"The EU needs rapid and unprecedented reforms“. This was said, according to several diplomatic sources, by the former Prime Minister and former head of the ECB Mario Draghi during the meeting with the Permanent Representatives of the EU countries, organised to illustrate the key points of theThe European Competitiveness ReportThe former ECB president did not elaborate on his report, which will be officially presented next week, but focused mainly on the structure of the text.
The Draghi report on competitiveness
In front of the 27 EU ambassadors, Draghi spoke of the need for unprecedented reforms for the EU, in which all the actors of the continent involved. According to him, moreover, it is necessary act 360 degrees and as quickly as possible, otherwise the EU will never be able to fill that gap competitiveness gap which has formed over the years and which sees the old continent light years behind giants such as the USA and China.
The Draghi Report, as anticipated by the former Prime Minister, develops in cin five macro-chapters: productivity, reduction of dependencies, climate, social inclusion and recipes for individual sectors based on the ten main economic dossiers that concern the EU. Draghi, during the meeting with European diplomats, stressed the need for unprecedented cooperation between the 27 and comprehensive reforms that affect all institutions.
The challenges of competitiveness
The same diplomatic sources explained that, according to Draghi, the European Union is currently facing several challenges in the field of competitiveness: from lack of innovation to high energy prices, from technological gaps to the urgent need to accelerate the digitization. Among the interventions anticipated by Draghi, the Report includes measures on technological neutrality, a stronger cohesion policy, changes to the rules on state aid that ensure a “level playing field”. Given the tight deadline, there was no debate at the Coreper meeting. The Hungarian Presidency however stressed that, once the text is published, the implementation of the Draghi report will be put on the agenda.
The publication of the report on competitiveness had been expected for months, but its presentation has been postponed several times, probably pending the elections and the appointments of the European leaders. On 9 July, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, explained that "the report on the future of European competitiveness, commissioned to Mario Draghi in his capacity as special advisor to the President of the Commission, is still being drafted". Its work, Brussels said, will be a fundamental part of the program of the new Commission.
