The College of Commissioners will hold a “policy debate” on the competitiveness of the European Union on Wednesday 22 February. In addition to the final details to be worked out in preparation for the presentation in mid-March of the Net-Zero Industry Act (see EUROPE 13112/1), the main issue is to reflect on the EU’s long-term strategy in this area.
The EU needs to find out how to strengthen its single market and strategically position itself among the major international powers, and EU Commissioners may still have different views on how to proceed in the long term.
In the shorter term, they must already agree on the Net-Zero Industry Act. This should take the form of a regulation and will aim to simplify and speed up the permitting procedures, particularly for strategic industrial projects.
In the same week, the Commission is expected to present a second text that is also part of the ‘Green Deal Industrial Plan’: the Critical Raw Materials Act (see EUROPE 13021/5, 13123/2), which should also take the form of a regulation. This should increase extraction in the EU and optimise the recycling of raw materials.
Thirty years of the Internal Market
Before presenting its two proposals for regulations, the Commission will also publish a communication on the Internal Market’s 30th anniversary.
Member States will also discuss the issue at the EU ‘Competitiveness’ Council meeting on Thursday 2 March in Brussels. With this in mind, the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council has prepared a note on its vision for an effective Single Market.
It identifies in this document the “pillars of a European model for long-term competitiveness”, namely: the defence of market economy principles, including effective competition and private investment; - the promotion of free trade at the international level; - a regulation with a drive for increased productivity, i.e. based on impact assessments, consultations and evaluations; - innovation through research and development expenditure; - a competitive and secure energy supply.
On this basis, EU industry ministers will be invited on 2 March to discuss how the EU can best “improve its competitiveness and productivity in the coming decades”.
At the end of March, the Spring European Council will be an opportunity for EU leaders to adopt guidelines for deepening the internal market and to react to the European Commission’s proposals.
See the note from the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council: https://aeur.eu/f/5fs (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)