BRUSSELS: How to make the EU more competitive

European leaders have been thinking about how to make the EU more competitive. At the same time, however, they want to continue to fully promote the Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights, which lead in exactly the opposite direction.

Monday, April 15, 2024

The Commission issued a positive assessment of Ukraine’s plan to draw money from the new Instrument for Ukraine. Following this, it proposed to the Council the adoption of an implementing decision, on the basis of which the relevant grants and loans (which can amount to up to 50 billion euros in total) should be made available to Ukraine.

Tuesday, April 16

The European Parliament has announced the winners of its LUX Audience Award, which it awards annually in collaboration with the European Film Academy. A German film won Das Lehrerzimmer (Choir).

The Commission has published an annual report on the state of the Schengen area. He has been preparing these reports since 2022.

Leading representatives of member states, EU institutions and representatives of trade unions and entrepreneurs signed a declaration on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights in Hulpe, Belgium. The pillar is praised in the declaration and its active promotion is requested.

Wednesday, April 17

Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta presented the European Council with an extensive report on the state of the internal market. (He received such a mandate from the Member States and the Commission in September 2023.) The report, entitled “Much more than just the market”, contains, among other things, proposals for deepening the union of capital markets and financial services, the integration of the telecommunications market or the reform of the energy market. The author also elaborates on the idea of ​​introducing the fifth freedom of the internal market – in addition to the free movement of goods, people, services and capital, he would imagine free movement related to research, innovation and education.

Wednesday April 17 and Thursday April 18

An extraordinary meeting of the European Council was held in Brussels. First of all, foreign policy topics were on the agenda – Ukraine, the situation in the Near East and relations with Turkey. In the second part of the meeting, the leaders discussed strengthening the competitiveness of the EU and its internal market (the Lett report mentioned above fits into this context). The adopted conclusions refer to the need for a “new deal for Europe’s competitiveness” and to “create the conditions that will allow European economic operators to take advantage of the opportunities of a climate-neutral, digital and circular economy”. I cannot forgive myself for adding here that all thoughts about strengthening Europe’s competitiveness are completely futile if we simultaneously cling to the Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights, which pull us in exactly the opposite direction.

Friday, April 19

The Council decided to impose sanctions on four individuals and two organizations from among Jewish settlers in the West Bank for serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians. These persons and entities have been listed under the EU’s global human rights sanctions regime

The author is a lawyer specializing in European Union law and private international law. He publishes on his blog.