Keynote speech and QA

Bruegel Annual Meetings | 2-3 September 2026 As Europe faces defining choices, the Bruegel Annual Meetings 2026 will explore the trade-offs shaping its future Opening of 2026 Bruegel Annual Meetings Ask your questions on Sli.do #BAM2026 Add to calendar Ask your questions on Sli.do #BAM2026 Add to calendar Speakers Jeromin Zettelmeyer Bruegel Director Watch Keynote speech and Q&A Ask your questions on Sli.do #BAM2026 add to calendar Ask your questions on Sli.do #BAM2026 add to calendar Speakers Jeromin Zettelmeyer Bruegel Director ChairTaras Kachka Ambassador, Mission of Ukraine to the European Union Watch Session 1: Can climate policy survive? Ask you questions on Sli.do #climate In the face of war, political polarisation and geopolitical tension, the world is less ... Ask you questions on Sli.do #climate In the face of war, political polarisation and geopolitical tension, the world is less concerned about climate policy and much less able to implement it effectively, while climate change is progressing faster than only three years ago. In this session we will discuss what can be done to rescue, invigorate, and improve climate policy - both mitigation and adaptation, at the EU and the international level. Add to calendar Speakers Georg Zachmann Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairJan Dusik Deputy Director-General, DG Climate Action, European Commission Julia Maris Executive Vice President, Engie Pierre Wunsch Governor, National Bank of Belgium Watch Session 2a: Mapping Europe’s clean energy and industrial transformation Ask you questions on Sli.do #Atlas The global market for clean technologies is expanding rapidly, reshaping industrial compe... Ask you questions on Sli.do #Atlas The global market for clean technologies is expanding rapidly, reshaping industrial competition and international value chains. By 2025, the clean technology market is estimated at over $1 trillion globally and growing 20 percent year-on-year. As countries compete to attract clean manufacturing, new comparative advantages are emerging, such as access to abundant, cheap clean electricity. These shifts will have major consequences for Europe’s industrial geography. This panel marks the launch of a new Bruegel book, Europe’s New Energy Industrial Atlas, which represents a first attempt to map how the clean energy transition is reshaping industry across Europe. Drawing on data and visualisations from the Atlas, this panel will examine where Europe’s new industrial opportunities are emerging and what role policy should play in supporting them. Add to calendar Speakers Simone Tagliapietra Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairLaura Cozzi Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, International Energy Agency (IEA) Céline Gauer Director-General, European Commission, DG ENER Watch Session 2b: What role can tax systems play in bolstering European competitiveness? Ask you questions on Sli.do #taxes For much of the past decade, tax policy debates in Europe have fo... Ask you questions on Sli.do #taxes For much of the past decade, tax policy debates in Europe have focused on raising revenues, tackling tax avoidance and evasion, and ensuring that multinational companies pay their fair share. Today, however, competitiveness has moved back to the top of the European policy agenda. Can tax systems support investment, innovation and growth while continuing to deliver sustainable revenues? This question has gained renewed prominence through recent European Commission initiatives and the launch of the EU Tax Compass, a new branch of the EU Tax Observatory led by Bruegel aimed at informing policymaking and stimulating a broader European debate on taxation and competitiveness. This session will explore how tax policy can contribute to a more competitive Europe and how policymakers should navigate the trade-offs between competitiveness, fairness and revenue. Add to calendar This session is organised in the context of the EU Tax Compass project (EUTO-COMP). The project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. Speakers Rocio Bermudez Becerra Transfer Pricing & Tax Policy Senior Manager, Repsol Fabrizia Lapecorella Deputy Secretary General, OECD Gerassimos Thomas Director-General, European Commission, DG TAXUD Partners Watch Session 2c: Can the chasm between EU privacy rules and economic reality be bridged? The EU GDPR requires informed consent from the data subject before a service provider can access personal data. But the stream of consent pop-ups is an irritant for consumers rather than a meanin... The EU GDPR requires informed consent from the data subject before a service provider can access personal data. But the stream of consent pop-ups is an irritant for consumers rather than a meaningful tool to inform them of