Draft Council conclusions:An integrated approach to a competitive and sustainable industrial policy in the European Union

Inhoudsopgave van deze pagina:

Tekst
Originele weergave

Meer informatie

1. Tekst

To: Delegations

No. prev. doc. : 9256/09 COMPET 240 ENV 343 IND 47 MI 180 RECH 124 ECO 61 ENER 157

ECOFIN 326 CONSOM 94

Subject: Draft Council conclusions: An integrated approach to a competitive and sustainable industrial policy in the European Union

Delegations will find attached a revised Presidency text of the draft Council conclusions on an

integrated approach to a competitive and sustainable industrial policy in the European Union,

following discussions at the meeting of COMPCRO Working Party on 7 May 2009.

____________________

ANNEX

Draft Council conclusions

An integrated approach to a competitive and sustainable industrial policy in the European

Union

THE COUNCIL

1.

EMPHASIZES the key role of industry for the European economy and the need to continue to react promptly to the present economic recession with a coherent and coordinated set of

short-, medium- and long-term initiatives ensuring the competitiveness of the European

economy as a whole in a sustainable way; the initiatives taken by the European Union and

Member States will bring maximum benefits if they are in line with the medium- and long-

term objectives of the Lisbon Strategy;

2.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European economy; the importance of SMEs should be respected and

considered when setting up framework conditions for European industry;

3.

RECALLS the European Economic Recovery Plan and the measures agreed by the 2

European Council on 11 and 12 December 2008 , the implementation report of 5 March 3 4

2009 , the Community part of which was agreed by the 2009 Spring European Council , and 5

the 2009 Spring European Council conclusions ;

Communication from the Commission to the European Council - A European Economic Recovery Plan (doc. 16097/08). 2

Brussels European Council, 11 and 12 December 2008 - Presidency Conclusions (doc. 17271/1/08 REV 1), par. 9. 3

Communication for the Spring European Council: Driving European Recovery - Volume 1 (doc. 7084/09). 4

Brussels European Council 19/20 March 2009 - Presidency Conclusions (doc. 7880/09), par. 8. 5

Brussels European Council 19/20 March 2009 - Presidency Conclusions (doc. 7880/09).

4.

STRESSES that the temporary and targeted support measures by Member States must fully 6

comply with the prevailing State aid rules and must not distort the internal market ; a fully open and operational internal market is a prerequisite for the recovery and future growth of

European industry;

5.

TAKES DUE NOTE OF the outcome of the discussions on the future industrial policy at the "Industrial Competitiveness Challenges, Opportunities and the Role of Policy in Difficult

Times" Conference held in Brussels on 17 March 2009 . The Conference concluded that the crisis has highlighted the importance of a strong and competitive industrial base in the

European Union and the need for coherent and coordinated policy responses to the crisis, both

within the European Union and on the wider international scene;

5a. Achieving a knowledge-based, safe and sustainable low-carbon and resource-efficient economy should be a guiding principle for European industrial policy. Bearing in mind the

results of the kick-off stakeholders' conference held on 17 March 2009, the Council INVITES

the Commission to evaluate the results of the existing industrial policy initiatives and to

continue the on-going dialogue with industry in order to formulate a long-term industrial

policy for the European Union, also reflecting the results of the existing industrial policy

initiatives, while also speeding up the transition to a safe and sustainable low-carbon economy

building upon the roadmap included in the Sustainable Consumption and Production and

Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan ;

Communication from the Commission - Temporary Community framework for State aid measures to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis (2009/C 16/01) (OJ C 16 of 22.1.2009, p.1). 7

See http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemshortdetail.cfm?item_id=2029. 8

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan (doc. 12026/08).

6.

TAKES NOTE OF progress made in the implementation of the recommendations in the 2007 9

mid-term review of industrial policy and of subsequent horizontal and sectoral initiatives, and RECALLS the importance of a balanced horizontal and sectoral approach to the future

European industrial policy;

7.

