Brussels – From food safety to health, and digital sovereignty. These are some of the challenges the European Union faces amid growing geopolitical tensions, global competition, and the need to strengthen its strategic autonomy. These issues were at the heart of the Connact Summer Workshop, held yesterday (24 June) at the European Parliament in Brussels, where representatives from European institutions, trade associations, and major Italian companies discussed the policies needed to support the continent’s competitiveness, innovation, and investment capacity.
The event brought together an industrial ecosystem that accounts for approximately 8% of Italy’s GDP and employs over 4.5 million workers. It provided an opportunity for dialogue, allowing the business community to compare its priorities with those of the European institutions at a decisive moment for numerous legislative dossiers set to shape the future of the agri-food, pharmaceutical, and telecommunications sectors.
In the panel discussion on the agri-food sector, the debate focused on food security, sustainable production, and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. According to the MEP from Fratelli d’Italia, Carlo Fidanza, “competitiveness must return to the heart of the European agenda,” through “greater support for agricultural businesses, reciprocity in trade, and a CAP that is adequately funded and protected from other areas of expenditure.” This issue is receiving particular attention from organisations representing the primary sector.
Antonios Nestoras, founder and director of EPIC, analysed the outlook for the European agricultural sector. He warned of the consequences of excessively burdensome regulation. “EU regulation is dismantling the European agricultural system. Agriculture does not operate in silos; it is completely interconnected. When one part suffers, the damage spreads to the entire sector, including food production,” he observed. Even non-food production, such as tobacco, is “essential” to the system. Therefore, “sector-specific measures such as the TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) or the TED (Tobacco Taxation Directive), currently under discussion, do not operate in isolation. They compound the pressures from the CAP and Mercosur, putting jobs, investment, and the economy as a whole at risk.” For Nestoras, a weakening of domestic production “would risk increasing Europe’s dependence on strategic imports. We have already seen this with energy and our dependence on Russia. And it did not end well.”
Alongside agricultural policies, another key theme was the role of the food industry in combining innovation and sustainability. Andrea Sorbello, Public Affairs Director at Barilla, highlighted “product innovation” and work across the agricultural supply chain as priorities. This approach is reflected in the new Bite research and development centre, inaugurated in Parma, and in the projects developed with farmers to promote regenerative farming practices. “Our aim is to communicate these projects to the people who buy our products every day,” he explained. Democratic Party MEP, Stefano Bonaccini, recalled the impact of geopolitical tensions on the European economy, highlighting the need to “expand trade opportunities for European businesses through international agreements based on reciprocity and respect for European production standards.” This strategy is considered essential for “reducing the risk of economic dependencies and strengthening the resilience of supply chains.”
During the panel discussion on health and the pharmaceutical sector, the focus was on the initiatives the European Commission is preparing to strengthen the continent’s production autonomy and support research in the life sciences. Ruggero Razza, MEP for Fratelli d’Italia, stressed that Brussels has shown “unprecedented attention to the health issue,” both in prevention and in support for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Andrea Bonetti, Global Public Affairs and Head of the EU Office at the Chiesi Group, shares this view and describes dialogue with the European institutions as particularly important at a time when discussions are underway on measures set to have a profound impact on the sector. Among these is the Biotech Act, which, according to Bonetti, “has the potential to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and attractiveness in the field of biotechnology.” The manager highlighted the group’s investments in Italy and across Europe, including the recent opening of a biotech facility in Parma, and stressed the need for streamlined clinical research procedures and incentives to attract new investment.
Joan Madia, a researcher at the University of Oxford, also spoke on the sustainability of healthcare systems. According to the researcher, non-communicable diseases represent a huge cost to the European economy: “Eliminating just the four main NCDs could boost GDP by 3.9 per cent a year until 2050. At the same time, Europe is highly exposed, with around 80 per cent of active pharmaceutical ingredients imported from China and India, which puts pressure on public budgets.” Such diseases require a long-term strategy based on prevention. “Prevention and the reduction of risk factors are the most strategic response. Increasing vaccinations and moving away from sugar, trans fats, smoking, and alcohol in favour of healthier alternatives is the true and most strategic response. Especially if driven by Made in EU innovation, both these shifts in approach would be fundamental to Europe’s long-term health and fiscal resilience,” Madia emphasised.
The third major theme of the debate concerned Europe’s digital future. In a context dominated by competition with the United States and China, the issue of technological sovereignty was identified as a strategic priority for European institutions. According to Gaetano Pedullà, MEP for the Five Star Movement, “now is the time to make choices regarding European technological sovereignty” through investment, infrastructure, and regulations that support the development of a competitive digital ecosystem.
Giacomo Robustelli, Vice President of European Affairs & Economic Studies at TIM, shares this objective. He calls for a regulatory framework that is more conducive to investment in the telecommunications sector. “We are calling for a genuine level playing field to compete with the other leaders in the digital ecosystem,” he said, while also stressing the need to encourage the consolidation of national markets and to uphold the principle of European preference in the development of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
From farmland to digital networks, via laboratories and healthcare facilities, the common thread that emerged from the Brussels discussion is the search for a balance between competitiveness, innovation, and strategic autonomy. This is a challenge which, according to institutions and stakeholders, will require swift policy decisions in the coming years and a greater capacity on Europe’s part to translate strategic objectives into concrete measures to support growth.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
