Tag: industrial policy

EU member states acting alone in tackling the crisis have created distortions in the single market, writes Elie Cohen, research director at France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

Business leaders and trade groups put forward various models for an EU industrial policy during an event organised by the Confrontations Europe think-tank in Strasbourg this month. EurActiv France reports.

European industry ministers began mapping out a new industrial policy for Europe when they met in Brussels yesterday (1 March), stressing the need for a "coordinated and timely exit strategy" from the economic crisis.

Sectors affected by the ongoing recession – including cars and the chemical industry – will be offered specific treatment under a revised industrial policy to be agreed by EU ministers today (28 May).

Europe's electronics and electrical engineering industries say they can make big contributions to cutting EU CO2 emissions, especially through energy efficiency improvements. But investment incentives and greater certainty on exemptions to emissions rules are needed, they say. 

Germany will lose its 'golden shares' in car manufacturer Volkswagen, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice which says that the 1960 'VW-Gesetz' contradicts EU rules on the free movement of capital.

The Commission has renewed its pledge to help European industries face the pressures of globalisation and climate change but stressed that it would not shift towards a more interventionist policy, in an apparent reply to comments by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

With the onward march of globalisation, companies are often faced with a bewildering range of standards to which their products must conform. A preferable option is adherence to a consistent set of standards, even if they are the most exacting. Trade associations increasingly seek to follow this trend by becoming relevant actors in global-policy definition.

EU rules are failing to promote innovation and entrepreneurship because law-makers have been ignoring industry’s ‘unpopular’ interests, said participants in a workshop organised by the Alliance for a Competitive European Industry.

A task force representing all sectors of the industry, academics, consumer advocates and trade unionists will draft a report on how to foster the growth of Europe's Information and Communication Technology industry.

The uncertain outcome of the elections and the failure of Chancellor Schröder's liberal-conservative contenders to win a majority of the electorate has caused disappointment with leaders of Germany's industry.

The French government maintains that the industries to be protected from foreign takeover bids are strategically sensitive to the country's security. Critics call it "a classic case of Gallic double standards".

In an exclusive interview with EurActiv, Commission Vice-President Verheugen affirmed that progress is being made on the relaunched Lisbon agenda, but also underlined the need for better sectoral industrial policies.

French Prime minister Dominique de Villepin has unveiled 67 "poles of competitiveness" in an effort to redraw and modernise the industrial map of his country.

The first European industrial R&D investment scoreboard reveals that investment in R&D by the top 500 European companies between 2002 and 2003 fell by 2%, whereas for the non-EU 500 companies it grew by 3.9%.   

Following recent clashes over Siemens-Alstom, Chirac and Schröder have now decided to hold regular talks to co-ordinate their industrial policy. Commissioner Bolkestein has criticised their "interventionist" approach.

Germany and France have postponed their planned meeting on the future of European industrial policy. The Commission has in the meantime criticised the idea of creating 'European industrial champions'.

In order to give more political weight to a coherent industry policy, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder is seeking support from France and the UK for the idea of creating a 'super commissioner' for industry.

During its 13 May meeting, the Competitiveness Council adopted conclusions on the Commission's Communication on "Industrial Policy in an enlarged Europe".

On 16 December the Commission presented a Communication on industrial policy in an enlarged Europe to launch a broad debate on this topic.

According to a Eurobarometer poll on the future of Europe, presented to the European Convention on 15 April, 67 per cent of Europeans are in favour of a Constitution.