Press release

European Commission Urged to Prioritize Competitiveness, Security, and Resilience in GLOBSEC’s Report

02.10.2024
ec memo

Brussels, 2 October, 2024. A new report, “Pivotal Moment for Europe: Central European Proposals for the Next EU Leadership,” was presented yesterday to stakeholders in Brussels. This report, driven by consultations with experts from Central and Eastern Europe, outlines key priorities for the new European Commission. At a time when the European Union faces interconnected crises, these proposals offer a roadmap to ensure stability, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

“Central and Eastern Europe’s policy proposals have often fallen under the radar in the EU. This is to a certain degree for objective reasons – the small nations comprising the region lack fully developed platforms and institutions. This is why GLOBSEC, a leading policy institution from the region, has set out on a mission to bring together CEE voices to forge a constructive policy agenda for the EU going forward,” adds Róbert Vass, President and Founder of GLOBSEC.

Central Europe plays a vital role in the EU’s future, despite its vulnerabilities. Stable democracies and competitive economies in the region are fundamental to the success of European integration. The report emphasizes three central priorities for the new EU leadership: building a more competitive Union, a defense-minded Union, and a globally capable Union.

Key Priorities:

  1. Forging a More Competitive EU

The report calls for a dynamic and flexible market that closes the gap with global competitors. This includes elevating research and innovation to the forefront of the EU’s economic agenda, fostering talent within Europe, and ensuring a seamless energy transition. Central European countries stress the need to accelerate digital transformation to close the digital divide and bolster Europe’s competitiveness in key areas like Artificial Intelligence and e-commerce.

  1. Advancing the EU’s Defense Ambitions

To secure the Union, the report highlights the need for stronger synergies between NATO and the EU. Enhancing military mobility, reinforcing civilian infrastructure, and producing strategic armaments are key to this vision. The report suggests that Europe must also promote industrial policy, standardize military equipment, and increase market competition in the defense sector.

  1. Countering Foreign Malign Influence

Central Europe recommends establishing a common baseline across member states to counter foreign interference. This includes a European Semester-like reporting cycle that will track progress and identify areas for improvement in tackling malign influence. Strengthening the EU’s weakest links will ensure resilience for the Union as a whole.

Jozef Bátora, the lead editor of the report says: “The report focuses on a number of select areas that are prioritised by Central and Eastern Europeans and indispensable for the entire European Union. And to achieve these objectives, the EU will also need to undertake several key internal reforms to improve its efficiency, create institutional capacity, and generate necessary financial resources.”

The report also outlines five proposals for enhancing the European Commission’s role, from cybersecurity coordination to reinforcing EU competitiveness and defense:

  1. The Commission should enhance its coordinating function
  2.  the Commission should strengthen its role in ensuring intra-EU conditionality
  3. the Commission should develop the defence coordination function
  4. the Commission should strengthen its coordination of cybersecurity operations and measures countering hybrid threats
  5. the Commission should improve its role as the driver of EU competitiveness

For more information on the report and its proposals, please visit our website.

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