EAERE is pleased to support a plenary session at the Pontignano Vision 7th Conference on the Future of Europe, taking place from 11 to 13 June 2026 at the historic Certosa di Pontignano in Siena, Italy.

The Pontignano Vision Conference has established itself as an important forum for dialogue on Europe’s strategic future, bringing together policymakers, academics, business leaders, civil society representatives, and experts to discuss key challenges facing the European Union and identify pathways towards sustainable, resilient, and competitive development.

Plenary Session: Is the Trade-Off Between Regulations and Innovation Unavoidable? Can Rules Drive Growth?

Organised in partnership with the University of Siena (UNISI) and supported by EAERE, this plenary session focuses on one of the most pressing policy debates currently shaping the European agenda: how to reconcile regulation, innovation, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic environment.

Recent European reforms—including the simplification initiatives introduced through the Omnibus Packages, debates surrounding the implementation of the European Green Deal, and discussions on carbon pricing instruments such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—have reignited questions about the relationship between regulation and innovation. While regulatory frameworks are often perceived as constraints on economic dynamism, they can also play a critical role in fostering innovation, creating market certainty, protecting citizens, and enabling fair competition.

The session will explore whether the apparent trade-off between regulation and innovation is inevitable, or whether better-designed regulatory frameworks can simultaneously support sustainability objectives, technological leadership, energy autonomy, and long-term competitiveness. Particular attention will be given to the evolving European policy landscape in both climate and digital governance, and to the role of industrial policy, consumer behaviour, and regulatory design in driving innovation-led growth.

The discussion will be introduced by Prof. Simone Borghesi, Deputy Dean of the University of Siena, Director of the Florence School of Regulation Climate, Secretary General of the Policy Outreach Committee of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), and EAERE Past President. A leading scholar in environmental and climate economics, Prof. Borghesi has been at the forefront of European debates on climate policy, sustainability transitions, and the economic implications of environmental regulation.

The panel will bring together representatives from academia, business, finance, and policy institutions, including experts from Bruegel, Leonardo, Booking.com, the European University Institute, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, and other leading organisations.

Session Details

PSSG 2 – Is the Trade-Off Between Regulations and Innovation Unavoidable? Can Rules Drive Growth (with a Focus on Energy and Digital Autonomy)?

Introduction: Simone Borghesi (Deputy Dean at University of Siena, Past President of EAERE, Secretary General of EAERE POC)

Chair: Stephen Khan (Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Conversation)

Participants:

Further Information

More information about the conference is available at:

Pontignano Vision 7th Conference on the Future of Europe

Conference programme:

Official Conference Agenda

EAERE is pleased to support this timely discussion on how Europe can design policies that simultaneously advance sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global landscape.