EESC Employers' Group

21/09/2026

📍 Europe needs high standards, but regulation should not become a business risk.

The numbers are clear: two-thirds of EU companies view complex and excessive regulation a major long-term barrier to investment, particularly for , which singled out red tape as their single biggest challenge; ahead of financing, ahead of hiring, ahead of everything else.

When companies spend more time navigating rules than innovating & investing, suffers. It's time to see EU legislation through the lens of SMEs.

➡️ Read more on with our member Alena MASTANTUONO, also EESC Vice-President for Budget, for The Brussels Times.

On 16 September, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union address. Last year, she mentioned the competitiveness 4 times, this year zero. Does that mean that Europe is now more competitive? 

18/09/2026

🔷 Many of the priorities highlighted by President von der Leyen in her 2026 State of the Union speech reflect what EU employers have been calling for over many years: a stronger , simpler rules, competitive energy prices, faster permitting and investment procedures, and better access to capital.

Yet the challenge is still delivering. Because ultimately, the success of Europe’s agenda will be measured by a simple question: is Europe becoming a better place to invest, innovate, grow and create jobs❓

➡️ Press release: https://link.europa.eu/Dv9kgM
🎬 Learn more with our President Sandra Parthie.

16/09/2026

📍 President Ursula von der Leyen's 2026 State of the Union speech sends positive signals for Europe's business community, in particular regarding the renewed focus on competitiveness, a stronger , lower energy costs, and better access to capital.

The challenge now is implementation. As our President Sandra Parthie underlined, much of what we heard from President von der Leyen today reflects what European has been calling for for years. The challenge however is delivering, and delivering fast enough for businesses to feel a real difference.

As the agenda moves forward, Europe's employers must remain part of the conversation. Success will ultimately be measured not by ambition, but by whether it becomes easier for EU businesses to invest, innovate, grow and compete from Europe.

➡️ Learn more in our press release: link.europa.eu/Dv9kgM



European Commission
European Parliament

14/09/2026

📍 Two years after the Draghi Report, the challenge remains the same: turning ambition into action.

Speaking at the EFF - European Foundry Federation annual conference, our President Sandra Parthie highlighted a simple reality: Europe has world-class industrial know-how, research capabilities and a large internal market. Yet our businesses continue to face high energy costs, regulatory complexity, fragmented markets and slower decision-making than our global competitors.

To restore Europe's industrial leadership, we need to:

✅ Simplify permitting, reporting and administrative procedures
✅ Complete the and remove fragmentation
✅ Ensure affordable energy for industry
✅ Support industrial decarbonisation with practical investment and infrastructure
✅ Accelerate the deployment of and innovation in manufacturing
✅ Maintain open and fair trade while addressing global distortions

If Europe wants to keep making things in Europe, it must become a place where companies can invest, build, innovate and grow.

27/08/2026

🗯️ As the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 started in July, we welcome the focus on & security.

Competitiveness is the condition for quality jobs, for financing the green & digital transitions & for our social model. As Europe has industrial capacity, a world‑class workforce & a powerful Single Market, what we need is to unlock them:

✅ Simplification
✅ Remove fragmentation
✅ Open trade

🎬 Watch the intervention of our President Sandra Parthie at the presentation of the Irish Presidency's priorities with Thomas Byrne TD, Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence.

25/08/2026

⚡ High and volatile energy prices are putting European energy-intensive industries at risk, and with them entire value chains and jobs.

policy must support not only decarbonisation, but also competitiveness, security and investment. Every climate measure should pass a clear industrial competitiveness test to assess its impact on energy-intensive sectors.

The EU must accelerate investment in infrastructure and innovation, such as grids, storage, interconnections and new technologies, because industrial decarbonisation should go hand in hand with infrastructure development.

🎬 Learn more with member Yolanda Sanz Martin , also representative of Confemetal, and read our Opinion: https://link.europa.eu/q8CRNW

20/08/2026

challenges are economic and strategic risks that affect industry, infrastructure, supply chains and communities across the EU.

In our opinion on the Blue Deal Accelerator, we call on the 🇪🇺 to:

💧 Embed water resilience across EU industrial policies
💧 Build skills
💧 Scale up investment

Europe cannot afford to fall behind on water. Our depends also on this.

👇 Learn more with Rapporteur Rzeczkowska

18/08/2026

are being misused across borders putting our infrastructure, transport and public spaces at risk. Europe must act together to respond effectively. How? By:

📍Simplifying and harmonising EU rules: a “certify once, use EU‑wide” system will cut fragmentation and speed up deployment.
📍Scaling up industry: support SMEs, expand testing environments and ensure predictable funding to bring innovation to market faster.
📍Clarifying responsibilities and improving coordination across authorities.

🎬 Learn more with our member Michal Boni and read more here: https://link.europa.eu/jYRxfX

13/08/2026

🔥 Fire prevention is an investment in EU resilience. We must shift from reacting to preventing. How❓By:

✅ Investing in farmers, foresters & local communities
✅ Strengthening land management
✅ Creating a dedicated EU Wildfire Prevention Fund

Learn more with our member Luis Mira.