The Spanish Government published a non-paper on European competitiveness: a sustainable growth strategy for an EU that leaves no one behind.
The international environment on which Europe’s growth model was built has fundamentally changed. We now face intense competition from major economic, industrial, and technological powers, yet implementation of the key recommendations of the Draghi and Letta reports remains limited. Competitiveness has not been restored, the Single Market remains fragmented, and European savings continue to flow abroad instead of financing our own productive economy.
Incremental progress is no longer enough. If we are serious about growth, resilience, and strategic autonomy, Europe must move faster, act more decisively, and focus on clear priorities. At the same time, strengthening competitiveness cannot come at the expense of our core values, our climate commitments or our social model.
The European Union needs more than adjustments at the margins. It needs a genuine economic grand strategy, a Ten-Point Agenda for European Competitiveness:
1. Simplification through integration and harmonization
2. Decarbonisation as an engine for long-term competitiveness
3. Human capital as a driver of competitiveness
4. A socially grounded competitiveness framework
5. Public investment for European public goods
6. Unlocking investment at scale
7. Strengthening financial sovereignty
8. An open economy within a trading system for the 21st century
9. A smart European industrial policy
10. Advancing digital technology and innovation
For more information, please see here.