Valencia, 29 April 2025 – At the European People’s Party (EPP) Congress in Valencia, SME Europe, in cooperation with the SME Circle and the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions (EPP-CoR), is launching a new strategic platform to shape and lead the European economic policy debate.
This initiative, to be unveiled during the SME Europe Economic Leadership Forum, marks the beginning of a long-term structure aimed at strengthening coordination, policy alignment, and communication among European and national stakeholders. It establishes a dedicated forum to ensure the EPP’s continued leadership in economic matters.
As part of this initiative, SME Europe will host an annual high-level forum, promoting structured dialogue, policy development, and strategic coordination. This event will reinforce the EPP’s proactive and visionary role in shaping Europe’s economic and political landscape.
The event opens with statements from key political figures including Jörgen Warborn MEP, President of SME Europe and Co-Chair of the SME Circle, Marion Walsmann MEP, Co-Chair of the SME Circle and Board Member of SME Europe and Sari Rautio, President of the EPP Group in the CoR followed by presentations and dynamic panel debates on core issues such as regulatory simplification, digital transformation, green transition, and European economic security.
Participants will engage in key discussions ranging from cutting red tape and reducing EU bureaucracy, to driving innovation, digitalization, AI, green transition, and enhancing European economic security. EPP-CoR speakers include William Elofsson, Vice-Mayor of Gävle and CoR Rapporteur on the Clean Industrial Deal as well as Pehr Granfalk, Member of the Solna Municipal Council and EPP-CoR Political Coordinator of the CoR ECON commission.
SME Europe’s annual forum will serve as the cornerstone of this strategic platform, fostering structured dialogue, shaping policy priorities, and reinforcing the EPP’s leadership role in driving Europe’s economic future.