European Union heads of state and government met on February 12, 2026 at an informal European Council retreat in Alden Biesen, Belgium, to focus on strengthening EU economic competitiveness, single market reform and investment priorities.
Prior to the summit, the Antwerp Declaration Community issued an urgent appeal to European Union heads of state and government to take bold emergency action to address a deepening industrial competitiveness crisis, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
Informal summits allow EU leaders to engage in strategic discussions without issuing formal conclusions, setting the direction ahead of upcoming formal decision-making at the European Council. The informal retreat took place ahead of the March 19-20, 2026 formal European Council meeting, where leaders are expected to follow through on actions discussed in February.
Strategic priorities - competitiveness, single market and investment
At the retreat, leaders emphasized the need to bolster competitiveness across the EU economy and deepen the single market to support innovation and growth. Discussions covered how to improve the bloc’s regulatory environment, enhance investment frameworks and mobilize resources for strategic sectors to boost resilience against global economic challenges.
António Costa, European Council president, highlighted that leaders tackled issues such as eliminating internal barriers to trade and business expansion, aligning rules across member states and creating conditions for scalable European companies.
Economic resilience and global competitiveness
Mr. Costa reiterated that strengthening the resilience of the EU economy was a key focus of the retreat, stressing that better integration of capital markets and improved conditions for investment will help the EU face global economic pressures. He noted that the discussions aimed to transition from strategy to implementation this year, making the EU more attractive for investment and innovation.
The Alden Biesen retreat underscores the EU’s commitment to turning competitiveness challenges into actionable policy outcomes.