WELCOMES the Communication from the Commission of 20 November 2008 entitled The 10

raw materials initiative Meeting our critical needs for growth and jobs in Europe and STRESSES the importance for the European Union to have an EU policy framework that

facilitates trade and supply of critical raw materials;

WELCOMES the Final Report of the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the

European Chemicals Industry , which outlines a long-term strategy for the competitiveness and sustainable growth of the chemicals industry;

WELCOMES the Report of the Electra Team and INVITES the Commission to respond to the Conclusions set out in this Report as soon as possible;

WELCOMES the CARS 21 Mid-term Review and its conclusions from October 2008 as a policy framework for ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the automotive sector. The

main findings of the Mid-term Review should continue to shape future decisions, particularly

with regard to better regulation, impact assessment and predictability;

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Mid-Term review of Industrial Policy - A contribution to the EU's growth and jobs strategy (doc. 11686/07). 10

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - The raw materials initiative - Meeting our critical needs for growth and jobs in Europe (doc. 16053/08). 11

The Final Report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/chemicals/hlg/hlg2/pdf_docs/final_report/hlg_final_020309.pdf. 12

The Report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/electr_equipment/electrareport.pdf. 13

The Conclusions and the Report of the High Level Group that carried out the mid-term review are available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/automotive/pagesbackground/competitiveness/cars21_mtr_repo rt.pdf.

WELCOMES the work of the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food

Industry and LOOKS FORWARD to the Action Plan announced by the Commission and plans for a follow-up expected in July 2009 setting out a forward looking and holistic

approach and covering the following areas: agricultural and environmental policy, internal

market for food, operation of the food chain, research and innovation, and trade policy and

exports;

8.

TAKES NOTE OF the findings of the European Competitiveness Report 2008 , the 2008 16

European Innovation Scoreboard and recent Eurostat publications concerning the decline in industrial production.

THE COUNCIL THEREFORE

9.

UNDERLINES that maintaining a competitive and strong industrial base in Europe requires favourable, stable and predictable framework conditions promoting excellence, innovation

and sustainability, conditions in which businesses can operate and invest. Such conditions

should be developed in close dialogue with stakeholders, in particular with the relevant

industrial sectors. All policy measures on a national and a European level must respect better-

regulation and internal-market principles, and should seek to avoid redundancies and bring

about synergies;

I.e. the Report on the Competitiveness of the European Agro-Food Industry (17 March 2009; available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=2604&use rservice_id=1&request.id=0) and the Final Recommendations (17 March 2009; available at http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=2605&use rservice_id=1&request.id=0). 15

Communication from the Commission on the European Competitiveness Report 2008 (doc. 16978/08). 16

See http://www.proinno-europe.eu/EIS2008/website/docs/EIS_2008_Final_report.pdf.

10.

Having said the above, ENCOURAGES the Commission, the European Parliament and

Member States to speed up work aimed at simplifying legislation and reducing administrative

burdens for industry and businesses. Thorough quantified and integrated impact assessments

and cost- effectiveness analyses, including non-regulation options, should be carried out for

all new proposals having significant impacts on businesses, and their substantial amendments,

where possible. Impact assessments should reflect the current economic situation and, where

relevant, take into account specific situations existing in Member States in order to avoid

undermining the global competitiveness of industry. Bearing in mind the "Think Small First"

principle, special attention should be given to the impact of legislation on SMEs. Businesses

should be given adequate time to adapt to new requirements before new legislation is

introduced;

10a. POINTS OUT that, with a view to preserving and enhancing the competitiveness of European

industry and improving the conditions for investment in Europe, compliance with new

requirements should not cause excessive costs to businesses in all policy areas. Otherwise,

regulatory burdens could lead to "production leakage" , notably in the present economic crisis;

11.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that industry and the services sector are increasingly

intertwined and that professional, business and product-accompanying services are of large and ever growing importance for many industrial sectors. For this reason, the full and timely

implementation of the Services Directive and making further improvements to the functioning of the internal market for services are crucial for industry;

