To maintain its position of worldwide economic leader, Europe has to set industry in the centre of its policies and activities. This is the core message of the Communication on “An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era” adopted by the European Commission on the 28th of October 2010 on the initiative of Vice-President Antonio Tajani. The Communication sets out a strategy that aims to boost growth and jobs by maintaining and supporting a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe. The document is accompanies by a report on the competitiveness performance of individual Member States and the annual European Competitiveness Report.
European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, declared on the adoption of the Communication: “Industry is at the heart of Europe and indispensable for finding solutions to the challenges of our society, today and in the future. Europe needs industry and industry needs Europe. We must tap into the full potential of the Single Market, its 500 million consumers and its 20 million entrepreneurs”.
In this era of intensifying globalisation, the concept of national sectors and industries is obsolete, that is why coordinated European responses are needed. To that end, Europe needs an approach that looks at the whole value chain, from infrastructure and raw materials to after-sales service. Also, promoting the creation and growth of small and medium-sized companies has to be at the core of EU industrial policy.
Moreover, the transition to a sustainable economy has to be seized as an opportunity to strengthen competitiveness, as only a European industrial policy targeting competitiveness and sustainability can muster the critical mass of change and coordination need for success. “There will be no sustainability without competitiveness, and there will be no long-lasting competitiveness without sustainability. And there will be none of them without a quantum leap in innovation”, Antonio Tajani added.
For a strong industrial competitiveness, the document sets up 10 key actions which consist in adjusting the competitiveness legislation, by analysing the impact of policy proposals, checking the appropriateness of the existing legislation, creating an environment that encourages the support and growth of SMEs, by facilitating the access to credits, presenting a strategy to strengthen European standardisation to meet the needs of the industry and elaborating a new strategy on raw materials. Moreover, transport communications and energy infrastructure and services, will be updated to improve their efficiency to the benefit of industry and sector -specific innovation performance will be addressed through actions in sectors such as advanced manufacturing technologies, construction, bio-fuels and road and rail transport.
Infrastructure, vital for industry competitiveness
The European industry competitiveness depends on the quality and efficiency of energy, transport and communications infrastructure, the modernisation of these networks being essential, since transport networks need improvement, especially in what concerns cross-border connections. Modernisation works require massive investments and developing innovative financing solutions such as public private partnership.
Also, competition, the efficiency of public and private infrastructure services are key factors in what concerns industrial competitiveness. “Finally, networks should become more integrated to enable the supply of competitive services. At the same time, this integration will trigger new sources of growth and innovation. Under the circumstances, Member States must pay special attention to transport infrastructure projects”, shows the Communication.
To that end, the Commission “will adopt clear measures for the efficient development of domestic rail and road transport services by recasting the TEN-T network. Moreover, EC and the European Investment Bank will jointly develop a infrastructure financing to encourage the implementation of PPPs.
In the transportation area, the Communication also refers to sustainable mobility, stating that “developing energy efficient technologies, applied within vehicle manufacturing projects, has a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air and noise pollution”, that is why, it is vital to finance pilot projects that prove technology revolution. The Communication also refers to ELECTRA Report which draws attention on the potential of implementing the rail energy storage technology, as well as automated train control systems which improves energy efficiency. Moreover, the sector could benefit from several investments in technology research and testing for harmonising EU standards.
by Pamela Luică
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