Elise Denjean 6:43 am, January 05, 2022
On January 1, France took over the presidency of the European Union.
French companies expect a lot from this six-month presidency and hope that France will defend their interests.
Supply difficulties in certain markets and the harmonization of standards at European level are among their priorities.
On January 1, France took over the presidency of the European Union for six months.
A first for 14 years.
Its motto: "revival, power, belonging".
French companies intend to influence this blue, white and red presidency of the EU.
The proof: at the end of November, the Medef brought together all the European employers, that is to say 40 federations, which defined their priorities.
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Some have short-term goals, such as solving supply problems by simplifying customs procedures.
Others have long-term goals, such as the harmonization of rules within the EU, particularly on public procurement.
SMEs are afraid of being left behind
"The solution is to integrate extra-economic, extra-financial criteria into calls for tenders. And here we come to talk about CSR in particular, on the social and societal responsibility of the company. Criteria. which would mean that today we can have some form of preference, if only on the societal impact for the hiring of apprentices or young people, or on the environmental impact ", explains Emeric Oudin, the president of the Circle of Young Leaders.
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In the smallest structures, one feels distant from the subject considered too technocratic.
This is also why the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CPME), for example, calls for the establishment of a systematic "SME test" in order to assess the real impact of new European systems.