EU's von der Leyen sets out her plans to improve bloc's competitiveness ahead of key summit

She is not the only one to have ideas as to what needs to be done, with a strong anti-bureaucracy alliance seemingly building between Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.

But in her eight page primer, von der Leyen hit similar tones to those from Macron’s interview earlier today (12:10), as she urged leaders to realise that “a competitive economy is a prerequisite for our freedom to chose our own destiny.”

She urged them to back the commission’s “unprecedented drive to simplify European legislation” to help “make the day-to-day operations of business easier” by streamlining the administrative processes.

She also called for “a comprehensive regulatory deep house cleaning” of the EU’s rulebook to “eliminate outdated provisions, inconsistencies and redundant procedural requirements.”

Von der Leyen also asked leaders to support the EU’s push to conclude new trade agreements around the world – despite the continuing controversies around its Mercosur deal, which prompted large protests in several member states.
She also said the EU needed to “deepen” its single market, removing internal barriers to help companies set up in one member states grow beyond the national borders and across the bloc.

Notably, the commission’s president also said that while the bloc’s ambition should be to “reach agreement among all 27 member states,” they should also insist on going ahead with this closer economic cooperation even if unanimity cannot be found – a clear signal to the likes of Hungary and Slovakia to not even try to block the talks.

During the summit on Thursday night, hosted at Alden Biesen castle in Belgium, the leaders will be joined by former Italian prime minister and former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi, who is seen as a leading voice calling for changes to EU economy, and another former Italian premier, Enrico Letta.