Brussels, 20/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - In adopting the own-initiative report by Dominique Vlasto (EPP-ED, France) entitled “Strengthening European competitiveness - the effects of industrial change on policy and the role of SME” (EUROPE 8938) on 9 June in Strasbourg, MEPs confirmed their ambition for a new industrial policy in an enlarged Europe. “We need to move faster and move from ambition to action” and “give ourselves the means to compete with the economic giants of the USA, China and India”, said the UMP MEP in her speech. According to her report, which gives a central role to SMEs, political support for the future of European industry rests on several key elements. Hence Ms Vlasto insists on increased efforts in innovation and investment in research, know-how, knowledge and training and also thinks that strengthening a solid industrial foundation depends on renewing the regulatory framework and simplifying access to sources of financing. In MEPs' view, a proactive European industrial policy should pursue the following main aims: creating new jobs, strengthening the attraction of the industrial sector among young people and promoting the emergence of European champions (“who are capable of conveying the 'Made in Europe' trademark”, Ms Vlasto emphasised).
The Parliament supports the Commission's sectoral approach to industrial policy, deeming it essential that this policy “is implemented taking account of the specificities of each sector”. In order to be more effective, industrial policy should also take account of the nature of enterprises: as large groups make up only 1% of European enterprises, it is crucial to give more attention to the millions of SMEs which make up the European industrial fabric. In this context, the Vlasto report demands that economic analyses and statistical studies of SMEs should be carried out in more depth in the Member States, particularly on those SMEs involved in craft trades. The report also appeals for new measures to reduce the administrative burden on SMEs and for innovative financing arrangements to respond to enterprises' new needs for real investment (including SMEs and micro-enterprises), particularly in the areas of standards, technologies, the environment and market development. The Vlasto report does not neglect the territorial dimension of industrial policy, because “industry acts as a magnet for other economic activities” and “its location is a key factor in the development of many regions”. For that reason, and although they agree on the need to reduce the overall volume of aid to enterprise, MEPs are calling on the Commission to maintain all the aid instruments under the Structural Funds for the reconversion of regions affected by industrial delocalisations while taking account of the differences in development between the 25 countries of the Union.
Finally, the report underlines the need to support the industrial policy through a regulatory framework with favours enterprises. Addressing the Industry and Enterprise Commissioner Günter Verheugen, Ms Vlasto pointed out that MEPs are in favour of the adoption of a “method to simplify legislation which takes account of the cumulative effect of legislation on each sector. We hope that the method for carrying out impact assessments on legislative proposals will take account of SMEs and, above all, that it will permit assessment, using precise criteria, of responses given in Commission consultations”. Ms Vlasto also called on the Council and Parliament to play “an active role in the objective of better law-making”.