“Europe is open for business,” the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.

As the world digested the potential impacts of Trump’s executive orders on his first day as the US new president, von der Leyen stressed: “Our message to the world is simple: if there are mutual benefits in sight, we are ready to engage with you. If you want to upgrade your clean-tech industries, if you want to upscale your digital infrastructure – Europe is open for business.”

Highlighting a “sea-change” in global affairs from a cooperative world imagined 25 years ago, the EU leader said the bloc stands ready to join forces even at this time of harsh geostrategic competition, Kallanish reports.

“The world’s major economies are vying for access to raw materials, new technologies and global trade routes. From AI to clean tech, from quantum to space, from the Arctic to the South-China Sea – the race is on,” she says. “As this competition intensifies, we will likely continue to see frequent use of economic tools, such as sanctions, export controls, and tariffs, that are intended to safeguard economic and national security. But it is important that we balance the imperative to safeguard our security against our opportunity to innovate and enhance our prosperity.”

Taking note of Draghi’s recommendations on ways to increase the EU’s competitiveness, von der Leyen says it will present a roadmap for the next five years that will focus on increasing productivity by closing the innovation gap. The aim is to cut red tape to help industries scale-up. She will propose a simplification of sustainable finance and due diligence rules, but also offer one single set of rules across the bloc to remove national legislation barriers. That way companies will deal with the same corporate law, insolvency, labour law, and taxation frameworks.

Von der Leyen suggests the EU stands to benefit as “great power competition intensifies,” noting a “growing appetite across the world” to engage more closely with the bloc.

“With Europe, what you see is what you get. We play by the rules. Our deals have no hidden strings attached. And while others are only interested in exporting and extracting, we want to see local industries flourish in partner countries. Because this is also in our interest,” she continues. “It is how we diversify our own supply chains. And this is why Europe’s offer is so attractive, all across the world. From our neighbours in Africa, who are working with us to develop local clean-tech value chains and clean fuels to the vast Asia-Pacific region.”

Von der Leyen says Europe is also open to continuing discussions with China and potentially expand trade and investment ties with Beijing, “in a spirit of fairness and reciprocity.” Meanwhile, she notes the US remains the EU’s closest partner and the first priority will be to engage early, discuss common interests, and be ready to negotiate.

“We will be pragmatic, but we will always stand by our principles to protect our interests and uphold our values,” she adds. “Our values do not change. But to defend these values in a changing world, we must change the way we act. We must look for new opportunities wherever they arise. This is the moment to engage beyond blocs and taboos. And Europe is ready for change.”

The official has reaffirmed climate change remains top of the global agenda, despite Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. “From decarbonising to nature-based solutions. From building a circular economy to developing nature credits. The Paris Agreement continues to be the best hope for all humanity. So Europe will stay the course, and keep working with all nations that want to protect nature and stop global warming.”