The established procedures of EU policymaking seem unfit in the current geopolitical, economic and climate challenges of today, Eurochambres Deputy President, Wouter Van Gulck, said, speaking at the Eurochambres Presidency meeting at the Cyprus Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). Europe must simplify and move faster, CCCI President, Stavros Stavrou, said on his part.
Following the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides’ speech, about the intentions of promoting EU competitiveness during Cyprus’ EU Presidency, Van Gulck on 29 January said that “it’s encouraging to hear about the strong focus of the Cyprus EU Presidency. This is music to our ears.” He added, however, that, at the same time, “it’s a familiar tune, one that we heard before from the previous Presidencies and from the European Commission.”
He noted that the established procedures of EU policymaking seem unfit with the current geopolitical, economic, and climate challenges that we are experiencing. “From a business perspective, we need a more collective, coherent, dynamic approach”, he stressed.
“At EU level, we need to control and optimise factors that are in our hands to mitigate the negative impact of factors that are not in our hands”, he highlighted, noting that this revolves around three priorities: Single Market integration, reduction of regulatory burdens and international trade.
“With respect to Single Market integration, the European Commission must tackle barriers of free movement, especially for service providers, but it can only resolve them with political buy-in of all 27 member states. With respect to simplification, the von der Leyen Commission must continue and even accelerate. We cannot afford to stifle business further through onerous, overlapping and disproportionate reporting and compliance requirements”, he stressed.
Regarding the international trade agenda, Van Gulck said that this is clearly highly unpredictable these days, which is harmful of export-oriented companies in all EU countries.
While mitigating this impact, the EU must remain committed to preserving the multilateral trade system and to pursuing ambitious bilateral trade agreements with key economies, he pointed. “We cannot keep shooting ourselves in the foot in this report, as happened recently when the European Parliament referred the Mercosur Agreement to the European Board of Justice, something we deeply regret, and frankly speaking, we find totally irresponsible” he said.
As Chambers of Commerce and Industry, he continued, “we plead for open, free, and fair trade”, expressing readiness to work with Cyprus’ Presidency. “We cannot expect from any Presidency to pursue all these priorities and to resolve all these deep-rooted issues, but we hope Cyprus’ Presidency can at least steer the discussion in the right direction on the strategic choices that the EU needs to make”, he concluded.
Opening the Meeting, CCCI’s President, Stavros Stavrou, said that today the question of European economic competitiveness stands at the very center of the European political agenda. He noted that global competition is intensifying, driven by large-scale industrial strategies in the United States, long-term state-led policies in China, and fast-moving reforms in many other economies. “Europe cannot afford complacency”, he said, noting that competitiveness is about strategic choices. “It is about whether Europe remains a place where companies invest, where innovation happens, where talent stays and contributes, and where entrepreneurship is rewarded rather than restrained.”
Stavros Stavrou, President, CCCI
As he explained, when businesses speak about regulatory simplification, “we speak about investment decisions. When we speak about the Single Market, we speak about scale and growth. When we speak about skills and innovation, we speak about the future of European industry. For business, these are not abstract debates. They determine where factories are built, where research centres are located, where headquarters decide to stay or to relocate.”
This is why the role of Eurochambres is not only important, it’s strategic, he said. “With a network representing more than 20 million businesses, Chambers are uniquely placed to translate economic reality into European policy and European policy into economic opportunity. We are not observers of Europe’s competitiveness challenge. We are directly responsible for its outcome. We represent the companies that carry risk, that create employment, that export, innovate and invest in Europe every single day”, he highlighted.
Stavrou added that in Cyprus, at the crossroads of Europe, Middle East and Africa, “we know from experience that competitiveness is built on three foundations: openness to the market ideas, stability in institutions and rules, and adaptability in the face of change.”
He noted that Cyprus is presiding the European Union during this period to the 30th of June 2026. “Our President, President Cristodoulides, has implemented the motto: ‘A unified Europe open to the whole world’. Let us therefore use this meeting and this motto to be clear in our message, that Europe must simplify, that Europe must move faster, that Europe must invest more decisively in innovation, skills and scale, and that European business stands ready to be a full partner in this effort.”
According to a press release by CCCI, the meeting offered a timely platform for an in-depth exchange on Europe’s competitiveness agenda, regulatory simplification, the future of the single market, skills and innovation, and the role of chambers in helping European companies compete and succeed on a global scale.
During the Presidency Meeting, participants also reviewed Eurochambres’ activities in 2025 and discussed strategic priorities and the work programme for 2026. Discussions covered the appointment of Committee Chairs for the 2026–2027 period, preparations for the Eurochambres Congress 2026, and options for the European Parliament Elections Programme 2027, alongside a tour de table on current economic trends, regulatory challenges and the outlook for European business.
“Eurochambres will continue to work closely with the Cyprus Presidency and European institutions to ensure that competitiveness remains at the core of Europe’s policy agenda”, the press release concludes.
(Source: CNA)