Before the summit, the Antwerp Declaration Community called on the heads of State and Government of the European Union to take bold, urgent measures to address the deepening crisis of industrial competitiveness, asAs previously reported by SteelOrbis.
Informal summits allow EU leaders to participate in strategic discussions without making official conclusions, setting the direction before the upcoming formal decision-making in the European Council. The informal retreat took place ahead of the official European Council meeting on March 19-20, 2026, at which the leaders are expected to finalize the actions discussed in February.
Strategic priorities – competitiveness, single market and investments
At the retreat, the leaders stressed the need to increase the competitiveness of the entire EU economy and deepen the single market to support innovation and growth. The discussions focused on how to improve the regulatory environment of the bloc, improve the investment base, and mobilize resources for strategic sectors to increase resilience to global economic challenges.
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, stressed that the leaders addressed issues such as the removal of internal barriers to trade and business expansion, the harmonization of rules in the member states and the creation of conditions for scalable European companies.
Economic sustainability and global competitiveness
Mister. Costa reiterated that strengthening the resilience of the EU economy was a key point of the exit meeting, stressing that better integration of capital markets and improved investment conditions would help the EU withstand global economic pressures. He noted that the discussions are aimed at moving from strategy to implementation this year, which will make the EU more attractive for investment and innovation.
The Alden Bizen retreat highlights the EU's commitment to turning competitiveness concerns into practical policy outcomes.
