On Tuesday 20 September, the Council of the EU definitively approved a recommendation encouraging the eurozone countries to create national productivity boards.
These authorities will be tasked with analysing developments in productivity and competitiveness in the broadest sense, in order to promote the ownership of structural reforms deemed necessary on a national level, according to the text of the recommendation (see EUROPE 11576). These should "take into account the long-term drivers and enablers of productivity and competitiveness, including innovation, and the capacity to attract investment, businesses and human capital, and to address cost and non-cost factors that can affect prices and quality content of goods and services, including relative to global competitors in the short term", the recitals of the recommendation read.
In response to calls from unions in favour of wage increases and public investment, the member states stress that the recommendation does not affect the right to negotiate, conclude or implement collective bargaining agreements, in line with national law and practice.
Coming soon – European budgetary committee. In the autumn, moreover, the European Commission will announce the creation of the European budgetary committee, which will be responsible for analysing national budgetary performances and sending recommendations upstream of the decisions made in the framework of the so-called European semester budgetary process. This committee will be made up of five members. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)