The Polish presidency of the European Union in 2025 is a unique opportunity to set new directions for community policy, Marcin Nowacki, vice-president of the Union of Employers and Entrepreneurs (ZPP), tells Salon24.
Key focus areas, he tells the portal, will be deregulation of professions and closer economic cooperation with Ukraine. ZPP has been operating in Brussels for years and sees this half-year presidency as an opportunity to achieve strategic goals for Polish businesses.
Currently, as many as 5,000 professions in the European Union are subject to various regulations, which often block the possibility of practicing them in another member state. “This shows how fragmented the services market is in Europe. In some cases, one profession is regulated in only one country. This is absurd and an obstacle to the free market,” says Nowacki.
For example, real estate agents can practice freely in Poland, but in countries such as the Netherlands and Spain, it still requires special licenses.
“The Polish presidency has a chance to start the process of freeing the market from these barriers. Initiating the deregulation of at least 100 professions at the EU level would be a symbolic step in the right direction,” added the vice-president of the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers.
The deregulation of professions is part of a broader strategy to open up the services market, which still remains one of the least developed areas of the common market.
“Services constitute 70 percent of European business, and yet the freedom to provide them is still limited. It is time to change this,” he said.
Cooperation with Ukraine will be another pillar of ZPP’s activities during the Polish presidency. “We are the largest EU exporter to Ukraine and its main logistics hub. This is a great opportunity for Polish business,” Nowacki said, adding that the union is appealing for stable, long-term trade agreements between the EU and Ukraine. The previous short-term regulations introduced uncertainty in the market, which ZPP wants to change.
Doing business in Ukraine during the war may seem like a challenge, but as Nowacki assures, it is possible. “There are few new investments, but companies that have already operated there are developing their activities. Our task is to support them in establishing contacts and preparing for investments,” ZPP’s vice-president said.
ZPP organizes economic missions and helps verify business partners, which significantly increases the security of transactions. “Ukraine remains a large, dynamic market, and Polish companies already occupy key positions as exporters and logistics partners. This is an excellent time to build foundations for future investments,” Nowacki added.
“This is the moment to give Polish business and economy new dynamics in the international arena. Such an opportunity comes once every dozen or so years,” he said, stressing the importance of holding the role of president of the Council of the European Union.
