European Union heads of state and government gave unanimous backing to speed up work on a Savings and Investment Union and to simplify its regulatory framework, European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday.
Speaking after a meeting of EU leaders held at Alden Biesen castle in Belgium, Costa relayed the consensus reached at the summit. "I was pleased to hear unanimous support to accelerate the Savings and Investment Union. Europe needs a single and efficient financial system, which can better turn European savings into investments in Europe," he said.
The leaders additionally agreed to advance work on the so-called 28th regime for companies within this year. As part of that push, member states signaled support for measures that would allow greater corporate consolidation in specific sectors, with telecommunications cited as an example of an industry where consolidation could be permitted.
Costa also said the EU will look into concrete options for energy policy at the March EU summit. He framed that agenda item alongside the bloc's broader economic priorities, saying: "Europe will deliver on competitiveness in 2026," and underscoring a commitment to initiatives aimed at supporting economic growth.
Context and next steps
The unanimous endorsement reported by Costa sets a political direction for faster work on creating a more integrated financial framework intended to channel savings into investment within the bloc. Leaders intend to simplify rules to facilitate that process and have prioritized moving forward with corporate regime changes this year.
The leaders' statement also identified telecommunications as a sector where increased company consolidation would be allowed under the planned regime changes. Separately, energy policy will be a discrete item for more detailed consideration at the March summit, where member states will examine concrete solutions.
What leaders said
- Unanimous political support to accelerate the Savings and Investment Union and simplify regulations - Antonio Costa.
- Agreement to advance the 28th regime for companies this year and permit greater consolidation in sectors such as telecommunications.
- Commitment to examine concrete energy solutions at the March EU summit and to deliver on competitiveness in 2026.
The announcements reflect decisions taken at the recent leaders' meeting in Belgium and outline the bloc's public priorities for finance, corporate regulation and energy ahead of upcoming summits.