In its work programme for the current six-month period, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council intends to focus on the single market and industrial policy, with an emphasis on SMEs in order to consolidate the EU's strategic autonomy in the face of often unfair and increasingly aggressive international competition.
By recalling the shortcomings of the single market that were revealed by the pandemic (see EUROPE 12452/14), it therefore wants to launch a reflection on the functioning of the single market in times of crisis, which will culminate in June in the Single Market Forum (SIMFO). This is a Forum that will bring together a wide range of internal market actors (private and public, as well as social partners) to both monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Single Market Act.
Furthermore, it wants to further improve the functioning of the single market and to remove unjustified barriers to the free movement of goods and services. In relation to this, it will work to improve the Digital Services Act.
With regard to industrial strategy, which will be updated in the second quarter of 2021 and certainly in March, shortly before the European Council (see EUROPE 12561/8), the Presidency, in partnership with the European Commission, intends to host Industry Days in Brussels in February.
The programme will be structured around the three strands of ‘industrial, commercial and competition policy’. In this regard, the Presidency notes the Projects of Common European Interest (PCEI) and intends to move forward discussions on the concept of industrial ecosystems. It also makes reference to the creation of European clusters based around sectoral clusters and value chains.
In addition, it wants to carry out work to promote the protection of industrial property rights, especially for green technologies and artificial intelligence. In February, a high-level conference will be held on the subject as it relates to the digital transition.
International competition. This internal project will be linked to a further external project, which will monitor the subsidies granted to economic operators in non-Member States and their compliance with European environmental and social standards. The Presidency will ensure a careful review of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, which offers developing countries the chance to have lower duties on their exports to the Union.
Space policy. The Presidency will also support the launch of the EU space programme, which was the subject of a recent interinstitutional agreement (see EUROPE 12624/21); it intends to organise an Atlantic summit on ‘New Space’ in Coimbra in June. Innovative platforms and the exploitation of spatial data will be in the spotlight, as well as support for SMEs and start-ups in connection with the Cassini programme (see EUROPE 12619/24). On this point, the Presidency has indicated that it wants to strengthen cooperation between the EU and Africa in the space sector. It will organise a high-level conference in Lisbon in April.
A Competitiveness Council will be held on 25 February on the subject of the single market and industry dossiers. On 22 March, an informal ‘Competitiveness’ meeting is planned to take place in Matosinhos.
To consult the Presidency programme: https://bit.ly/38Xm0oS (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)