Portugal, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia have presented a common vision of the Competitiveness Fund ahead of the Competitiveness Council to be held on 12 March.
In their note dated 7 March, the four Member States set out what they believe the industrial pillar of the Competitiveness Fund should contain within the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (see EUROPE 13598/5).
This industrial pillar should “enhance Europe’s productive capacity, building on the successes of the NextGenerationEU, while aligning with the Green Deal and digital transition”.
Portugal, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia called for specific “resources (...) to be allocated to projects in Member States with lower levels of industrialisation”, to “foster equitable participation” to “support inclusive growth”. In the same spirit, the four Member States insisted that “specific attention” be paid to SMEs.
By supporting industrial projects “across all regions”, the Competitiveness Fund should contribute to “socio-economic cohesion” and “foster connections between emerging and established industrial hubs”.
With this approach, the four Member States illustrated the fear – which is shared by certain Member States that are very attached to cohesion – that the Competitiveness Fund would lead to imbalances. On the contrary, according to Portugal, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia, the competitiveness fund should guarantee “a fair sharing of the benefits on a European scale”.
According to the four Member States, the fund should focus on clean technologies and decarbonisation projects, digital infrastructures and semi-conductors, critical raw materials, the production of energy infrastructures and equipment, essential medicines and green mobility.
Sufficient resources will have to be guaranteed to achieve these objectives and, in line with the European Commission’s current guidelines, implementation will have to be guided as it “should simplify, accelerate and optimise access to funding for companies and project promoters, standardising rules and procedures”.
Read the position paper: https://aeur.eu/f/fyt (Original version in French by Florent Servia)