The European Commissioner for Financial Services, María Luisa Albuquerque, defended this Monday at the European Forum in Brussels the importance of creating "European champions," much larger companies that are much more productive and competitive.

"You can't innovate with a productive structure made up of companies with 20 employees", she stated during her speech at a meeting organized by the New Economy Forum in the EU capital, where she indicated that it is also key for European companies to be fueled by capital rather than debt.

The European Commissioner for Financial Services, María Luis Albuquerque, stated this Monday at the Europa Forum in Brussels that "we should see more bank mergers in the near future" as a result of the single banking market.

She stated this at a meeting organized by the Nueva Economía Forum in the EU capital, where she indicated that "with a single supervisor, a single market, and the same rules applied throughout the banking union," the synergies of these cross-border mergers "should be evident".

"If anything, I am surprised they haven't happened sooner", stated the commissioner, who noted that European rules on mergers "are clear" and, in the case of major banks, it is the European Central Bank that must evaluate, from a prudential perspective, whether the merger "is appropriate or not".

The European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investment Union, María Luis Albuquerque, defended this Monday at the Fórum Europa in Brussels the importance of the Savings and Investment Union in ensuring Europe has a true financing ecosystem that allows it to be competitive, since diplomacy alone "is not enough" to maintain global relevance.

The commissioner made this statement during her speech at this meeting organized by the New Economy Forum in the EU capital, where she explained that this visionary initiative seeks to broaden the European investment base, providing retail investors with the necessary tools to invest "prudently and confidently" in Europe's long-term future.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, stated this Wednesday at the Forum Europa in Brussels that, regarding migration, "behind every figure and every statistic there is a human being fighting desperately for a better life”.

This was emphasised by Roberta Metsola at a briefing organised by New Economy Forum in the EU capital, in response to a question about the approved reform of the EU's asylum and migration rules.

Metsola first recalled words spoken by the recently deceased Pope Francis when he addressed the European Parliament in 2013, weeks after the Lampedusa tragedy. She recalled that the pontiff had said at the time that "the Mediterranean had become the largest cemetery in the world”.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, stated this Wednesday at the Forum Europa in Brussels that “the reality is that the United Kingdom needs us, but, to a certain extent, we also need the United Kingdom”.

This was Roberta Metsola's statement at a briefing organised by New Economy Forum in the EU capital, during which she welcomed the agreements reached with the United Kingdom last Monday, which represent a crucial rapprochement after Brexit.

Metsola noted that the European Union and the United Kingdom signed a new agreement this week that deepens cooperation on trade, as well as on fisheries and other matters. With this, she explained, “we are harmonising key food standards and facilitating trade in agricultural and fishery products”.