Employers' Group welcomes competitiveness focus of 2026 State of the Union, calls for delivery over new strategies

16 September 2026 – Reacting to President von der Leyen's 2026 State of the Union address, the Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the Commission's renewed focus on competitiveness, the Single Market, energy costs and access to capital, while stressing that Europe's businesses will now judge the agenda on delivery, not ambition.

"Much of what we heard from President von der Leyen today reflects what European business has been calling for for years: a stronger Single Market, simpler rules, competitive energy prices, faster permitting and investment procedures, and better access to capital. The challenge however is not to keep listing what needs to be done. It is delivering, and delivering fast enough for businesses to feel a real difference," said Sandra Parthie, President of the EESC Employers' Group.

"The proposed pact against gold-plating is particularly welcome: cutting red tape at EU level will have limited impact if Member States add new layers of requirements when implementing European legislation. The idea of a new European Corporation on Critical Raw Materials also sounds promising, but we will have to reserve judgement until it delivers tangible results" she added.  

Regarding international cooperation, the Employers' Group wholeheartedly supports closer cooperation with Canada, which could serve as a model for the reliable partnerships European business needs with other like-minded economies, and stands ready to support the efforts in this field.

President Von der Leyen's speech sets the right tone but must be matched by delivery, implementation and tangible results. But in order to create ownership and support from the European business community for this agenda, EU employers need to be part of the conversation.

"Ultimately, European businesses will judge the competitiveness agenda by whether it becomes easier to invest, innovate, grow and compete in Europe," stated Kinga Kinga Grafa, Deputy Director General for European Affairs at the Polish Confederation Lewiatan, Member of EESC Employers' Group and of the EESC Communication Commission. 

The Employers' Group also calls on the European Commission to prioritise implementation of existing commitments – the Single Market Roadmap, the omnibus simplification packages, the Savings and Investments Union – over launching further frameworks, and to apply the competitiveness check rigorously to anything new.

Before any new expectations are created or further promises made, the priority must be to show results on what has already been announced.

For more information, please contact:
Daniela Vincenti, Communication Adviser
daniela.vincenti@eesc.europa.eu

+32 497 412095