On 24 March 2026, Barbara Weizsäcker, as Secretary General of the European Exhibition Industry Alliance, was invited as a panellist at a high-level organised by Business Travel for Europe (BT4E) at the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Iuliu Winkler. The event brought together policymakers and business representatives to discuss simplification from A1 certificate obligations for short-term cross-border business travel and service provision.
Speaking on behalf of the Alliance, Barbara Weizsäcker highlighted the specific burden the current A1 framework places on the exhibitions and events sector, an industry built on international mobility:
"For sectors where international mobility is essential, such as the exhibition and events industry, the current A1 framework creates unnecessary administrative burden for exhibiting and visiting companies' staff. A proportionate approach differentiating business travel and short-term cross-border services provision from mid-long-term postings of workers across the EU/EEA/UK/Switzerland, and simple, unified, digital procedures are crucial to boost European businesses' competitiveness and innovation. Ideally, the best solution would be exempting business travel from the A1 application entirely."
The EEIA position was endorsed by the other industry representatives involved: Frederico Martins, Eurochambres and Odete Pimenta da Silva, BT4Europe.
Francesco Corti, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu’s Cabinet, European Commission, confirmed that a proposal for an amendment of the directive is being discussed between the different legislators. The proposal may include, among others, an exemption for business travel in general, and a 3-day exemption for posted workers.
EEIA will continue to engage with the relevant institutions and stakeholders to push this forward.