"Production leakage" refers to possible delocalisation of industrial production outside the EU as a result of overall regulatory burdens including social, administrative or environmental requirements and includes also their particular consequences, e.g. the "carbon leakage" and to a loss of attractiveness for future investments. 18

Study on Industrial Policy and Services, Final Report (carried out for the European Commission, Directorate-General Enterprise & Industry, by ECORYS Netherlands and IDEA Consult (Rotterdam, 5 November 2008) (http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/enterprise_policy/industry/doc/industrial_policy_and_services_ Part1.pdf). 19 Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market (OJ L 376 of 27.12.2006).

12.

BELIEVES that a fully functioning internal market is a cornerstone of the EU. It must be a

strong home market for European industry that also provides benefits for consumers. An open

and fully functioning internal market without barriers plays a key role in cushioning the

impacts of the economic crisis on the real economy and strengthening it, both now and in the

long term. Therefore, existing barriers for businesses should be removed as soon as possible.

Member States and the Commission should ensure effective implementation and enforcement

of existing internal market rules and should ensure non-discrimination by treating goods and

services from other Member States in accordance with EU rules and principles. Internal

market principles and competition rules should be seen as an integral part of a successful,

forward-looking industrial policy;

13.

EMPHASIZES, in the spirit of the official communiqué on a Global plan for recovery and

reform issued at the close of the G20 London Summit that was held on 2 April 2009 , that the economic downturn can also be seen as an opportunity for early global leadership in new

innovative solutions and for investing in the competitiveness of the European economy to

facilitate its transition to a knowledge-based, safe and sustainable, renewable-energy focused,

energy-efficient and low-carbon economy;

Therefore Member States should maintain or increase the volume, the effectiveness and the efficiency of public investment in research and development (R&D) and in innovation.

European industry should also be encouraged to keep or increase its R&D investments in

order to enhance its long-term competitiveness. It should not reduce its R&D spending as a

means of cutting costs during the present economic crisis. Community and Member State

policies should underpin all possible forms of innovation, strengthen the enforcement of

intellectual property rights and facilitate technology and knowledge transfers for the benefit of

businesses, especially SMEs; in this regard, the Council WELCOMES the highly practical

recommendations of the best practice expert group on "Strengthening the IPR enforcement of

EU industry and SMEs" concerning the need for better support to SMEs on intellectual

property presented at the conference on 24 April 2009;

20 The text is available at http://www.londonsummit.gov.uk/resources/en/news/15766232/communique-020409.

14.

POINTS OUT that it is of particular importance to maintain strong R&D investments in high-

tech industries in Europe. They provide the most important manufacturing sectors with

indispensable technologies. The Council LOOKS FORWARD to the Commission's initiative

to develop a pro-active policy for enabling high-tech industries;

15.

EMPHASIZES that standardisation should go hand in hand with innovation and that

standardisation is crucial for increasing the market uptake of new technologies and innovative

products, as well as for the interoperability of old and new technologies and products;

16.

With a view to a swift response to the present economic crisis, SUPPORTS the European

Economic Recovery Plan where this points out that Member States and EU Institutions, acting

together, should take urgent measures to improve energy efficiency. Therefore, INVITES the

Commission to present concrete implementing programmes for the public-private partnerships

proposed in the European Economic Recovery Plan (the "European energy-efficient buildings" initiative, the "European green cars" initiative and the "Factories of the future"

initiative) by mid-2009 at the latest;

17.

STRESSES that the restructuring should be facilitated, while encouraging industry that this is

carried out in a socially responsible way. The primary responsibility for restructuring remains

with industry itself. The challenge of restructuring can be turned into opportunities if they are

correctly managed in close cooperation with social partners. In particular, a qualified and

skilled workforce is a key condition for industrial competitiveness. The Commission and

Member States should work together to ensure that the current economic crisis does not lead

to a loss of human capital and skills through appropriate initiatives to encourage and update

skills, which are key elements to the future competitiveness and growth of industry;

As endorsed by the European Council on 11 and 12 December 2008. Cf. Brussels European Council 11 and 12 December 2008: Presidency Conclusions (doc. 17271/1/08 REV 1), par. 24.

