Brussels, 11/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - While it supports the European Commission in its efforts at boosting European industry, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) stresses the importance of a territorial dimension.
The CoR backs the proposals of European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani, which were tabled last autumn (see EUROPE 10707) to fight the relative decline of European industry and to bring EU industry's contribution to GDP - which has today fallen to less than 16% - to 20% by 2020. The Commission's proposals provide not only a global perspective for investment, but also address other key areas such as the single market, SME policy and competition policy, said CoR President Ramon Luis Valcarcel during a conference organised by the Committee of the Regions in Brussels on Wednesday 10 April.
Valcarcel underlined, however, that strengthening the competitiveness of European industry requires the expertise of local and regional authorities that understand the real issues and challenges in the territories of the EU. Managing industrial transformation and economic recovery requires an integrated territorial approach that is based on the existence of effective policies in areas such as cohesion, competition, research and innovation, and skills, Valcarcel believes. “We cannot afford to continue having separated approaches. As leaders of regions we experience this every day”, stated Valcarcel, who is head of the region of Murcia in Spain.
“Europe needs its real economy now more than ever to underpin economic recovery. (…) European industry is the way to deliver growth and create employment. We have tabled EU actions designed to promote the reindustrialisation of Europe”, said Tajani, who was taking part in the conference. Valcarcel stressed the importance of cohesion policy, saying that regional policy is increasingly focused on crucial aspects of industrial growth, such as innovating the way companies produce and deliver, modernising infrastructure, and training workers. “For these reasons, if Europe's cities and regions can count on adequate instruments, they can be key in saving and relaunching our industry”, he said, underlining the importance of the cohesion funds to eliminate the intra-EU disparities with regard to industry share of GDP. While the EU average is 16%, this share varies between 9.8% in the United Kingdom to 26% in Slovakia.
The head of the Picardy region in France, Claude Gewerc, will present a report in the autumn on the opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the update of industrial policy proposed by the Commission. (EH/transl.fl)