On Friday 4 September the German EU Council Presidency published the discussion paper and the conclusions to be adopted at the end of the Competitiveness Council on 18 September.
The Council should be held in Brussels, we are told, unless the health situation related to Covid-19 were to deteriorate. The German Federal Minister of Economics and Energy, Peter Altmaier, is expected to attend.
Two debates are scheduled. A first public debate will focus on how to deepen the single market to support the recovery of the European economy in the wake of the pandemic.
Here the Presidency invites the national delegations to find out which elements of the ‘March package’ (see EUROPE 12443/7) would be best suited to meeting the challenges posed by the coronavirus. Member States will then adopt conclusions. The Presidency wants to focus in particular on an action plan on the implementation and enforcement of single market rules.
A second debate, in camera, will focus on industrial resilience in the face of international competition. This will include subsidies to foreign companies, adaptation of competition rules and state aid.
To consult the conclusions: https://bit.ly/3gWQTLR (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)