This week, the team of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP) held a series of strategic meetings in Brussels, continuing its systematic work to strengthen partnerships with key European institutions and promote the interests of Ukrainian business in the process of European integration.
Experience Exchange with Regional Business Associations
One of the main events of the week was the organization of a meeting for a delegation of Ukrainian regional business associations at the SUP’s Brussels office. This visit took place within the framework of the EU4Business: SME Policies and Institution Support (SMEPIS) project initiative, supported by DG GROW.
We were pleased to share practical insights into working in the European capital and our experience in representing Ukrainian business at the EU level with representatives of regional business associations. Our partners, representatives of BusinessEurope, also joined the meeting, which allowed us to discuss the advantages and opportunities that membership in this organization opens up for us.
The program was rich in important meetings. In particular, separate negotiations were held with the leadership of BusinessEurope and our strategic partners and friends from the Polish Confederation Lewiatan. We express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Andrzej Rudka for his unwavering support and fruitful cooperation.
Discussion at the European Economic and Social Committee
Concurrently, a meeting was held with representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The discussion focused on the following topics:
- Priorities for Ukrainian business support organizations (BSOs) in the context of the EU accession process;
- Preparing Ukrainian companies for new operating conditions in the single market;
- The importance of creating coalitions to strengthen the voice of Ukrainian business in the European arena;
- Active participation of business associations in preparing well-argued positions for the accession negotiation process;
- The value that BSOs can provide to their members through effective representation at the EU level in Brussels.
Key Directions for Cooperation
Our European partners emphasized the key areas that are critically important for the successful advocacy of Ukrainian business interests in the EU:
- Developing the institutional capacity of business support organizations, associations, and chambers of commerce;
- Strengthening representation and building a network of contacts in Brussels;
- Building expertise and supporting advocacy positions with expert conclusions for effective defense of interests in the negotiation process.
The SUP expresses its sincere gratitude to the EU4Business: SME Policies and Institution Support (SMEPIS) project and Vadym Fedchyshyn personally for the initiative and the opportunity to share experience. We thank DG GROW for the frank discussion. Special thanks to Sofia Bruno and Luisa Santos (BusinessEurope) for their valuable insights into our cooperation, and to Fulvio Lento and the representatives of the EESC for the exchange of experience and a meaningful discussion.