EU leaders call for stronger competitiveness, fairer burden-sharing

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - European Council President Antonio Costa and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker on Wednesday highlighted the importance of strengthening the EU's competitiveness, with Vienna calling for a fairer distribution of economic burdens among member states.

At a joint press conference in Vienna, Costa said the EU's "main priority" is to boost competitiveness through a stronger single market, trade, and innovation. Removing barriers within the internal market, he added, would help curb inflation across the bloc.

He welcomed the European Commission’s approval of the revised Mercosur trade deal, calling it "a great opportunity to open our markets to new products and services and improve competitiveness."

Chancellor Stocker stressed that competitiveness is "the foundation for everything else," including security and climate action, but underlined that the costs of maintaining Europe's strength must be shared evenly.

"What we need is a fair and efficient distribution of the burden between the member states. It's very important that not just a handful of member states carry the most important burden," Stocker stressed.

He also warned that while the EU requires a powerful budget to face future challenges, national finances are under pressure.

"Even the most ambitious budget of all times, including roughly 2 trillion euros, will need to be questioned. We need to spend money effectively. Therefore, national budgetary consolidations will need to be reflected at the EU level, otherwise the member states will have a problem making their payments," he added.

Stocker reaffirmed Austria's strong support for EU enlargement, particularly the Western Balkans, describing it as vital for regional security and stability.