While the existence of trade unions fits within a logic of mobilizing the interests of the working class, the literature on labour relations has never considered employers’ associations indispensable for defending business interests. In fact, the existence of national employers’ associations throughout Europe still causes some surprise. The literature has pointed to a long list of economic (globalization, internationalization of markets), institutional (decentralization of collective bargaining), and corporate (rise of large corporations, SME associations) phenomena that are putting pressure on a certain centralized and excessively bureaucratized model of business associations.

In several works published over the last decade, the authors of this chapter have documented that European business associations, especially in Southern Europe, have introduced a new organizational management logic increasingly focused on providing services to members and on the efficient and transparent management of internal resources. Both the CEOE in Spain and Confindustria in Italy have reformed their internal regulations to allow for new forms of membership, redefine roles at different levels of association, and strengthen accountability mechanisms. This chapter explores the changes in the internal governance of the most representative business organizations in Spain and Italy during the period 2014–2024. The chapter reviews the main changes in the internal structure of the CEOE and Confindustria, as well as the evolution of their staffing levels and annual budgets.