potential cost and benefits of sharing personal data. A Bruegel research project explored a variety of policy options to bridge that information gap, though none of these are really effective. Recently proposed AI-related modifications to consent have stirred considerable controversy. This seminar is technical in nature and aimed at a specialist audience. During the session, new Bruegel research will be presented, followed by remarks from select commentators and an open discussion with participants. Add to calendar Speakers Bertin Martens Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairKoen Gorissen Chairman, Belgian Data Protection Authority Townsend Feehan CEO, IAB Europe Konrad Kollnig Associate Professor, Maastricht University Session 3a: The macroeconomic implications of the Middle East conflict Ask your questions on Sli.do #macro The Middle East conflict has disrupted oil production and trade through the Strai... Ask your questions on Sli.do #macro The Middle East conflict has disrupted oil production and trade through the Strait of Hormuz, increasing energy and commodity prices, market volatility, shipping costs, and the risk of supply bottlenecks. These shocks can raise production costs across global value chains and weaken economic activity. Central banks face a difficult choice: tighten monetary policy to contain inflationary pressures or look through potentially temporary supply shocks. This panel will discuss how the European Central Bank and other major central banks should respond to heightened uncertainty, the implications for euro and US dollar exchange rates, and the role of fiscal policy in mitigating adverse economic effects. Add to calendar Speakers Nick Hill Managing Director, Credit Strategy & Guidance function, Moody's Lucrezia Reichlin Bruegel Non-resident Fellow Dorothée Rouzet Chief Economist, French Treasury Watch Session 3b: Europe through the eyes of global business Ask your questions on Sli.do #globalEU This session will explore how Europe is perceived by leading multinational companies ... Ask your questions on Sli.do #globalEU This session will explore how Europe is perceived by leading multinational companies from outside the EU. It will bring together global stakeholders to share their perspectives on the EU’s regulatory environment, including recent and ongoing efforts in deregulation and regulatory reform. The discussion will provide an external, business-oriented view on Europe’s competitiveness and the impact of its policy framework on global operations and investment decisions. add to calendar Speakers Kim Jørgensen Head of Institutional Relations (EMEA), Temasek Karen Massin Head Government Affairs & Public Policy - EU Institutions, Google Anton Mifsud-Bonnici Adviser to CEO, Adani New Industries Limited Watch Session 3c: Anticipating Europe’s care transformation: longevity risk and health uncertainty An ongoing Bruegel project explores how the rising demand for long-term care will reshape families, labour markets and economic structures. Through data-driven modelling and forward-looking polic... An ongoing Bruegel project explores how the rising demand for long-term care will reshape families, labour markets and economic structures. Through data-driven modelling and forward-looking policy design, the project aims to support inclusive and proactive responses to the coming care wave. In this session, we will focus on the latest results from the different project pillars, and discuss how to better measure care needs moving forward. This seminar is technical in nature and aimed at a specialist audience. During the session, new Bruegel research will be presented, followed by remarks from select commentators and an open discussion with participants. add to calendar This seminar is organised in the context of the BB-Future project. The project “The Care Wave And The Future Of The Baby Boomers And Their Children” (BB-FUTURE) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101093849. Speakers Dana-Carmen Bachmann Head of Unit, DG EMPL, European Commission Adelina Comas-Herrera Director, Global Observatory of Long-Term Care Mike Morrissey Associate Vice President, Global Public Policy, Europe & Canada Hub Leader, MSD Partners Session 4a: How can Europe maximise the impact of its rearmament spending? Ask you questions on Sli.do #defense European defence spending has increased strongly since Russia's full-scale invasion of ... Ask you questions on Sli.do #defense European defence spending has increased strongly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years on, it is time to critically evaluate whether governments set the right priorities and spend in a way to maximise value for taxpayers. This is a question of technological priorities, the design of procurement processes, the structure of defence markets and