EU leaders agree on competitiveness roadmap and enhanced market integration

On February 12, 2026, an informal EU summit was held at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium to discuss competitiveness and the Single Market. European Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a roadmap titled "One Europe, One Market," aimed at completing major reforms by the end of 2027. The plan, to be formally presented in March, focuses on eliminating internal barriers in energy, digital networks, and financial services. Leaders agreed to maintain direct political oversight of the implementation process, potentially through bi-weekly or monthly video conferences. Discussions included the use of "enhanced cooperation" mechanisms to allow at least nine member states to move forward on policies without being blocked by individual vetos. Key priorities involve creating "European champions" in strategic sectors such as defense, AI, space, and clean technologies. The summit also explored the concept of "European preference" in specific strategic industries and the creation of a "28th regime" for cross-border business operations. Both Costa and von der Leyen emphasized the urgency of regulatory simplification and a "deep cleaning" of existing frameworks to boost productivity.