During the informal “competitiveness” meeting to be held in Vienna on Monday 16 July and Tuesday 17 July, EU ministers will tackle two crucial subjects with a view to the next multiannual financial framework: the future of European industry, the first day, and a debate on the Horizon Europe regulation the next.
The question of the future of industry in Europe and the many associated challenges (ecological transition, energy, digitalisation, international and sometimes unfair competition) are regularly discussed by ministers responsible for industry.
Last year, under pressure from member states, the Commission had presented a “revisited” industrial strategy (see EUROPE 11861), which had left national delegations underwhelmed, as it only proposed one real novelty, the creation of a round table of industrialists. The member states were quick to reiterate their call for the Commission to present a “holistic” strategy aimed at 2030, if not 2050 (see EUROPE 11979).
Attending the debate will be: Andrus Ansip, Vice-President of the European Commission for the digital single market; and Elzbieta Bienkowska, Commissioner for the Internal Market and Industry.
The second day, ministers for research, as well as Carlos Moedas, the commissioner for research and science, will tackle the regulation establishing Horizon Europe (see EUROPE 12018), which succeeds the Horizon 2020 framework programme. Based on the results of discussion, the Austrian presidency of the Council of the EU hopes to develop guidelines to steer negotiations at the level of the working groups, including for the timetable to be followed and above all to determine the technical and political questions to be settled.
The Commission’s proposal introduced many developments in the framework programme, beginning with a 50% increase in the current budget, i.e. a budgetary leap of €67 to €97.6 billion in current prices, and the creation of a European Innovation Council, the primary objective of which will be to ensure financial support to breakthrough innovation (see EUROPE 12036). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)