A Competitiveness Council will be held on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 November in Brussels, where the ministers responsible for the Internal Market, Research and Space will meet to follow up the Budapest Declaration (see EUROPE 13521/2). They will attempt to make their contribution to the work via a set of conclusions on the future of competitiveness. They are also expected to stress the importance of strengthening the EU’s research sector, again with the aim of becoming more competitive, through three other texts of conclusions.
New pact for European competitiveness. As with the negotiations on the Budapest Declaration, the Member States have yet to agree on precise language on the future of competitiveness for their conclusions: the role of the Multiannual Financial Framework in providing financial support for industry, the choice of technologies to be supported, and interconnectivity are all issues on which the EU27 were unable to agree on Friday 22 November, according to two sources.
The meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) on Wednesday 27 November should give the green light to a text that can be presented to the ministers.
Research. The other draft conclusions on research have already been approved by Coreper. EU Member States will call for more resources to be given to research in the EU, in particular by consolidating the European Research Area (ERA).
According to a draft set of conclusions on this subject dated 15 November, the ministers will reiterate the importance of increasing investment in research and development (R&D) to 3% of GDP.
They believe that public investment in R&D should also be mobilised so as to encourage private investment in turn. The EU Council believes that work is needed on support programmes for innovation activities considered to be at risk.
See the draft conclusions on strengthening EU competitiveness and consolidating the European Research Area: https://aeur.eu/f/eg8
On Friday 29 November, the Member States will also discuss the possibility of launching a new European research and innovation (R&I) initiative “on the sustainable management of natural resources, the security of food systems and the deployment of the bioeconomy”.
According to the draft conclusions on this subject, the ministers will ask the Commission to assess the feasibility and impact of such an initiative. Depending on the results, the Commission could consider a roadmap, according to the EU Council.
See the draft conclusions on this subject: https://aeur.eu/f/eg9
Finally, a final set of conclusions will be adopted in response to the Commission’s proposal on advanced materials (see EUROPE 13359/16).
The ministers are expected to invite the Commission, together with the Member States, to identify, “the areas designated as priorities for research into advanced materials, the development of these materials and their deployment, in particular by looking at thematic areas such as health and agri-food”.
They will also warn the Commission against creating a Technology Council for Advanced Materials and the potential additional administrative burden this could place on member countries.
See the conclusions on advanced materials: https://aeur.eu/f/ega (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)