ultimately the structuring of defence in its own right. This panel aims to move the debate on all dimensions in discussion with military, fiscal and European public policy experts. add to calendar Speakers Benjamin Haddad Minister Delegate for Europe, France Andrius Kubilius European Commissioner for Defence and Space Stephanie Lingemann Vice President Air, Helsing Watch Session 4b: Can AI regulation balance harm mitigation and innovation incentives? Ask your questions on Sli.do #AIregulation The EU is entering uncharted territory. The AI Act — the world's most ambitious A... Ask your questions on Sli.do #AIregulation The EU is entering uncharted territory. The AI Act — the world's most ambitious AI rulebook — will soon be enforced, but no one yet knows how enforcement will work in practice. At the same time, the Digital Omnibus and the simplification agenda are loosening timelines and lightening obligations, partly in response to competitive pressure from the United States. The tension is very clear: being overly cautious risks harming innovation incentives and falling behind jurisdictions with fewer restrictions; being too lenient, on the other hand, could expose citizens to harms we cannot yet fully understand. This session brings together regulators, industry leaders, economists, and legal scholars to examine whether the EU can simplify its rules without backtracking and enforce them without hindering innovation. add to calendar Speakers Mario Mariniello Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairOwen Larter Senior Director and Global Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Google DeepMind Sebastian Hallensleben Co-Chair, ONE AI, OECD Chair, Joint Technical Committee AI, CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 Lilian Edwards Professor of Law, Innovation & Society, Newcastle Law School Watch Session 4c: Reimagining enlargement policy: the outlook to 2030 The session will highlight key insights from recent Bruegel research on EU enlargement, starting with a closer look at the barriers that still limit access to the Single Market in the Western Bal... The session will highlight key insights from recent Bruegel research on EU enlargement, starting with a closer look at the barriers that still limit access to the Single Market in the Western Balkan region. It will then explore how far EU candidate countries have progressed in adopting EU-accession related reforms, including those relevant to trade. This seminar is technical in nature and aimed at a specialist audience. During the session, new Bruegel research will be presented, followed by remarks from select commentators and an open discussion with participants. add to calendar Speakers Heather Grabbe Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairNina Vujanović Bruegel Research Fellow Wolf Heinrich Reuter Chief Economist, Director Economic Analysis & Research Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank Sanja Madzarevic-Sujster Senior Economist, Western Balkans and Moldova, Fiscal Policy and Growth Practice, World Bank Session 5a: Future-proofing European banking Ask your questions on Sli.do #banking At this session we will explore how Europe should manage its banking system, the backb... Ask your questions on Sli.do #banking At this session we will explore how Europe should manage its banking system, the backbone of the EU financial system and necessary infrastructure for economic growth. How do European lenders stack up globally? Is it possible to simplify without reducing the quality of supervision? How can banks and capital market participants work together? Join us for a discussion of key considerations and upcoming policy. add to calendar Speakers Rebecca Christie Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairClaudia Buch Chair of the Supervisory Board, European Central Bank Jorge Sicilia Serrano Chief Economist, Spain, BBVA Group Watch Session 5b: The European frog: still "slow-boiling"? Ask your questions on Sli.do #EUpriorities Gradually increasing growth and technology lags have popularised the slow-boiling... Ask your questions on Sli.do #EUpriorities Gradually increasing growth and technology lags have popularised the slow-boiling frog analogy for Europe: the frog could jump out of the kettle and save itself, but it will not. These days, that analogy seems quaint. Europe faces multiple imminent threats. Will it still not jump? What priorities does the EU need to set to face the multiple threats? What does this imply for what public money should be spent on, and how it should be spent? Add to calendar Speakers Jeromin Zettelmeyer Bruegel Director ChairCarlos Cuerpo First Vice-President of the Government; Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Spain Watch Session 6a: European trade policy beyond FTAs: what is feasible