Autonomy through competitiveness. With this watchword, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU intends to continue Copenhagen’s momentum to improve the EU’s competitiveness and make the European regulatory framework as suitable as possible.
And it will monitor the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ and the ‘Competitiveness Compass’. However, it will not necessarily be in a position to have agreements validated, as the Presidency is only planning a progress report on the European Competitiveness Fund (see EUROPE 13768/6 or still has to wait for a series of new proposals, such as those on the future Industrial Accelerator Act or on the creation of a 28th Company Law Regime (see EUROPE 13772/16), which could be presented in March 2026.
On these two issues, the Presidency is therefore only planning exchanges of views at this stage. In a global context increasingly subject to tensions, “only a more competitive Union can yield a more autonomous Union. Europe’s competitiveness is the basis for resilience and autonomous action”, says the Cyprus Presidency in its work programme.
“A clear and predictable regulatory framework is a practical enabler of Europe’s competitiveness. This empowers businesses, particularly SMEs and start-ups, to focus on what really matters: investment, innovation and global competition”, adds the Presidency.
In this context, the Cyprus Presidency will “prioritise regulatory simplification, by advancing the omnibus proposals to streamline EU rules and reduce red tape”.
The aim is to modernise “our industry, driving the green and digital shifts, and revitalising our industrial base by securing critical raw materials, reinforcing clean-tech supply chains, and reducing energy vulnerabilities”.
Efforts will focus on the effective and rapid implementation of the Single Market Strategy, “with particular attention paid to removing unjustified obstacles and simplifying administrative procedures that hamper investment, innovation and the full development of Europe’s entrepreneurial potential”, explains the Presidency.
It will also be necessary to place greater emphasis on SMEs, and to support actions aimed at facilitating cross-border transactions, improving access to finance and accelerating the digital transformation.
“Particular attention will be devoted to the needs of energy-intensive industries and SMEs, to ensure that the clean and resilient transition remains fair, inclusive and economically sustainable”.
With regard to intellectual property, the Presidency will endeavour to advance discussions on the patent package and coordinate the EU’s positions at meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
It will also focus on streamlining sector-specific legislation containing public procurement provisions to ensure simplification, legal certainty and a reduction in administrative burdens, at a time when the Commission is due to present a review of European public procurement rules this year.
Links to the Presidency programme and ministerial meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/k4d ; https://aeur.eu/f/k5o (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)