Competitiveness is more than a buzzword. It’s a core priority of the new EU’s legislature to ensure Europe’s prosperity in the longer term. The industry is yearning for support to remain competitive on a global scale. As European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen is laying out her economic doctrine, it remains to be seen what concrete actions will be taken from Draghi’s and Letta’s reports on the future of EU competitiveness and the single market.
The Clean Industrial Deal, the Competitiveness Compass, the Competitiveness Fund, and the Single Market Strategy are four key initiatives poised to boost Europe’s autonomy and economic growth. Those plans are also set to close Europe’s productivity gap with the U.S., all while addressing strategic dependencies and geopolitical challenges. Aligning these initiatives with an industrial strategy will be crucial to prevent future shortages and ensure Europe’s long-term competitiveness.
- How can Europe build a more integrated internal market that fosters competitiveness through resilience and reduces its over-reliance on critical goods?
- What are the differences between national and EU-level approaches to strategic autonomy and competitiveness and how can they be reconciled?
- What policies and tools can the EU adopt to diversify and de-risk supply chains, especially in critical sectors like pharmaceuticals, biotechnology semiconductors, and energy? Should the next MFF dedicate more resources to fund strategic and cross-border projects?
- Can simplification help drive investments and growth in Europe?
- How can competitiveness co-exist with Green Deal objectives to achieve a clean economy?
Just a few days following the Commission’s 100-day landmark, this POLITICO event brings EU policymakers and economic experts for a fresh solution-oriented “fishbowl” debate on how to bring Europe up to speed.