ArmInfo. The Armenian delegation, headed by Vice President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia (UIEA) Nerses Karamanukyan UMBA Vice President, took part in a regional meeting initiated by the Confederation of Danish Industry in Copenhagen.
As reported by the press service of UIEA, the meeting was also attended by delegates from the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the National Confederation of Moldova and the Business Association of Georgia. During the meeting with Deputy Director General of the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) Thomas Bostrup, the guests were introduced to the activities of the organization and the problems faced by Danish industrialists as a result of recent geopolitical events. During the meeting with Director of European and International Relations of the Danish Employers' Association Christian Misberg-Winberg, a number of programs implemented within the framework of the EU economic policy and the expected role of entrepreneurs from participating in it were discussed. It was noted that Denmark will assume the Presidency of the European Union on 1 June 2025. At this stage, the Confederation of Danish Industry and other business organisations, in cooperation with the state, are preparing and prioritising the measures to be taken during its Presidency.
According to Nerses Karamanukyan, the EU's "green economy" policy, EU membership strategies, and cooperation proposals were also discussed during the meetings held within the framework of the forum. Reference was also made to the programs developed for 2025, aimed at expanding cross-border cooperation taking into account climate challenges, promoting sustainable economic growth, achieving common innovation goals, and developing joint and individual initiatives.
Following the meetings, the four organizations participating in the regional meeting signed a joint statement on the impact of the carbon border adjustment mechanism on the private sector. The document specifically emphasizes that a number of measures taken by the EU within the framework of the Green Deal, aimed at building a carbon-free future, impose new rules and stricter requirements on companies wishing to export goods and services to the EU single market. To do this, they must be able to track and calculate greenhouse gas emissions data, as well as reduce the environmental impact of their products.
Business representatives are concerned that governments do not fully understand the impact of this legislation on business. The project is already in pilot mode and, when fully implemented in 2026, will set a price for carbon-intensive products (cement, aluminum, fertilisers, iron and steel, hydrogen and electricity) imported into the EU.
The statement calls on governments to engage in active dialogue with the EU to understand and mitigate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on industry. Capacity-building programmes and financial support are expected to enable the region's production capacity to meet EU requirements. It also notes that the EU should consider transition periods, exemptions or financial assistance for affected producers in third countries to prevent trade disruptions and economic losses. The Confederation of Danish Industry will submit a joint statement to the European Commission.
