competitiveness

The EU Commission has relaxed its green transition state aid rules through 2030. The German government will now be able to press ahead with plans for industrial electricity subsidies.

The CDU/CSU and SPD have held intensive negotiations over tax policy. A more generous depreciation policy should provide a boost to companies. But Johanna Hey, Tax Law Professor at the University of Cologne, is disappointed at the overall approach.

Gitta Connemann, federal chair of the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT), and incoming State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, is convinced that the coalition agreement lays a solid foundation for the urgently needed economic shift.

The European Commission has responded firmly yet appropriately to the violations of the US tech giants, with fines for Meta and Apple. The moderate action should help diffuse tension and facilitate trade negotiations.

The upcoming EU Omnibus legislative package aims at simplifying requirements for sustainability reporting. As the first details emerge, a fierce dispute is already raging over what exactly should be included.

Everyone agrees that the EU is losing competitiveness. However, there is no consensus on how to reverse this, and make the EU more productive and innovative again. Vague solutions like reducing bureaucracy are not enough.

Germany's business model is in crisis. Structural reforms are overdue, but political parties are blocking each other. A national Future Council for the Economy could be a way forward.