Competitiveness Council debates use of quantitative targets in enterprise policy

On 26 November, the Competitiveness Council held an exchange of views on the use of quantitative targets in enterprise policy, following the presentation of the Commission’s Communication on a Better Environment for Enterprises.

On 26 November, the Competitiveness Council held an initial exchange of views on the use of quantitative targets in pursuing the economic reform strategy, following the presentation of the Commission’s communication and staff working papers.

In its conclusions, the Council emphasised that Member States should further develop quantitative and qualitative targets on a voluntary basis in areas where deemed relevant and with due consideration to structural differences. The Council invited the Member States to develop a more systematic dissemination of best practices, in particular referring to the results of the Best Procedure project.

The Member States and the Commission were asked to work on identifying, benchmarking and exchanging best practices in enterprise policy across the EU and candidate countries. The Council called upon the Member States to organise periodic monitoring, evaluation, and peer review of enterprise policies – all on a voluntary basis. The Council invited the Commission to adopt a “comprehensive and strategic approach to competitiveness” and to focus its work on the structural determinants of enterprise competitiveness.

 

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Eurochambres, the European Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has sharply criticised the quantitative targets as being "vague, unambitious and disappointing." The association calls upon the Member States, working with the Commission, to produce comprehensive, ambitious and concrete targets to show true commitment to realizing the Lisbon objectives on European competitiveness.

 

On 14 November 2002, Commission adopted a Communication on a "Better Environment for Enterprises." The communication contains a set of 70 national targets, put forward by Member States, corresponding to several business issues, ranging from innovation, to the regulatory environment, to access to human capital. The communication is a first attempt to develop a comprehensive approach integrating benchmarking and policy objectives in the competitiveness area. The use of such targets constitutes commitment to the objective of the European Council of Lisbon to make Europe the world's most dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010.

 

The Commission communication will be considered in the Parliament at a date yet to be established. It will then be returned to the Council for formulation of a common position

 

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