The EU must stay on course and be much more assertive, both at home and abroad
The EU should stick to its course, pursue the Green Deal and complete the single market. It needs to demonstrate its resolve and act united as a new – potentially hostile – US administration rolls in and shakes up the foundations of transatlantic cooperation and the world order. But it must also stand firm if […]
The new European Commission must deliver for Europe’s future – but excessively emphasising ‘competitiveness’ could hinder this
Tackling Europe’s economic decline, preparing and adapting for a new wave of enlargement and defending Europe’s geopolitical position… the new European Commission will definitely need to deliver. The past five years have shown that it can prepare and react when it needs to, responding on the spot to multiple crises. But the path ahead will […]
How to ensure a skills-based future for European competitiveness
Competitiveness is a multifaceted concept and in today’s highly competitive global economy, skills are an essential component in how a country or region can become – and remain – competitive. This contribution focuses on bolstering strategies that aim to close the EU’s skills gap, with an emphasis on utilising skills intelligence, targeting adults, SMEs and […]
Turbocharging Europe’s innovative SMEs
Innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (ISMEs) are not scaled-down versions of large, listed companies. They differ fundamentally in their position in and contribution to the economy and society. It’s thus unlikely that the corporate legal structures, governance and management models for large companies are suitable for ISMEs. To improve the EU’s competitiveness, it’s essential to […]
How to achieve better EU laws
We are just entering a new EU five-year legislative mandate and with the new mandate comes new priorities. Recent blue-ribbon reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi placed great emphasis on the need to reduce the EU’s regulatory burden to improve productivity and these were largely taken onboard in Commission President von der Leyen’s mission […]