without the US and China? Ask your questions on Sli.do #EUtrade To the extent that trade barriers are still being reduced, this is happening mainly th... Ask your questions on Sli.do #EUtrade To the extent that trade barriers are still being reduced, this is happening mainly through bilateral or regional FTAs. Meaningful WTO reform would require the cooperation of the US and China; neither is in the cards. Are there feasible paths to strengthening rules-based trade that go beyond ratifying and extending FTA? Can we conceive of a “multilaterally minded plurilateralism”; or a multi-speed WTO? add to calendar Speakers Ignacio García Bercero Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairDitte Juul Jørgensen Director-General, European Commission, DG TRADE Bernd Lange Chair, International Trade Committee, European Parliament Clare Kelly New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the WTO; Chair, WTO General Council Watch Session 6b: Can Europe become more “Schumpeterian” and how? Ask your questions on Sli.do #change European economies have generally been less dynamic and less innovative than the United... Ask your questions on Sli.do #change European economies have generally been less dynamic and less innovative than the United States, although with large variations within Europe. At this session we would like to discuss: what policies need to change—from competition and bankruptcy law and practice to labour, product, and financial markets—to encourage faster exit by inefficient firms, and easier entry and scale-up of innovative ones? Which of these might work politically? add to calendar Speakers Reinhilde Veugelers Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairRomán Arjona Chief Economist, European Commission, DG GROW Maria Cristina Bifulco Chief Strategy Officer, Prysmian Anna Kortis Partner, McKinsey & Company Martin Raiser Senior Representative for European Economic Cooperation, World Bank Watch Session 1a: Europe's digital sovereignty: lessons from China's AI quest A roundtable with kick-off questions from Bruegel's Senior fellows Alicia García-Herrero and Bertin Martens. add to calendar A roundtable with kick-off questions from Bruegel's Senior fellows Alicia García-Herrero and Bertin Martens. add to calendar Speakers Bertin Martens Bruegel Senior Fellow Session 1b: Global monetary issues The discussion will explore the evolving global monetary landscape, including the changing roles of the US dollar, the euro, other convertible currencies, the renminbi, gold, and crypto-assets/st... The discussion will explore the evolving global monetary landscape, including the changing roles of the US dollar, the euro, other convertible currencies, the renminbi, gold, and crypto-assets/stablecoins. add to calendar Speakers Livia Chitu Senior economist, Directorate General Research, European Central Bank Mark Sobel Chief Economist and Vice Chair, OMFIF Session 2a: Can the EU's better regulation agenda deliver competitiveness? One of the priorities for the European Commission for its current term is to simplify EU policies and laws, and to ensure they are implemented better. The aim is to boost competitiveness, r... One of the priorities for the European Commission for its current term is to simplify EU policies and laws, and to ensure they are implemented better. The aim is to boost competitiveness, reinforce legal certainty, and deliver faster and more effective responses to pressing needs. But how suited for this purpose is the plan? In this session we take stock of the European Commission's simplification plan and assess its strengths and weaknesses. add to calendar Speakers Jeromin Zettelmeyer Bruegel Director ChairDorota Denning Member of Cabinet, Cabinet Dombrovskis, European Commission Anthony Gooch Gálvez Secretary General, European Round Table for Industry (ERT) Zach Meyers Director of Research, Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) Session 2b: What would make the European Economy secure in 2030? Geopolitical turbulence, energy crisis and economic coercion have focused policy debates on urgent measures to maintain short-term economic security. This distracts attention from fundamental shi... Geopolitical turbulence, energy crisis and economic coercion have focused policy debates on urgent measures to maintain short-term economic security. This distracts attention from fundamental shifts in the comparative advantages of the European economy that will create a different map of energy sources, innovative sectors and trade relationships over the medium term. What would it take for the European economy to be secure in a world of resource competition, military conflicts and climate impacts in 2030? add to calendar Speakers Heather Grabbe Bruegel Senior Fellow ChairPhilippa Sigl-Glöckner Managing Director, Dezernat Zukunft