September 16, 2026
This briefing examines the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its approach to reducing packaging waste through greater reuse, recycling and resource efficiency.
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August 26, 2026
This briefing examines the European Commission's Taxation Omnibus, a flagship simplification package that streamlines EU tax reporting obligations, withholding procedures, and cross-border compliance rules as part of the Commission's broader competitiveness agenda.
August 18, 2026
This briefing examines the European Commission’s review of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and its implications for harm reduction.
July 20, 2026
In BrusselsMorning.com, Marek Tatala, CEO of the Economic Freedom Foundation and part of the Epicenter network, argued that Ireland’s EU Council Presidency motto “Strength with unity” is insufficient without sustainable economic growth. Tatala stressed that competitiveness underpins prosperity, security and democratic values, calling for urgent implementation of the Draghi and Letta recommendations, a completed Single Market, a regulatory brake, and a competitiveness test for every new EU proposal. The article endorses Epicenter’s Alternative EU Budget, which prioritises genuine European public goods over a simply larger budget and rejects additional own resources that would raise taxes on citizens and businesses.
July 17, 2026
The European Commission has announced two Digital Markets Act decisions against Google. One forces Android to open its AI-relevant features to rival assistants.
July 15, 2026
This briefing examines the European Commission's European Technological Sovereignty Package, which seeks to reduce Europe's dependence on foreign digital technologies through measures including Chips Act 2.0, the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), an EU Open-Source Strategy, and a Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy.
July 8, 2026
This briefing examines the European Commission's proposed browser-level consent mechanism under Article 88b of the Digital Omnibus, which aims to simplify online privacy by replacing website cookie banners with a single browser-based preference.
June 16, 2026
In G4Media.ro, Petar Ganev from the Institute for Market Economics (IME), as part of the Epicenter network, argued that the debate on competitiveness extends far beyond the size of the EU budget. Speaking at the Green Transition Forum 2026 on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034, Ganev noted that while Bulgaria supports stronger cohesion funding as a net beneficiary, a larger EU budget risks new own resources that could harm national competitiveness. He stressed that Europe’s competitiveness depends primarily on the effective functioning of the Single Market, reducing bureaucracy and excessive regulation, and facilitating the fundamental freedoms of the internal market, rather than simply increasing the overall budget.
June 12, 2026
In BrusselsMorning.com, Adam Bartha, Director of EPICENTER, criticised proposals for a tax on ultra-processed foods as Brussels intensifies its debate on diet, public health and fiscal policy. Bartha argued that “sin taxes never made anyone healthier or richer,” warning that such levies would punish the poorest and primarily serve to fill a fiscal gap created by the Commission’s push for a larger EU budget. Drawing on EPICENTER’s competitiveness analysis, he stressed that improved health outcomes depend on increased prosperity through faster economic growth and a more responsible EU budget rather than new punitive taxes.
