On January 27, the Business & Science Poland office in Brussels hosted the conference "Better Europe: Competitiveness and Financing the Competitive Transition in the EU," organized by Business & Science Poland, the Centre for International Relations, and ThinkTank. The event brought together key experts, representatives of EU institutions, and the private sector to discuss the future of Europe's competitiveness and ways to finance economic transformation.
Key Topics
The conference focused on the challenges facing the European Union in the context of dynamic geopolitical and economic changes. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Magdalena Sobkowiak emphasized in her speech that effective crisis management without the need for treaty changes will be a crucial aspect of Poland's presidency in the EU Council.
Experts highlighted the necessity of:
- Improving the efficiency of EU actions and better resource utilization,
- Increasing the role of smaller countries and enterprises in legislative processes,
- Simplifying regulations and ensuring their effective implementation,
- Enhancing Europe's independence in terms of security, energy, and technology.
Panel Discussion
Following the presentation of the report, a panel discussion was held, moderated by Tomasz Bielecki (Polityka Insight). The following experts were invited to the discussion:
- Danuta Huebner – Former European Commissioner,
- Jim Cloos – The Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA),
- Karl Lanoo – Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS),
- Luuk van Middelaar – Big - Europe,
- Matthias Dewatripont – ULB University,
- Peter Javorčík – General Secretariat of the Council,
- Andrzej Ryś – DG SANTE, European Commission,
- Michał Kobosko – Member of the European Parliament,
- Anna Burzykowska – European Space Agency,
- Fabrice Dubril – General Secretariat of the Council,
- Jacques Pelkmans - CEPS.
Key Takeaways from the Discussion
1. Common Goals and Integration
The EU must focus on key priorities such as security, sustainable development, and the single market. Experts emphasized the need for more effective decision-making mechanisms.
2. Security as a Foundation for Competitiveness
In the face of global threats, Europe should strengthen its defense, energy, and technology systems to reduce dependence on external suppliers.
3. Simplification of Regulations
The current EU legislative system is often overly complex and inconsistent. Participants pointed out the need to better consider the perspectives of small and medium-sized enterprises.
4. Financing the Transition
Experts highlighted the limitations of the current EU budget and the need to implement new financing mechanisms, such as joint bonds or funds based on European public goods.
5. Technologies as a Driver of Growth
The development of AI and space technologies should become a priority for Europe to maintain competitiveness with the US and China.
6. Multi-speed Europe
The discussion covered the possibility of flexible cooperation between member states, which could accelerate progress in key areas such as energy and innovation.
Summary and Next Steps
The conference concluded with a networking session, allowing participants to continue discussions and build cross-sector collaboration. The event marked the first step in a broader debate on Europe's future, which will be continued in upcoming initiatives organized by BSP and its partners.
We thank all participants for the fruitful discussion and invite you to follow our upcoming events!
Raport CSM "Better Europe" (in Polish)
Authors: M. Bonikowska; J. Pietras; J. Barcz; B. Góralczyk; B. Górka-Winter; M. Grewiński; M. Korolec; B. Nowak; A. Nowak-Far; E. Smolar
