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Unie van zelfstandige ondernemers

UNIZO

UNIZO, de Unie van Zelfstandige Ondernemers, verenigt ongeveer 85.000 ondernemers, zelfstandigen, KMO's en vrije beroepen in Vlaanderen en Brussel, van eenmanszaak tot groeionderneming uit alle sectoren (125 sectororganisaties zijn bij UNIZO aangesloten).

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU label on product durability and EU notice on consumers’ legal guarantee rights

25 Jul 2025

UNIZO, together with Bouwunie and Nelectra, highlights three key concerns from the perspective of self-employed entrepreneurs and SMEs: 1. Excessive information burden for consumers and entrepreneurs: The volume of mandatory information that must be presented to consumers continues to increase. The proposed harmonised label for the commercial guarantee of durability and the harmonised notice on the legal guarantee of conformity come in addition to existing obligations such as energy labels, repair indexes, CE markings, return rights, and more. This accumulation negatively impacts readability and consumer attention, with much of this information rarely being read or understood in practice. For businesses, this creates a substantial burden in terms of processing and integrating all required elements across diverse sales environments, including physical stores and digital platforms. This challenge is particularly acute on mobile interfaces, where limited visual space can quickly lead to cluttered product pages. The requirement to display additional labels and notices further exacerbates this complexity. 2. Lack of clarity regarding liability: The current draft measures fail to clearly define legal responsibility for the content and accuracy of the new labels among the manufacturer, importer, retailer and installer. While information is often expected to be embedded in product packaging or on the product itself, the final seller typically lacks control over design or packaging and is entirely reliant on information provided by the producer or importer. Businesses involved in selling, installing, or delivering products generally do not possess the means to independently draft or verify this information. Nevertheless, under the proposed wording, they risk being held liable for the completeness and visibility of this information to consumers. This creates significant legal uncertainty, especially for smaller businesses heavily dependent on their suppliers for accurate and timely product data. 3. Practical limitations of product labelling across specific categories: For certain product categoriessuch as construction and installation materialsit is often not feasible or meaningful to apply labels directly onto the product. In many cases, labels or stamps are no longer visible once the product is installed (e.g. sewage pipes), or they are located on outer packaging that is removed before use (e.g. insulation panels or bricks). When materials are cut to size on-site, the label may end up on a leftover piece that is discarded as waste. In such cases, individual product labelling is not practical. In the longer term, construction passports could provide a workable alternative by allowing all relevant product information to be made digitally accessible. This approach ensures that the information remains available and that responsibility for its accuracy lies clearly with the manufacturer or supplier, rather than with the seller, contractor, or installer.
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Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

13 Mar 2025

Questions 1 & 2 Start-ups and scale-ups in the EU face several significant challenges that hinder their growth and development. These obstacles include access to finance, regulatory and bureaucratic burdens, attracting talent, and securing access to infrastructure/knowledge/services. Addressing these issues is crucial to fostering innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth within the EU. Access to finance: banks are often reluctant to provide loans due to the high-risk nature of new ventures. While venture capital and angel investments exist, they are not evenly distributed across the EU, with major hubs like Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam attracting most of the capital. Additionally, navigating the complexities of grants and funding programs can be time-consuming and bureaucratic, further complicating access to financial resources. Regulatory and bureaucratic burdens: despite efforts to harmonize business regulations across the EU, start-ups and scale-ups still face significant regulatory fragmentation. Each member state has its own legal and tax frameworks, making it difficult for companies to scale their operations across borders. Administrative procedures such as obtaining licenses, registering a company, and complying with sector-specific regulations can be costly and time-consuming, diverting resources away from innovation and growth. Attracting talent: talent acquisition is a critical challenge for start-ups, particularly in technology-intensive sectors. The demand for skilled professionals in areas such as software development, artificial intelligence, and data science far exceeds supply. Additionally, restrictive immigration policies and complex visa procedures make it difficult for start-ups to hire talent from outside the EU. Access to infrastructure/knowledge/services: access to high-quality infrastructure, including co-working spaces, incubators, accelerators, and research facilities, is essential for start-ups to thrive. While major cities have well-developed innovation ecosystems, many regions still lack the necessary infrastructure and support networks. Additionally, start-ups require guidance on intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, and business development, but access to expert advisory services remains unevenly distributed across the EU. Additional Challenges Cybersecurity and data Compliance: start-ups and scale-ups must comply with stringent regulations such as GDPR, which can be complex and costly to implement. Access to public procurement: government contracts can provide a significant growth opportunity, but start-ups and scale-ups often struggle with high entry barriers and lengthy approval processes. Question 3 To address these challenges and create a more supportive environment for start-ups and scale-ups, the EU and its member states could consider implementing the following measures (non-exhaustive): Introduce tax incentives for private investors and venture capital funds to encourage early-stage investments. Simplify access to grants and funding programs by reducing administrative burdens and increasing transparency. Streamline company registration processes and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens. Implement fast-track approval procedures for innovative start-ups in highly regulated sectors such as fintech and health tech. Develop EU-wide platforms that connect start-ups with large enterprises and public institutions to foster collaboration and business opportunities. Increase the participation of start-ups in public procurement by setting aside a percentage of government contracts for young companies. Provide support programs to help start-ups navigate cultural and linguistic barriers when entering new markets. Invest in digital education and upskilling initiatives to expand the local talent pool. Support the development of start-up hubs outside major capitals to ensure equal access to resources across the EU.
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