Updates from Ibec CEO Danny McCoy

CEO Update:  All eyes on Brussels as global engagements continue

Friday, 20 March

The latest CEO Update to Ibec membership from Danny McCoy

Dear member,

A year of trade tensions, breakdowns in multilateralism, and global conflicts meant that the Taoiseach’s visit to the White House carried even greater significance, marking a pivotal few weeks for Ireland’s positioning on the global stage. Recent instability has only reinforced what Ibec has been advocating for over a year, as a country, we urgently need to deepen resilience across our economy, our security, and our energy supply. This is not just a business imperative, but a societal one.

Ibec entered our March programme knowing that our global engagements are arguably more important now than they have been for some time. For our members, using the St. Patrick’s Day platform to advocate for Ireland and reinforce our most critical alliances is strategically vital. Ibec has pursued this through engagements with TDs, MEPs, the UK and Canadian Prime Ministers, the Presidents of the three European Institutions, and many other key stakeholders on Capitol Hill and in Brussels. I articulated these points further on RTÉ’s This Week show on Sunday. You can listen back here.

The impact of Ibec’s work was clearly reflected in the post-UK-Ireland Summit Communiqué. Both governments committed to addressing our recommendations on the cross-border worker issue, agreeing to reach a decision in principle this year on a bilateral approach to hybrid working. They also committed to reviewing aspects of the UK-Ireland Double Taxation Convention. This is an issue that we and our UK partners, the CBI, have been raising for some time- most recently in a joint letter ahead of the summit, which was covered by the Business Post here.

Naturally, much of our engagement in Brussels this week focused on Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency in July. Ibec President, Dr. Colin Hunt, and I also participated in the Tripartite Social Summit (TSS), a high-level dialogue between EU institutions and social partners co-chaired by António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

Through our participation, our primary focus was to articulate that long-term resilience, and competitiveness will be delivered through the EU's prioritisation of skills development, innovation, and productivity over new legislation. The TSS played an important role in preparing for the European Council meeting yesterday, which reached significant conclusions on energy, simplification, and the Single Market, among others. Regarding our EU Presidency priorities, Ibec has developed a new resource, Ireland’s EU Presidency: A Simple Guide for Business, as part of the wider campaign. The Guide explains what the Presidency is, what the opportunities are, and outlines what Ibec is doing to maximise this milestone year for the Irish business community.

Another important EU development welcomed by Ibec was the presentation of the Commission’s proposal for "EU Inc."- a new, single set of corporate rules serving as the cornerstone for the EU's 28th regime. This system will allow companies to establish themselves across all Member States within 48 hours using a single, digital legal framework.

Finally, given this extensive period of activity, we are hosting a special webinar this Tuesday to provide further reflections and analysis. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to register here.

Regards,

Danny