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FEPS Newsletter 27 Oct 2026 – 🌿 EU’s Clean Industry Strategy & Technological neutrality

And new momentum for enlargement – If you have problems displaying this email, follow this […]
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27/10/2026
And new momentum for enlargement –

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Environment
Taking the temperature of the EU’s clean industry strategy

6 OCTOBER – FEPS HQ

Taking the temperature of the EU’s clean industry strategy

Competitiveness and resilience of heat pumps
 

The seminar presented the policy study “Taking the temperature of the EU’s clean industry strategy” with one of its authors, Francesca Guadagno, Economist at the wiiw, on the competitiveness and resilience of the European heat pump industry.

The analysis examines five core heat pump components – compressors, heat exchange units (HEUs), fans, controllers and refrigerants – across four dimensions: production levels; international competitiveness; trade balances and import dependencies; and innovation capacities.
 

The analysis allows for a wide understanding of the position of the EU industry and individual member states and identifies which components would benefit from an assertive industrial policy.
Taking the temperature of the EU’s clean industry strategy

By Francesca Guadagno, Doris Hanzl-Weiss and Ioannis Gutzianas – By FEPS, in cooperation with FES Just Climate.
The role of technological neutrality in EU climate policymaking

POLICY STUDY

The role of technological neutrality in EU climate policymaking

Assessment and alternatives for strategic policies 
 

The principle of technological neutrality means that regulation should neither mandate nor discriminate against specific technologies, allowing markets to determine outcomes. Although widely used as a guiding principle of EU policymaking, FEPS new policy study shows that the principle of technological neutrality is actually inadequate for most decarbonisation policies.

By Thomas Fröhlich – By FEPS, in cooperation with FES Just Climate.
Enlargement

8-9 OCTOBER – CHIȘINĂU, MOLDOVA

The new enlargement momentum: the Eastern candidate countries on a shared European path

First Friends of the Eastern Candidates Network Meeting 
 

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has reshaped Europe’s geopolitical landscape and accelerated the strategic importance of EU Enlargement towards the Eastern candidate countries. The first Friends of the Eastern Candidates (FoEC) Network meeting discussed this new momentum for enlargement and the major democratic challenges facing Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.
The new enlargement momentum: the Eastern candidate countries on a shared European path

By FEPS, in cooperation with FES, S&D Group, CeSPI, Fondation Jean-Jaurès, Kalevi Sorsa Foundation, Karl-Renner-Institut, Olof Palme International Center, Pro International and Progresiva.
The future of Western Balkans regional cooperation

POLICY BRIEF

The future of Western Balkans regional cooperation

From proliferation to principle
 

This policy brief argues that while regional cooperation should operate collectively, the Western Balkans region does not move as a bloc. In fact, EU accession operates bilaterally, country by country, cluster by cluster. Gradual integration, rather than additional frameworks, should be the organising principle of regional cooperation.

By Zoran Nechev and Anamarija Velinovska – By FEPS, in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, CeSPI, Karl-Renner-Institut, Pro International, Kalevi Sorsa Foundation, Olof Palme International Center, Fondation Jean-Jaurès and Progresiva. 

PROGRESSIVE PAGE

A wider European Union must also be a deeper one

By Steven Blockmans, Deputy Director of ICDS, and Associate Senior Fellow and previously Research Director at CEPS (Brussels)
A wider European Union must also be a deeper one

The EU needs a credible plan for governing an enlarged Union, not an assumption that its institutions will somehow adapt afterwards.
 

Widening and deepening the EU must go hand in hand. The EU cannot leave institutional weaknesses unresolved or risk further undermining its decision-making capacity. Read more.

Photo credits: European Union 2026
Events
Bridging competitiveness and shared prosperity through employee ownership 
 

📅  3 NOVEMBER

📍 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Employee ownership: Bridging competitiveness and shared prosperity

Fringe event at the EO Days 2026 
 

Employee ownership (EO) is gaining momentum across Europe, but it remains fragmented, advancing country by country with little cross-border exchange of knowledge, models and policy tools. This fringe event will look at where employee ownership stands today and what stands in its way. Register now! 
For the impactful EU-UK partnership in the rapidly changing world
 

📅  3 NOVEMBER

📍 FEPS HQ

For the impactful EU-UK partnership in the rapidly changing world
Fringe event at the EU-UK Progressive Forum
 

How can the EU and the UK build a deeper partnership grounded in shared democratic values and common interests?
 

The event will examine how to move the relationship from transactional to strategic, what role the UK should play in Europe and how cooperation can extend beyond security into areas such as climate, digital and energy. Register here.
News

NOTICE OF VACANCY

Join FEPS as a Policy Analyst on Gender Equality
 

Are you passionate about EU affairs and an expert in gender equality? Have you worked on feminism, anti-discrimination policy, equal opportunities, social investment or demography?
Notice of vacancy – Policy Analyst on Gender Equality

In this role, you will steer and implement a coherent portfolio of FEPS (co-)funded projects (including its development and consolidation) aimed at impacting policies, political debates and/or public awareness related to the EU’s approach to gender equality. Apply now to join our team!
Progressive Post
Home is where the house is

DOSSIER

Home is where the house is
 

In Europe, housing costs are rising faster than incomes, making housing a political issue around which elections are often decided.

Read the analysis of the crisis and its opportunities:

📚 Read more.

Photo credits: Shutterstock / FatimeBarut
 

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