The Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) this week participated in a tripartite social summit for growth and employment in Brussels.

The Oev delegation was led by its president Antonis Antoniou, and director general Michalis Antoniou.

Representing Cyprus at the summit, as the country prepares to assume the EU Presidency in the first half of 2026, was the Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou.

The summit, titled “Bringing Europe back on track in a challenging geopolitical environment as an attractive, competitive and investment-friendly location that protects and creates quality jobs,” was attended by key European leaders.

These included European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president António Costa, and Poland’s Minister for the European Union, Adam Szłapka, who was also representing the current EU Presidency.

Other high-profile attendees included BusinessEurope President Fredrik Persson, SGI Europe President Pascal Bolo, and European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) General Secretary Esther Lynch, alongside other prominent representatives of European social partners.

In his intervention, Oev president Antonis Antoniou focused on the need to strengthen European economic competitiveness through substantial reforms.

He highlighted the importance of reducing excessive regulation and bureaucracy, welcoming recent simplification initiatives but calling for even more ambitious targets to reduce administrative burdens.

Moreover, he stressed that “European businesses cannot operate under excessively complex compliance processes”.

Addressing energy costs, Antoniou underscored the “significant challenges faced by businesses and citizens in managing electricity expenses, despite progress in the transition to renewable energy”.

He also advocated for “more realistic timelines and greater flexibility in the EU’s energy targets”, ensuring that sustainability efforts do not compromise the competitiveness of European enterprises.

Furthermore, he expressed Oev’s support for the Union of Skills initiative, highlighting the importance of upskilling, internal mobility, and legal migration as key strategies to address Europe’s labour shortages.

Oev stated that its participation in high-level European forums such as the tripartite social summit “underscores the importance of representing Cypriot businesses in discussions that shape the future of the European economy”.

“Through targeted interventions, the federation aims to contribute to policies that support sustainable growth, competitiveness, and quality job creation,” it added.

Furthermore, the federation “reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a favourable business environment and developing pragmatic policies that respond to contemporary challenges”.

“With its strong presence in European social dialogue, Oev actively works to safeguard the interests of the Cypriot business community and enhance the competitiveness of European enterprises,” it concluded.