Brussels, 23/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani has criticised excessively high costs of energy and taxation, problems with access to funding and the necessary reform of public administration.
A conference held in Paris on 23 October by the French minister for industrial recovery, Arnaud Montebourg, and the Political Science Institute of Paris, allowed the capitals to consolidate their consensus on the need to reinforce the industrial policy of the EU in order to stimulate growth and employment, ahead of the European Council dedicated to competitiveness, to be held in February 2014.
As well as Tajani, the Italian economic development minister, Flavio Zanonato, the Spanish minister for industry, José Manuel Soria, the Bulgarian minister for the economy, Dragomir Stoynev, and the Greek minister for development and competitiveness, Kostis Hatzidakis, took part in the work alongside their French counterpart. Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic were represented at secretary of state for industry level.
“We decided to come together more and make proposals in order to bring them to the highest European level”, Montebourg explained at the start of the session. He called on his colleagues to “examine the macroeconomic choices made by the Commission” and once again complained about an excessively strong euro, which is hindering industrial competitiveness. “10% more or less for the euro, for a country such as France, means 150,000 jobs more or fewer”, the Montebourg said. “I share your position on the euro, Arnaud”, Tajani replied, adding that this was a “personal position” rather than that of the Commission. “The euro is too strong for the competitiveness of our businesses”, he stressed.
Tajani also laid emphasis on the major obstacles which are hindering the competitiveness of European industry: excessively high production costs, including energy and taxation, difficulties for SMEs in accessing funding and the gulf between public administration and companies. “Industry has a multiplying effect on all other sectors of the economy. We cannot have a strong economy without strong industry. Consequently, alongside a budgetary pact, we need to combine an industrial compact. The European Council of February 2014 will be a historic opportunity to put industrial policy at the centre of the EU's strategy for growth”, he explained, but went on to add: “The Commission will make a decisive contribution to this, but the member states will be asked to do their bit”. (EH/transl.fl)