• H2020
• Industrial Leadership

Ministers have warmly welcomed the European Commission’s Communication For a European Industrial Renaissance, emphasising the importance of maintaining a competitive economy with strong industry.

The politicians made the statement during the first of the two-day Competiveness Council meeting in Brussels. In their ‘Mainstreaming of Industrial Competitiveness’ Council conclusions, ministers underlined the European Council’s call for industrial competitiveness to be introduced across all EU policy areas, and industry’s role “as a key driver for economic growth and jobs”.

The Council said that the EU needed to fully exploit the benefits of the single market to help realise job creation, economic growth and competitiveness. Ministers added that it was important to create “a climate of entrepreneurship and job creation” and to help “reinforce the global attractiveness of the Union as a place of production, innovation and investment with a strong and competitive industrial base”.

The Competitiveness Council particularly noted the European Commission’s ambition to increase the share of industry in the EU’s economy to 20% of GDP by 2020. Ministers said they were also particularly looking forward to reviewing the public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy and called on the Commission to “better integrate” industrial competitiveness within it. The Council agreed with the Commission that EU industrial policy should help encourage greater investment and increased competitiveness of Europe’s manufacturing and service sectors, particular assisting SMEs. Politicians also welcomed the European Council’s request for a Commission roadmap in further developing the communication.

The Competitiveness Council meeting concludes on Friday.