The finance ministers of Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland and Italy met in Brussels on Monday 10 March to lay the foundations for a ‘Competitiveness Laboratory’. The tool should make it possible to rapidly test financial integration initiatives (see EUROPE 13498/2).
“Among the first projects that we are analysing within this framework are, of course, all those linked to the capital markets union, in other words, the ability to direct all the savings produced in Europe towards projects that will enable us to strengthen our strategic autonomy and our economic security”, announced the Spanish Minister for the Economy, Trade and Enterprise, Carlos Cuerpo, on the sidelines of the Eurogroup meeting on Monday.
One of the first initiatives selected is the creation of a Europe-wide savings label to encourage investment by individuals. A timetable for the next stages has been outlined. “The aim is to finalise the details by June so that it can be implemented in the second half of the year”, said Mr Cuerpo.
Other projects, such as setting up a European rating system for SMEs, could be integrated into the Laboratory’s work. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)