Euractiv Talks

Europe’s ability to compete globally increasingly depends on how effectively it can develop, scale and deploy advanced technologies that drive productivity and long term growth. As competition intensifies in high technology sectors, EU policymakers and stakeholders are examining how Europe can convert strong research capabilities into commercially viable innovation, while ensuring that emerging technologies contribute to economic resilience and societal value.Two key technology domains sit at the centre of Europe’s bid to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy: advanced connectivity and quantum technologies. European firms and standards bodies have played a decisive role in shaping global mobile standards from 3G to 5G, underpinning the digital economy. At the same time, quantum technologies are emerging as a critical next frontier, where Europe combines strong scientific excellence with a dynamic startup ecosystem, but continues to face challenges in scaling companies to a global level.Quantum technologies provide a timely and high-profile context for this discussion. As they mature, questions around intellectual property, standardisation and licensing are becoming increasingly relevant. Early decisions on how interoperability, access to technology and fair licensing are handled may influence collaboration, competition and investment incentives. Experiences from more established, standards-based sectors, such as advanced connectivity, offer lessons that may inform the development of future quantum markets.Listen to this Euractiv Conference to discuss Europe’s approach to competitiveness in emerging technologies, and the role that standards, policy and licensing frameworks can play in shaping innovation and market development. Using quantum technologies as a timely case study, the event will also highlight the findings of the new standards study. Questions to be addressed include:· What role do standards play in supporting Europe’s competitiveness and emerging technologies such as quantum?· What are the main barriers to scaling and commercialising quantum technologies in Europe?· How can policy and market frameworks encourage innovation while ensuring interoperability, fair access and competition?· What role could standardisation and licensing practices play in accelerating adoption and interoperability in quantum technologies?

The construction sector plays a central role in the EU’s climate objectives. Buildings account for a significant share of Europe’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while the embodied carbon of construction materials is gaining increasing attention in the EU. As Europe advances initiatives such as the European Affordable Housing Plan and the Circular Economy Act, questions are emerging about how construction practices can reduce emissions while remaining cost-effective, scalable and socially inclusive.Against this backdrop, hybrid construction is receiving growing interest as an approach that combines different building materials according to their respective strengths. Rather than viewing materials as competing alternatives, hybrid construction explores how they can complement one another to optimise structural performance, resource efficiency and lifecycle impacts. In practice, this can involve combining elements or integrating materials within a single component, for example by pairing concrete’s compressive strength with the properties of engineered wood products.Recent developments in offsite and industrialised construction have further expanded the potential of hybrid solutions. Hybrid elements can be lighter to transport, support faster assembly and open new possibilities for reuse and circular design. At the same time, the use of sustainably sourced wood products can contribute to long-term carbon storage in buildings, raising questions about how renewable materials and circular value chains are recognised within EU regulatory frameworks.Discussions are increasingly focusing on the conditions needed to scale hybrid construction across Member States. These include harmonised standards, streamlined permitting processes, and clear methodologies for assessing environmental performance, reuse and carbon storage over a building’s lifecycle. A key consideration remains that hybrid solutions are compatible with fire safety, acoustics and sustainability requirements, particularly for multi-storey and public buildings.Join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the role of hybrid construction in Europe’s transition toward more circular, resource-efficient and climate-friendly buildings. Questions to be addressed include:· How can EU policies better support the uptake of hybrid construction methods in line with climate and circular economy objectives?· What role can standardisation and harmonised permitting play in removing barriers to the use of hybrid building elements across Member States?· How should renewable materials and long-term carbon storage in buildings be accounted for within EU regulatory and reporting frameworks?· How can hybrid construction, based on cooperation between different building materials, help address Europe’s housing shortage while enabling rapid, resource efficient and low carbon construction?

