The Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU intends to apply the principle of "Think Small First" systematically, which means that it will take greater account of SMEs in all its actions. It will also lay emphasis on industrial policy.
In its programme, presenting its action plan for the next six months, the Austrian Presidency states that it wishes to roll out the implementation of the principle of "Think Small First" in all policy areas, for instance in the new legislative acts aimed at SMEs and growth companies. In this area, Vienna intends to maintain the COSME programme on competitiveness of businesses and SMEs, in the framework of negotiations taking shape on the single market programme (see EUROPE 12036).
In another important point, Austria will stress the need to support European industry as a driver of growth, jobs and innovation and, to ensure this, has adopted a holistic approach developed in the European Commission's industrial strategy of September 2017 (see EUROPE 11910, 11861), taking account of the environmental and energy challenges and the particular case of energy-intensive industries.
Concerning space policy, the Presidency will seek an agreement on the regulation setting out a space programme (see EUROPE 12035). It hopes to improve the synergies between space policy and other European policies as well as the governance of the space sector, in reference to the work between the Commission, the GSA and the European Space Agency.
Unitary patent. The Austrian Presidency also hopes to finally be able to sign off on the ratification of the agreement on the unified jurisdiction of the European unitary patent. The ratification is on ice at the German Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, which has still to return a judgement on a complaint against the plans (see EUROPE 12011). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)