business-europe-soumet-ses-priorites-a-la-presidence-hongroise-art293171-22.html Europolitique 21 January 2011]

== External links == * {{official website}}

Category:Business organizations based in Europe Category:Employers' organizations Category:Industry in the European Union Category:Lobbying organizations in Europe Category:Lobbying in the European Union Category:Pan-European trade and professional organizations Category:1958 establishments in Europe