European business leaders at the Fedil Industry Day in Hollerich warned that heavy regulation and global instability are stifling growth, urging the EU to cut red tape and adapt faster to shifting markets.

At the Fedil Industry Day in Hollerich this week, business leaders urged EU regulators to cut red tape and seize new opportunities in an increasingly unstable global economy. Speakers highlighted the impact of trade wars, high energy prices, and geopolitical uncertainty on European industry.

"You don't know where to invest", said Frank Thomé, board member at hard metals group Ceratizit, noting how quickly strategies collapse among shifting US tariffs.

He pointed to Donald Trump's newly announced 50% tariffs on India: "From one day to the next, your strategy doesn't work anymore." Thomé added that there is "no golden rule", arguing that the best solution is to be flexible, stay creative, and adapt.

Philippe Schaus, former CEO of winemaker Moët Hennessy, stressed adaptability to AI and emerging markets, such as defence, as key strategies to ensure industrial resilience.

He further underlined the importance of progressive leadership: "Hierarchy is not what fosters creativity. What fosters creativity is empowerment", he said, arguing that diversity in teams drives better ideas than uniformity.

The main consensus at the business event, however, was that Europe's heavy regulation is holding companies back. "We need to be more pragmatic", said Yves Germeaux, head of trade and international relations at Fedil. Instead of always striving for 100% perfection, Germeaux argued that 80 or 90% may be enough if it means faster implementation.

"The world doesn't sleep", he noted.

Across the event, speakers called for the EU to strengthen its political power and for member states to work more closely together to keep pace globally.

Founded in 1918, Fedil is a multi-sector business federation representing the industry, construction, and business service sectors.