AmCham EU has joined 22 other business, financial and professional associations in calling on Member States to reach agreement on the Commission’s Tax Simplification Package. The measures could save businesses operating in Europe around €8 billion a year, money currently absorbed by complexity rather than invested in growth. Tax collected only to be refunded and withholding taxes that hinder investment in the Single Market add costs without strengthening the tax base. Europe has already strengthened its tax framework, so simplification can go ahead without weakening enforcement. Agreement will only matter if the ambition of the package survives the negotiations. Read the full joint statement here. 

How are companies adjusting to an evolving transatlantic trade environment? In a year so far marked by geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, The Transatlantic Economy Pulse identifies trade and investment trends between Europe and the US in the first half of 2026.

AmCham EU has joined over 30 industry associations in calling on EU co-legislators to confirm the repeal of the Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) (SCIP) database, as proposed in the Environmental Omnibus. SCIP costs companies around €225 million a year, yet its intended users, recyclers, barely use it. The Commission itself acknowledges that waste operators find the data unusable and most companies lack the resources to maintain millions of notifications. Repeal would remove a disproportionate reporting layer while keeping obligations for suppliers to inform customers about substances of very high concern. Any future approach should build on existing obligations, not add new ones.

On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, Thibaut L’Ortye, Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer, AmCham EU, addressed MEPs with Brando Benifei, MEP (S&D, IT) and Chair, and Eva Maydell, MEP (EPP, BG) and Vice-Chair, European Parliament Delegation for relations with the United States. Taking place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, he presented the latest trade and investment data alongside Daniel Hamilton, co-author of The Transatlantic Economy, stressing that behind the headlines lies the world’s most integrated economic relationship, worth around €8 trillion. He underlined that stability and predictability are essential, urging both sides to build on the Turnberry agreement. He also called for Europe’s industrial strategy to keep the Single Market open to investment. Read more in the latest Transatlantic Economy Pulse.

On Wednesday, 21 October, AmCham EU met with Pierre Bascou, Director for Sustainability and Income Support, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission, to discuss the revision of the EU’s Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive. The exchange focused on removing existing thresholds, expanding the list of prohibited practices and strengthening protection for those reporting unfair trading practices. Edouard Coppieters, Senior Policy Adviser and Kim Watts, Policy Director, AmCham EU highlighted that companies of all sizes can face unfair trading practices. Across the agri-food supply chain, operators often contend with price volatility and legal pressure, particularly where bargaining power is unequal. The revision presents an opportunity to address these imbalances, strengthen protections and ensure a level playing field for all actors across the food supply chain.