Bruegel Annual Meetings | 2-3 September 2026

2026 marks a year of difficult choices for the EU. The following priorities stand out: the EU needs to establish autonomy from the United States while keeping its alliance on the road. It needs to respond to the risk of an industrial wipe-out in the face of a flood of cheap Chinese exports while also encouraging – and guiding - structural change. A single defence industrial market needs to be developed; with the defence procurement efficient and less nationally focused, breaking taboos surrounding the defence establishments of large members states. The EU should make headway on critical dimensions of the single market deepening, from capital markets to clean technology to innovation. Finally, it needs to maintain a clear focus on prioritising climate policy.  At this year’s Annual Meetings, we will delve into and take stock of these trade-offs and contradictions, and spark hope for Europe beyond 2026.