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Competitiveness: for Paris, European proposals must be “adjusted”

by AI | 27.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The French Minister of Economy welcomed on Thursday the European Commission’s proposals to ease the obligations of companies regarding societal and climate matters, while suggesting that they be “adjusted to better take into account international competition.”

The French Minister of Economy, Eric Lombard, answers during a government question session at the National Assembly, in Paris, on February 4, 2025. (Photo: ALAIN JOCARD / AFP)

Paris – “We need to simplify the lives of businesses without giving up our objectives in terms of transition and sustainability. I welcome the fact that the Commission shares this observation and wishes to act concretely in this direction,” said French Economy Minister Eric Lombard on Thursday.

“The proposals it puts forward must, however, be adjusted to better take into account international competition,” he cautioned, according to his ministry. “This means we need to make things simpler with fewer indicators and common indicators, especially to facilitate the activity of very small businesses and SMEs.”

For their part, Afep (which brings together the largest French companies), the employers’ organization Medef and France Industrie (representing French industry) said on Thursday that it is necessary to “focus the +reporting+ standards of sustainability on efficient, shared, and highly strategic indicators,” to gather climate transition plans within the CSR (directive aimed at harmonizing the presentation of sustainability data in Europe) or to “extend the granting of free CO2 quotas.” (February 27, 2025)