In his answers to MEPs’ written questions, the European Commissioner-designate for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Stéphane Séjourné, gave details of how he intends to implement the Clean Industrial Deal. The main idea behind this new pact is to pursue the choices that have been made in recent months on clean technologies (such as the NZIA or the texts of the European Green Deal) and to go even further in certain areas, explains Mr Séjourné.
Asked in particular about the ‘Competitiveness Fund’, which he sees as a top priority for his mandate, the Commissioner-designate did not elaborate on the sources of finance for this fund or its size. He refers to the Multiannual Financial Framework, which must have “a solid competitiveness pillar”.
However, he gave his vision for the implementation of this fund, which he believes should focus on strategic technologies. These range “from artificial intelligence to space, clean tech to biotech”. The Fund will have to “ensure that they are developed and manufactured in Europe”. The identification of these strategic sectors also applies to Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) which the Commissioner-designate praises for their ability to mobilise investment.
Mr Séjourné also emphasised the need to simplify and speed up the release of funding in general: “Benefitting from EU funds should be easy and fast for potential applicants”, he insisted in his answers to MEPs.
Simplification in the broadest sense is also one of his priorities for his potential term of office. Alongside Commissioner-designate Valdis Dombrovskis, he wants to help reduce the regulatory and administrative burden on businesses, particularly SMEs. To this end, he commits to analyse the legislation under its responsibility “in order to eliminate any overlaps, reduce burden and facilitate the best use of digital tools”.
The development of the Competitiveness Coordination Tool should follow the same logic of simplifying and rationalising the rules. His aim is to strengthen the coherence between the EU’s competitiveness objectives and national policies, and to reduce fragmentation, says Mr Séjourné.
Among the legislative proposals due to be put forward during his term of office, the Commissioner-designate cites the revision of the rules on public procurement. In his view, the new framework should focus on: - sustainability and resilience criteria in public procurement; - security of supply for critical technologies; - simplification of the award mechanism.
To see the responses from the commissioners-designate: https://aeur.eu/f/dzu (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)