Geopolitical tensions, growing fragmentation and rising costs are reshaping international markets and business decisions. Supply chains are no longer optimised for the lowest price, but for reliability and resilience. While the World Trade Organisation (WTO) remains a cornerstone of the global trading system, many decisive developments are increasingly taking place outside its framework, endangering the international rules-based system and stability of our economies.
Today, the EU Commission announced the new EU Inc, formerly 28th regime, a unified legal framework aimed to support growth and business. Antonio Garcia del Riego, member of the EESC Employers' Group in charge of the Study on "Establishing the 28th regime in Europe", explains why it matters for EU business.
Europe’s economic relationship with the United States is often described as resilient. In reality, it is indispensable and therefore dangerously exposed to policy shocks.
24 February 2026 – Today marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years of devastation, but also four years of courage, resistance and unbroken resolve from the Ukrainian people.
In today’s environment of geo-economic competition, rising protectionism and multiple security risks, the European Semester must focus on clarity of priorities and on the credibility of country-specific recommendations, especially those that remove barriers to growth. In other words, it should support Member States in shaping a predictable, business-friendly environment that boosts productivity and employment, with a view of a strong European economy capable of sustaining the European social model and safeguarding the Union’s resilience and international influence.
Europe's energy transition is accelerating, but the gap between ambition and delivery keeps widening. Electricity demand is rising faster than overall energy use, yet the infrastructure meant to sustain it is lagging behind.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a vision of the future, it is already reshaping how European businesses operate and compete. Opening the Employers’ Group’s annual exchange with the leaders of Europe’s main business organisations, President Sandra Parthie highlighted the scale and urgency of the challenge: “AI is already transforming enterprises today, from resilient supply chains that withstand global disruptions to personalised services that build customer loyalty. The impact is real and measurable.”
Europe stands at a decisive crossroads: reclaim its position as a prime destination for investment and a credible geopolitical actor, or watch capital, talent, and innovation migrate to leaner, more predictable markets, leaving its strategic influence diminished alongside its economic weight.
