A notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the EU Council schedules a full-day session of the High-Level Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth for 7 September 2026, focusing on biotechnology, Single Market integration, and the alignment of economic security with competitiveness.
The meeting, set to take place in Brussels, will begin with the adoption of the agenda and a presentation of the draft Trio Programme for the High-Level Group. The first substantive item is an exchange of views on unlocking Europe's biotechnology potential, with discussions centered on policy levers to support scale-ups and market growth. This is followed by an assessment of Single Market integration in line with the 'One Europe, One Market' Roadmap, aiming to enhance cross-border trade and regulatory coherence. A working lunch session will address the balance between economic security measures and competitiveness, a topic that has gained prominence amid geopolitical tensions. The agenda also includes a slot for any other business.
The outcomes of this preparatory meeting could influence future EU policy directions, potentially leading to new support mechanisms for biotech firms, revised approaches to Single Market integration, and a recalibrated strategy on economic security that seeks to avoid hampering competitiveness. The discussions may feed into legislative proposals and Council conclusions on competitiveness and growth.
Stakeholders likely to be affected include biotechnology companies, which could benefit from targeted scale-up support; businesses operating across EU borders, which may see reduced regulatory barriers; and industries sensitive to economic security measures, such as technology and defense, which might face a more nuanced policy approach. National governments will also be impacted as they implement any resulting policy shifts.
Institutional follow-up is expected to involve the Council's Competitiveness and Growth configuration, which may adopt conclusions based on the working party's recommendations, and the European Commission, which could propose legislative initiatives in response to identified priorities.