Adopted in 2008, the New Legislative Framework (NLF) establishes a common set of rules, definitions, and procedures that ensure products placed on the EU market are safe, compliant, and reliable, and that their conformity can be verified and trusted. It provides a coherent framework that supports both consumer protection and innovation and ensures fair competition within the Single Market.The European Commission is currently working on the revision of the NLF – a timely opportunity to modernise Europe’s regulatory toolbox, simplify procedures, and strengthen the competitiveness of EU industries. The upcoming reform will need to address the realities of an increasingly digital, interconnected, and sustainability-driven economy, while preserving the confidence that underpins the Single Market.In this context, some stakeholders see an opportunity to make product compliance in Europe simpler, more consistent, and more efficient by enhancing the consistency of the quality infrastructure ecosystem. Better coordination between national authorities and more uniform application of standards would ease administrative burdens and support a more predictable environment for conformity assessment bodies (CABs), enabling them to fulfil their role in verifying that products placed on the market are trusted.As technologies advance and products become more dynamic, acknowledging this evolution is essential in modernising the NLF’s regulatory tools. The current framework is designed for products with static features. However, a rising number of products is now subject to changes after their placement on the market, including software updates, connected functionalities, or new sustainability performance claims. To strengthen consumer trust and help businesses maintain compliance throughout the product lifecycle, the revised NLF should introduce new mechanisms to enable the assessment of evolving product claims.Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the ongoing revision of the New Legislative Framework, and what role it can play in fostering competitiveness. Questions to be addressed include:- What should the main priorities be to ensure that the NLF remains future-proof and continues to uphold trust, safety, and competitiveness?- As products become increasingly complex and incorporate continuous digital or sustainability claims, does the current NLF still offer adequate tools for manufacturers to demonstrate compliance credibly?- With regulation now extending beyond products to systems, processes, and digital technologies such as AI and cybersecurity, how should the NLF evolve to stay both practical and risk-based?- Where is the greatest opportunity for improvement in the NLF to make the European system more agile?Suppo

The European Commission has published its proposals to revise its Car CO2 Regulation and to introduce national targets for Clean Corporate Vehicles as part of its Automotive Package. These initiatives aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening Europe’s automotive competitiveness. The Package is part of the broader Clean Industrial Deal, announced in February 2025, to accelerate decarbonisation and enhance industrial competitiveness across all sectors.By allowing combustion engines to still play a role in new vehicles beyond 2035, the Commission says it will provide the flexibility manufactures need to achieve the car CO2 targets. At the same time, by stimulating demand through zero and low-emission corporate fleets, the EU seeks to drive the transition to clean mobility and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.However, e-mobility companies and climate experts have raised concerns that the new CO2 rules could weaken the market signal for zero-emission vehicles and delay investments in their production. They could affect the European automotive sector’s global competitiveness and slow innovation rather than supporting a stable and ambitious clean-mobility transition. They see corporate fleet targets as key to driving demand for electric vehicles made in Europe.Other stakeholders argue that gaining credits for the use of green steel, as well as meeting local content requirements in vehicles, would be complex and expensive. It would make manufacturers’ compliance with CO2 targets subject to factors they cannot control. Some also argue that corporate fleet targets are the wrong instrument to tackle the challenges companies most face in adopting zero and low emission vehicles.Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the European Commission’s Car CO2 and Clean Corporate Vehicles proposals. Questions to be addressed include:• What are the implications of the new Car CO2 and Clean Corporate Vehicles proposals for the automotive sector?• How can demand instruments, such as the Corporate Fleets Regulation, support carmakers in meeting their 2030 and 2035 targets while advancing EU’s climate goals?• How can the EU design flexibility mechanisms that support both industrial innovation and automotive decarbonisation?

In this thought leadership interview, Steffen Saltofte, Chief Executive Officer at Zentiva and President of Medicines for Europe, reflects on the progress made since the Draghi report set out a roadmap for Europe to strengthen competitiveness, foster innovation, and build resilience. He shares his perspective on where Europe stands today, highlighting persistent challenges in innovation, sustainability, and health security.The discussion explores practical steps to modernise outdated frameworks, reduce regulatory fragmentation, and rebuild manufacturing capacity to ensure reliable access to affordable medicines. Saltofte emphasises the need for predictability, harmonisation, collaboration, and accountability to secure Europe’s healthcare future. Watch the full interview for insights into how Europe can maintain its competitive edge in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

In this interview, Noémie Papp, Senior Expert for Conduct, Payments & Consumers at the European Banking Authority (EBA), explains why online fraud and scams have become more sophisticated and harder to detect. She highlights the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and crypto assets in enabling new forms of deception, and the severe financial and emotional consequences for victims.The discussion explores the EBA’s latest consumer protection campaign, which focuses on financial education and practical steps to prevent fraud. Papp outlines common warning signs, from urgent requests and overpromising offers to untraceable payment methods, and shares advice on what to do if you fall victim. She also touches on broader regulatory efforts, including strong customer authentication and upcoming requirements to further reduce payment fraud. Watch the full interview for insights into how Europe is tackling this growing challenge.