MCC Brussels is one of the most interesting thinktanks in Brussels. It’s a Hungarian foundation with their base in Budapest. A few years ago they decided to open a branch in Brussels as well. Good decision. The Brussels branch is led by sociologist Frank Furedi, author of many interesting books.

On February 18 they organise a seminar about economic growth and the green deal. All their events are free, registration is obligatory. Here is the introduction to the event:

Europe’s economies are struggling under the burden of regulation, the cost of energy, and dependency on foreign powers and companies. At the heart of this are environmental policies, especially the package of policies that were the hallmark of Ursula von der Leyen’s first term: the Green Deal.

In response to criticism, the Green Deal has been repackaged as the Clean Industrial Deal. But does this go far enough to address the problems Europe faces? Europe’s problems are vast: from failing policies at home to pressures coming from abroad. External problems concern for example Europe’s dependency on critical raw materials and energy sources that it needs to import, while internally-generated problems include the inhibition of European enterprises by excessive regulation, misallocation of resources, and policies that increasingly drive companies away from Europe.

The roots of these problems are deep. This conference will address two areas fundamental to Europe’s success: energy and industry. We will examine both policy errors and potential solutions. How do we move beyond platitudes and seriously re-energise European economies?

Conference: Re-energise: economic growth beyond the Green Deal

  • Panel 1: Europe’s economic reality and the impact of the Green Deal

  • Panel 2: Powering European growth

  • Panel 3: Re-energise: finding an alternative vision to the Green Deal

Marcel Crok, the director of Clintel, will be speaking in the third panel. Their approach is slightly different than what you normally expect. There are no powerpoints and there is lot of time for discussion with the audience. We hope to see you there.

The full program can be seen here.