Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus is being recognised as a model of effective cooperation between the state and the business community, according to a statement by OEB president George Pantelides. Pantelides made the remarks following a working dinner with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Dinner with European Commission president
Pantelides attended the working dinner on Thursday, February 5, in his capacity as vice-president of BusinessEurope, alongside the organisation’s president and senior leadership.
Focus on competitiveness and delivery by 2026
The meeting focused on strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of European businesses. BusinessEurope’s leadership stressed the need for speed and decisiveness in implementing an agreed action plan, warning that without tangible results by 2026 the European economy risks losing further ground.
The statement said the European business community has long called for a rapid shift from political ambition to concrete delivery.
Five policy priorities highlighted by BusinessEurope
BusinessEurope outlined five key policy priorities regarded as critical for 2026.
The first is deeper integration of the single market and a substantial reduction in regulatory burdens to remove obstacles to cross-border activity.
The second priority is lowering energy prices and creating a sustainable business framework for decarbonisation. BusinessEurope warned that Europe’s energy cost gap compared with key non-EU competitors is a major competitive disadvantage.
The third pillar is managing geopolitical risks and securing access to markets and raw materials, with an emphasis on diversifying trade relations and balancing economic security with open trade.
BusinessEurope also underlined the importance of boosting investment and innovation to enable Europe to become a technological leader.
The fifth priority is steering social policy towards flexible, non-legislative solutions that enhance productivity while strengthening social cohesion.
Cyprus cooperation described as decisive
The statement described as particularly positive the recognition of the effective functioning of cooperation between the Cypriot government and the business community, which it said is decisive in risk management, the strong performance of the Cypriot economy and the achievement of high macroeconomic indicators.
It added that BusinessEurope’s leadership had the opportunity to observe this cooperation in practice during a meeting of presidents of member organisations from 35 European countries hosted by OEB in Nicosia last November.
What steps do you think are most urgent for Europe to improve business competitiveness by 2026?