The Cost of a Bad Payment Culture: EU Trends and Solutions

Conference Details

Date: 19 February 2026

Time: 10:00

Duration: 1 hour

Location: Online

Cost: Free, registration needed

Organiser: CEPS

Conference Website

Conference Description

Poor payment practices remain a pervasive challenge for EU businesses, affecting their competitiveness. In 2024, more than half of European companies reported difficulties caused by delayed payments, with average payment periods exceeding 60 days in both B2B and G2B transactions.
Larger companies continue to be less likely to pay on time and an increasing number of business report accepting payment terms longer than what they are comfortable with. The current economic slowdown and broader business environment are key contributing factors to this issue.

The 2025 Annual Report of the EU Payment Observatory provides a comprehensive overview of these trends, examining payment performance in commercial transactions across the EU. This edition introduces a new section on payment terms, showing that longer terms are linked to longer payment periods in 87% of cases, with most companies surveyed by the European Commission supporting the introduction of a mandatory maximum payment deadline between businesses.

During this webinar, the EU Payment Observatory will present the key findings from its third Annual Report. The presentation will be followed by a panel debate, bringing together experts to discuss how better payment practices can strengthen business competitiveness and economic resilience in the EU.