The ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions has today adopted by unanimity the opinion on European Business Wallets, drafted by ECR rapporteur Branislav Zacharides. 

The opinion stresses that the successful implementation of European Business Wallets will depend first and foremost on support for public authorities, particularly smaller municipalities, which may face new administrative burdens as a result of the initiative. 

“The deployment of the Business Wallets will entail new administrative obligations for public authorities, which can be especially burdensome for smaller municipalities” the rapporteur warned, calling on the Commission and Member States to provide “adequate technical, capacity‑building and financial support”.  

A second key element in the opinion concerns widespread uptake by businesses, with a strong focus on SMEs, micro‑enterprises, startups and scale‑ups. The rapporteur underlined that for the Wallets to deliver real added value, they must be secure, user‑friendly, and widely adopted across the Single Market. 

“To provide genuine added value, the Wallets need to be widely adopted and used by businesses,” Mr Zacharides said, stressing that they should become “the most user‑friendly and attractive option for small businesses”. 

Finally, the opinion calls for evidence‑based follow‑up after the adoption of the Regulation, including an assessment of uptake, administrative burden reduction, and benefits for cross‑border business and competitiveness. “With proper implementation, the Business Wallets can bring substantial savings to businesses and public authorities and help strengthen EU competitiveness and the Single Market”. 

The opinion will be voted at the July Plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions.