Members of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) will hold the 2026 external ECON commission meeting on 6 October 2026 in Galway, Ireland. During this meeting, members will discuss the following topics:
- Industrial Maritime Strategy, with rapporteur: Adam BANASZAK (PL/EA), Councillor of Inowrocław County
- "Chips Act 2.0", with rapporteur Thomas SCHMIDT (DE/EPP) Member of the Saxon State Parliament
- Cloud and AI Development Act, with rapporteur: René JANSEN (NL/EA) Alderman of the Municipality of Dongen
On 7 October, the Galway City Council, the Galway County Council and the ECON Commission will jointly organise a conference on Enhancing Regional Competitiveness through Sustainable Trade and Strong Local Economies.
The conference will explore how the West of Ireland, and regions across the European Union with similar geographic and economic characteristics, can drive sustainable competitiveness through indigenous enterprise growth, strategic foreign direct investment (FDI), and balanced regional development. It will examine the unique dynamics of the Atlantic Economic Corridor, where strong local economies, supported by Enterprise Ireland backed scaling companies and IDA Ireland's high-value FDI base, contribute to Europe's wider economic resilience.
Discussions will focus on the conditions required to support innovation, enhance productivity, and strengthen the business environment in frontier regions, reinforcing place-based competitiveness across the European Union.
Drawing on examples from Galway and the wider Atlantic Economic Corridor, the conference will showcase how indigenous firms have successfully scaled into global markets, how FDI has anchored high-skilled employment and research activity, and how collaboration between SMEs, multinational companies, and higher education institutions drives regional innovation. It will also examine the challenges and opportunities involved in strengthening the resilience of the Single Market, including trade volatility, regulatory simplification, and competitiveness reform.