The Brussels Economic Forum is the flagship annual economic event of the European Commission. For the past 20 years the Brussels Economic Forum has gathered high-level European and international policymakers, opinion leaders, influential academics, civil society and business leaders to identify key upcoming challenges and debate policy priorities for the European economy.
The Forum’s pledge to bring forward new perspectives and stimulate the debate around Europe’s current and future challenges makes it the place to be for forward looking conversations with influential speakers and participants. Every year the Brussels Economic Forum attracts over 1000 participants and wide coverage in the media, with around 100 accredited journalists covering the event.
The 2020 Edition – BEF goes digital
This year the Forum celebrates its 20th anniversary in the exceptional economic circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and in order to ensure the health and safety of our audience, speakers and staff, #EUBEF20 has been transformed into a digital event.
As it has been for the past 20 years, the Brussels Economic Forum remains at the forefront of the debate and exchange of ideas on the economic policies and strategy needed to kick-start the European recovery.
20 years of BEF
When the Brussels Economic Forum was launched 20 years ago, its ambition was to increase the transparency of the European Commission’s economic policy deliberations and to expose its ideas to greater external scrutiny. From its earliest days the forum attracted the brightest economic minds in the private sector and academia, as well as the engagement of the most senior Commissioners, including President Romano Prodi, who delivered the first opening address.
"It is urgent to act. The green and digital transitions hold the key to Europe’s future prosperity."
— EU Economy & Finance (@ecfin) September 8, 2020
- Executive Vice-President @VDombrovskis at #EUBEF20 pic.twitter.com/ZjS2sbCdiH
As the European economy passed major milestones including the launch of the euro, EU enlargement, the sovereign debt crisis, economic recovery, and the welcoming of new Member States to the euro area, the Brussels Economic Forum continued to evolve and only gained in importance. Today, the Brussels Economic Forum is about more than simply exposing the Commission’s ideas to external scrutiny; it is a lively forum for genuine EU debate about new ideas with a wide variety of prominent and innovative thinkers.
WATCH here LIVE the #EUBEF20 Digital online
EUBEF20 Digital online welcoms you to this special digital edition with a great line-up of high-level speakers and a forward-looking programme that reflects the unprecedented economic and social challenges that we are facing in Europe.
