On Monday, October 27, Mirzha de Manuel, Economist at the European Commission and Member of the Cabinet of Valdis Dombrovskis, presented the Commission’s vision for Europe’s path to sustainable growth at the Chamber’s headquarters in Brussels.

The session was opened by Pablo López Álvarez, President of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Luxembourg, who welcomed the participants and thanked the guest speaker. He noted that it was not the first time De Manuel had joined the Chamber, recalling his previous participation, and proceeded to introduce the theme of the session: “The EU’s path to sustainable growth: implementation, simplification and productivity.”

De Manuel began by inviting attendees to discuss openly and explained why simplification has become a central priority for the European Commission. He underlined that Europe faces a competitiveness challenge that affects both economic well-being and security, and that the Commission is acting on several fronts to address it. “There is a human and technical limit to reading and applying all the rules. Resources are limited, and we must allocate them efficiently,” he said.  

He outlined the main initiatives underway, including the “implementation dialogues” with the input of stakeholders, “reality checks” to assess the practical impact of legislation, and “stress tests”. Furthermore, he highlighted the Commission’s goal of reducing administrative costs by 25% and announced forthcoming simplification proposals in areas such as medical devices, environmental rules, taxation, and energy products.  

De Manuel stressed that the Commission’s work does not aim at deregulation but at improving legislation to make it more effective and supportive of productivity and innovation. “We need companies to thrive in Europe, because they generate wealth and employment. Europe must be strong and self-reliant,” he emphasized.  

The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A covering topics such as cybersecurity, innovation, and the pace of regulatory implementation. López Álvarez closed the event by thanking De Manuel for his insightful remarks and wishing him success in advancing an agenda “essential for European competitiveness and citizens alike.”