18.

REAFFIRMS that protectionist measures, both within and outside the European Union,

whether taken by European industry or by its trading partners, will only exacerbate the

economic crisis and endanger future prosperity. Therefore the European Union gives high

priority to avoiding any such measures, in the spirit of the communiqué issued at the close of

the G20 London Summit . Europe should remain open to its trading partners and should

continue to press for open access to third markets, including through multilateral and bilateral

agreements, the promotion of regulatory cooperation and convergence and through the

worldwide introduction of international standards, taking forward a level playing field for

European industry on world markets. The European Union should use all its trade instruments

to ensure increasingly open markets, which should lead to reciprocal benefits;

19.

UNDERSTANDS the urgent need of businesses, especially SMEs, to limit the impacts of the

current situation on the financial markets and reduce their financing gap. The measures that

are currently being undertaken to recapitalise banks, as well as measures that are planned with

the same aim, should seek to encourage banks to resume their normal lending activities and to

finance needs of businesses, including working capital; Member States can play an important

role by providing guarantees and by using other available instruments. Moreover, more

effective use should be made of the instruments of the EIB Group and of the Structural Funds,

including the effective rollout of measures targeting SMEs. Various financial means from Community programmes are also available to help industry to finance long-term investments

as well as R&D and innovation projects;

20.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that the European economy is dependent on a number of energy

and non-energy raw materials and STRESSES that the Community should take immediate,

coherent and coordinated action across its different policy areas, including industrial policy,

since no single instrument is available to deal with raw material challenges. Reducing energy

consumption and the use of raw materials, removing trade barriers to improve the supply of

raw materials, improving energy- and resources-efficiency and achieving a greater use of

renewable energy sources and secondary raw materials should be the guiding principles for

European industry;

22 Council Conclusions on "Think Small First A Small Business Act for Europe" (doc. 16788/08), adopted Competitiveness Council of 1-2 December 2008.

21.

Concerning non-energy raw materials, SUPPORTS the Commission's intention to launch an

integrated strategy aimed at ensuring better and undistorted access to raw materials in third

countries, better framework conditions for extracting raw materials within the European

Union and a lower consumption of primary raw materials by increasing resource efficiency

and promoting recycling;

22.

CALLS ON the Commission, Member States and stakeholders to act together swiftly,

particularly in the following areas:

the identification of critical non-energy raw materials for European industry, in 23

cooperation with the Raw Materials Supply Group ; the Council considers the list of 24

critical raw materials established by the Commission as a preliminary selection and INVITES the Council and the Commission to come back to this with a view to agreeing

this list before the end of 2009;

improving the framework conditions for exploring and extracting raw materials in the European Union, whilst maintaining a high level of environmental protection; INVITES

the Member States and the Commission to exchange best practices in the area of

sustainable land use planning and administrative conditions for exploration and

extraction;

enhancing the efficient use of resources and the use of recycled, waste and secondary raw materials; stimulating innovation and R&D to increase resource efficiency and the

reduction of dependency on critical resources, in line with the Sustainable Consumption

and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan;

See http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/non_energy_extractive_industries/docs/fiches_raw_materials_s upply_group.pdf. 24

See the Annexes to the Commission staff working document accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - The raw materials initiative - Meeting our critical needs for growth and jobs in Europe (doc. 16053/08 ADD 1).

improving sustainable access to raw materials in third countries; the Council UNDERLINES the importance of open and well-functioning raw material markets as

distortions on these markets put key industrial sectors in Europe at a competitive

disadvantage; the Council INVITES the Commission to swiftly implement the trade

actions arising from the Communication through promoting international rules on

sustainable access to raw materials, taking action to challenge illegitimate measures by

third countries and ensuring that trade policy instruments are systematically and

coherently applied;

concentrating more on "raw materials diplomacy", the Council INVITES the Commission to reinforce the dialogue with all relevant third countries and raise the

issue in all appropriate trade and other fora; it also INVITES the Commission and

Member States to give adequate consideration to the opportunities provided by projects

undertaken in the context of development cooperation; the specific situation of poor

developing countries has to be taken into consideration.

