On Tuesday 30 June, the second of the two concluding conferences of the Cantiere Europa+ project was held at the European Parliament in Brussels, following the first conference, which took place in Rome on 15 June.
From January to June, the initiative organised six policy dialogues involving representatives from industry, business associations, academia and European institutions, with the aim of discussing and promoting a shared strategic vision for the current European mandate. From digitalisation to energy and resilience, the project addressed some of the most crucial factors underpinning Europe’s competitiveness and long-term prosperity.
The conference was introduced and moderated by Stefano da Empoli, President of I-Com, who presented the project which brings together the research conducted by I-Com throughout the project and highlights the key policy recommendations and insights that emerged from discussions among institutional representatives, stakeholders and experts.
Representatives of the European institutions then took the floor. Nathalie Berger, Director for Competitiveness Coordination at DG GROW, underlined the importance of a competitive economy for the Union’s security, strategic autonomy and socio-economic development. She stressed the need for substantial investment, highlighting the importance of the Savings and Investment Union and public procurement. While private capital must be better mobilised, she argued that the European Commission should also be empowered to invest directly and take calculated risks.
Dariusz Joński, MEP and Member of the of the European Parliament , emphasised that high energy prices remain one of the main obstacles to European competitiveness, alongside strategic dependencies and persistent uncertainty about the future. In his view, EU instruments such as the Competitiveness Fund must be sufficiently ambitious and effectively designed to address these challenges.
The discussion then continued with representatives of the sponsors and partners of Cantiere Europa+, who outlined the main challenges facing their respective sectors and proposed solutions to foster innovation and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness at the global level.
Finally, Letizia Moratti, co-hosting MEP and Member of the ITRE Committee, concluded the event with her closing remarks. She highlighted the current lack of an integrated approach at the EU level and the increasingly close link between industrial policy and geopolitics. Moratti identified high energy prices and financing bottlenecks as the key issues to be addressed, outlining three essential priorities for restoring European competitiveness: reducing energy costs, completing the Capital Markets Union, and restoring greater policy flexibility.
To read the final report, please click below:
