Our priorities

We believe that enhancing Europe's competitiveness must be one of the EU's main priorities during this mandate to ensure our continued prosperity. We are concerned by how much the EU is lagging behind its main international competitors in GDP growth, innovation and the development of new marketable technologies.

Supporting businesses and SMEs is essential for driving economic growth and innovation. We are committed to reducing red tape and creating a less burdensome legal framework that enables companies to focus on building their businesses, rather than navigating complex regulations. By fostering a stable regulatory environment, we can enable SMEs to thrive, create jobs and strengthen Europe’s economic resilience.

To minimise growth-hindering regulations, we are dedicated to truly implementing the principles of better regulation. We will advocate for the ‘think small first’ principle, as well as for ensuring that SME and competitiveness checks become the norm in EU policy-making. Future competitiveness initiatives should contribute to place-based growth in our regions and cities while respecting the subsidiarity principle.

We would like to see the remaining barriers to the free movement of goods and services removed, ensuring a level playing field for all businesses within the EU. A stronger Single Market is essential for driving growth, increasing resilience and empowering businesses to compete globally.

We must tap into the transformative power of digitalisation to boost productivity and build a future-proof economy. More investment should be made in cutting-edge technologies, digital infrastructure and skills to help businesses, workers and the public sector in our cities and regions adapt to the rapidly evolving world. 

We must seek to increase trade based on the principle of open strategic autonomy, therefore maintaining Europe’s openness to international business and investment while protecting our strategic industries and critical assets.