Live from Brussels | Newsletter | July 2026

Dear readers,

As we enter the summer period, Europe’s hospitality sector remains at the heart of key EU debates on competitiveness, digital fairness, skills, sustainability and tourism resilience. Following our 92nd General Assembly in Cork, HOTREC continues to work closely with members, EU institutions and partners to ensure that hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés are supported by a policy framework that reflects their daily realities.

This edition opens with an exclusive written interview with Peter Burke T.D., Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, as Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU. He shares his priorities for strengthening Europe’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem, supporting SMEs, and ensuring that the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy remains practical, competitive and future-oriented.

In our highlights, we report on HOTREC’s high-level European Parliament roundtable on digital platform regulation, hosted by MEP Nikolina Brnjac, and look back at the Youth Policy Dialogue in Athens with Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, where our young hospitality voice underlined the importance of skills, professional recognition and support for family-run businesses and rural destinations.

From the network, we share insights from Almedalen Week in Sweden, where HOTREC highlighted the social and economic value of Europe’s independent restaurant sector, and from the EU-North Africa Talent Partnerships workshop in Turin, where we contributed to discussions on legal labour mobility pathways.

On EU policy, we provide updates on the implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the launch of the European Housing Alliance, the Commission’s new strategies for islands and coastal communities, the Pay Transparency Directive, the Better Regulation agenda, music rights remuneration and the European Parliament’s work on psychosocial risks at work.

As the summer season begins, HOTREC wishes all members and partners a successful period ahead. We hope this edition provides useful insights for your work and look forward to continuing our cooperation in the months to come.

Enjoy the read,
The HOTREC team