EU competitiveness ministers are meeting in Bilbao on Tuesday 25 July for an informal meeting under the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council. They will be discussing issues to which they have been paying particular attention recently, namely strategic autonomy, strengthening the internal market, support for industry and economic security.
Strategic autonomy
Debates on the EU’s open strategic autonomy have become increasingly prominent in recent months, as evidenced by the unofficial document signed by five Member States on 18 July outlining guidelines for strengthening the EU’s open strategic autonomy (see EUROPE 13227/20).
The ministers responsible for competitiveness will also take on this topic in Bilbao, as they have been asked to consider ways of reducing dependency on other countries. The Spanish Presidency believes that dependencies should be avoided in the following sectors in particular: critical raw materials, strategic technologies, food, energy, infrastructure, means of transport and security.
Strengthening the internal market
In the wake of thirty years of the single market and the European Commission’s communication on long-term competitiveness, the ministers will examine the work that remains to be done to optimise the internal market. They want to think about how to tackle the short-, medium- and long-term challenges facing businesses.
Having a strong single market goes hand in hand with strategic autonomy, according to the Spanish Presidency of the Council, which wants to give European companies the resources to develop their markets.
Economic security
Finally, in the same way as the Heads of State or Government did at their June summit (see EUROPE 13213/1), the ministers will discuss the economic security strategy. For the EU27, it is a question of finding the right balance between trade openness and not being naive about certain third countries and their unfair practices (see EUROPE 13205/7).
Many Member States agree on the need for more coordinated action at EU level to monitor investments and exports of strategic technologies.
At their meeting in Bilbao on 25 July, the ministers will be working on these various issues, and some of them will also be discussing the flexibility of State aid and financial support for industry in sub-group round tables. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)