A resilient, innovative, and competitive economy is the prerequisite for a prosperous and inclusive social Europe. As part of Ibec’s campaign, Making a Resilient, Competitive EU a Reality, this paper outlines the business priorities for Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency.

The paper calls for a strategic pivot to a ‘competitiveness first’ framework. It argues that rather than introducing new layers of complex legislation, the EU must focus on effective implementation, addressing skills shortages, and fostering an environment where economic success drives social progress.

Key recommendations from the report include:

• Substantially reduce new social policy initiatives to prioritise the consistent and proportionate implementation of existing legislation.
• Ensure robust competitiveness checks are carried out on all social files to prevent unnecessary administrative burdens.
• Establish an employer training voucher scheme, potentially funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), to incentivise investment in high-demand skills like digital and AI.
• Simultaneously activate the EU’s untapped domestic talent pool while positioning Europe as a top destination for high-skilled international workers.
• Champion a significantly increased budget for the next Framework Programme (FP10), specifically focusing on Pillar II to drive industry-academia collaboration.