The Council WELCOMES the Commission's intention to present a timeframe for measures to

implement the recommendations given above by the end of 2010;

The Council not only agrees on the above-mentioned horizontal measures targeting all industrial

sectors, but also agrees on conclusions on specific industrial sectors, given the recently concluded

work on these sector by various high level groups. At the same time, the Council acknowledges that

the focused and coordinated measures to support the sectors mentioned here may be extended to

cover other sectors of economy facing the consequences of the economic crisis and therefore

WELCOMES the Commission's regular monitoring of the situation in industrial sectors that will

assist in developing appropriate policies in the context of the European Economic Recovery Plan.

WITH REGARD TO THE CHEMICALS INDUSTRY, THE COUNCIL:

23.

UNDERLINES that the chemicals industry is an enabling sector that provides solutions,

advanced materials and technologies to the European industry as a whole and provides

sustainable solutions to a number of global environmental problems; the chemicals industry

also has an indispensable role to play in the move towards sustainable production and the use

of chemicals and resources in an ecologically sound way;

24.

STRESSES that the innovation potential of the chemicals industry should be fully exploited

and that there is a need to stimulate innovation as well as R&D in the chemical sector; in this

respect, the public sector should help to create favourable conditions for private-sector efforts;

RECALLS in this context the lead market initiative and the importance of relevant technology platforms;

25.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that the strength of the European chemicals industry lies in its

high degree of integration, connectivity and clustering. There is a need for continued and

greater investment in infrastructures, including pipelines and better interoperability of

infrastructure systems, on all levels, including European, national and regional levels, in order

to improve the logistics and transport networks between clusters so as to enable the sector to

cope with increased competitive pressure and to maintain and enhance its competitiveness;

26.

AFFIRMS the need to secure reliable, long-term access to oil, natural gas and renewable

feedstock and to strengthen the security of supply, respecting Member States' choice of

energy mix. Reinforcing the internal market for gas and electricity, in particular through the

implementation of the "Internal market with energy" package, is crucial;

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - A lead market initiative for Europe (doc. 5121/08).

27.

INVITES the Commission, Member States and industry to implement the conclusions of the

High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the European Chemicals Industry and to

consider these recommendations as a roadmap for concrete and deliverable activities to be

elaborated; INVITES the Commission to pro-actively follow this up and to closely and

regularly monitor the competitiveness of the industry and progress made in the

implementation of the abovementioned conclusions. The Council also INVITES the

Commission to present the first report evaluating the results by the end 2010, in close

consultation with stakeholders;

27a. ACKNOWLEDGES that the European chemicals industry is critically dependent on open

world markets and fair competition and SUPPORTS multilateral and bilateral initiatives for a

further liberalisation of trade in this important sector;

28.

INVITES the Commission to monitor the implementation of the REACH Regulation and its impacts on businesses, especially SMEs, taking into account the current economic situation,

and to continue to undertake the necessary preparatory work that will facilitate the future

review of the extent to which the objectives of REACH in enhancing competitiveness and

innovation and ensuring high levels of protection of human health and the environment have

been achieved;

29.

INVITES the industry to further develop universal dialogue with stakeholders,

communication throughout the whole value chain including the provision of information to

consumers on the appropriate handling of chemicals in order to reduce health and

environmental risks to a minimum.

Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (OJ L 396 of 30.12.2006).

