Energie-efficiëntie en onderzoek en ontwikkeling zijn belangrijke zorgen voor Europese werkgeversorganisatie (en)

The meeting between President Rodríguez Zapatero and European employers' association in Madrid. EFE

Improved energy efficiency in Europe and business incentives for research, development and innovation (R&D+i) were some of the main requests made by the European employers' association to the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, during the meeting held as part of the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

The President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, took part in the meeting held on Tuesday at La Moncloa along with the President of the European employers' association BusinessEurope, Jürgen Thumann; the head of the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE), Gerardo Díaz Ferrán; and the Spanish Minister of Economy, Elena Salgado; and the Minister of Employment, Celestino Corbacho.

The economic issues that will be under discussion over the six months of the Spanish Presidency of the EU and the plans set out for this half year were the subjects tackled during the meeting, according to the Spanish Minister for Employment and Immigration, Celestino Corbacho, speaking at the end of the event.

The President of BusinessEurope, Jürgen Thüman, described the meeting as "excellent", saying that it had given the Confederation of European Business the chance to exchange its opinions with the President of the Spanish Government, who is also currently at the helm of the EU.

Thüman stressed that he agreed with the economy being the "top priority" of the Spanish Presidency of the EU. The most important thing is to get growth and employment moving again for the people of Europe, and Europe's businesses want to play their part in achieving this, he said.

He said the Spanish Presidency must drive forward the EU's climate targets to ensure that Europe retains its lead in green technologies, as well as promoting energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies while maintaining nuclear energy.

The President of BusinessEurope also said that Spain must focus on international trade and make the most of its "privileged" relationship with the Americas in order to convince Europe's "key allies" - among which he cited the United States, India, Brazil and China - to conclude the multilateral round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations this year.

Jürgen Thumann impressed upon Rodríguez Zapatero the need to "reform European financing systems" in order to facilitate business investment and promote entrepreneurship, and gave his backing to the idea of developing "sustainable" industrial policies, while also calling for a "better connection" between the stability and growth pact and the "necessary structural reforms" being demanded by business leaders.

In terms of the Copenhagen Summit, Thumann said the "long-term certainty" that businesses need in order to invest in low-emissions technologies had not been achieved.

He told Rodríguez Zapatero that the EU must not set CO2 emissions targets that go beyond cuts of 20% "unless other developed economies do the same and emerging economies adopt binding policies" to reduce their emissions too.

BusinessEurope is a confederation of business leaders representing 40 organisations from 34 countries across Europe.