Von der Leyen sets out measures to boost EU global competitiveness and spur innovation

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has set out a range of measures to boost the EU’s global competitiveness and innovation performance ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Belgium to discuss the challenges on 12/02/2026.

The measures, included in a letter to leaders sent on 09/02/2026, focus on making it easier for companies to exploit the business opportunities of innovation in the single market and to improve the ability of researchers to devise new products and technologies.

The meeting, in a castle in Alden Biesen in eastern Belgium, has been called by Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, the group of EU leaders that sets the strategic priorities of the EU.

At the meeting, leaders will hear from Mario Draghi, a former President of the European Central Bank, and Enrico Letta, a former Prime Minister of Italy, about the progress EU countries have made in implementing recommendations on how to improve the Union’s competitiveness and complete the single market.

In reports published in April and September 2024, the two set out failings in the EU’s…