WITH REGARD TO THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY, THE COUNCIL:

30.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that the electrical and electronic industry has a high growth

potential and is an enabling sector that could provide advanced technology solutions for

significant energy savings for both private homes and industry in the fields of industrial

applications, transport, buildings and power generation, intelligent transmission and

distribution networks. The industry provides efficient and ecologically sound technologies

that cover the whole product life-cycle and is therefore a key contributor to achieving the

environmental targets of the Lisbon Strategy; at the same time, this should be seen as an

opportunity for the industry to be a global leader in technology;

31.

ACKNOWLEDGES the fact that innovation and investment in R&D are crucial to the long-

term competitiveness of the sector and have a knock-on effect on the competitiveness and

energy efficiency in a large number of other sectors. This should be reflected in the ongoing

debate on the future of industrial policy and in the evaluation of the broad-based innovation

strategy, including the lead market initiative;

32.

ENCOURAGES all public bodies to support and facilitate innovation in this key sector by

encouraging public procurement to consider energy- and resource-efficient solutions and

products and services, and to raise consumer awareness;

33.

INVITES the Commission to report on the implementation of the recommendations made by

the Electra Team by the end of 2012.

WITH REGARD TO THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, THE COUNCIL

34.

BEARING IN MIND recent developments in this sector that includes the whole value chain,

HIGHLIGHTS the importance of the automotive industry for the European economy. This

sector creates a large share of the GDP in Member States, it contributes to net exports to

global markets, it is important in terms of volume of employment, it is intertwined with other

important industrial sectors and it is the largest private European investor in R&D, and

EMPHASIZES the fact that the future competitiveness of this sector is vital to a large number

of SMEs in the supply chain and in the after-sales market;

35.

RECALLS the conclusions of the March 2009 Competitiveness Council on the automotive

industry and the 2009 Key Issues Paper (which is annexed to the conclusions of the 2009 Spring European Council ), including the commitments to help the automotive industry made

by Member States, the Commission and the European Investment Bank;

36.

WELCOMES the initiatives of the Commission to bring together Member States and industry

representatives, which clearly shows the advantages of a co-ordinated European response, and

INVITES the Commission to follow up on these meetings and continue the exchange of

information on Member States' actions;

Draft Council conclusions on the automotive industry (doc. 6227/09).

37.

ACKNOWLEDGES the serious economic situation in the automotive sector, including the

light- and heavy-duty vehicles. Following the Communication from the Commission entitled

"Responding to the crisis in the European automotive industry" and the Council conclusions on automotive industry adopted by the Competitiveness Council in March 2009,

the Council CONSIDERS that, given the current economic situation in the sector, creating

additional burdens for the industry needs to be avoided if possible. New legislative measures

need to be taken with utmost caution and should be preceded by thorough impact assessments

respecting the current conditions. The Council LOOKS FORWARD to the presentation, by

the end of 2009, of a roadmap of planned legislative and non-legislative initiatives that would

have a significant impact on the industry;

38.

Also ACKNOWLEDGES that vehicle fleet renewal may have significant positive effects on

consumer demand, road safety and reaching European environmental targets. The Council

STRESSES the need for Member States which have taken or are considering taking demand-

side measures for new commercial and other vehicles to take full account of the Commission

guidelines for such measures that were produced in the context of passenger cars, and to

ensure that any such proposals fully respect the internal market and State aid rules;

39.

WELCOMES the initiative of the Commission to continue and to intensify the dialogue in the

framework of the CARS 21 initiative and EMPHAZISES the need to deliver concrete results

in the context of the CARS 21 initiative; INVITES the Commission to report regularly to the

Competitiveness Council on progress achieved in implementing the CARS 21 agenda.

____________________

28 Communication from the Commission "Responding to the crisis in the European automotive industry" (doc. 7004/09).

2. Originele weergave

Open document als PDF

Draft Council conclusions:An integrated approach to a competitive and sustainable industrial policy in the European Union - Hoofdinhoud

Inhoudsopgave van deze pagina:

Delen

1.

Tekst

2.

Originele weergave

3.

Meer informatie

Zoeken:

Laatste nieuws:

publicatiedatum	08-05-2009
kenmerk	9629/09