Public consultations: Keeping our industry as a driver of sustainable growth and jobs

Developing new policies to boost the competitiveness of European industry is the aim of a new public consultation, which is meant to provide input for the review of the industrial policy communication planned for September 2012. It will focus on developing a limited number of new initiatives that can deliver substantial results in the short-term.

Moreover new policy initiatives should have a demonstrable and significant impact on competitiveness, growth and jobs.
The consultation
The main objectives of the consultation are to discuss what policy priorities the European Commission should focus on and to gather recommendations from stakeholders on how to boost competitiveness of European industries.
The public consultation will encourage stakeholders and others to consider questions like:

• Which are the major policy priorities facing European industry today?
• How can businesses themselves better respond to these issues?
• What can policymakers do to address the issues at Member state, local or regional level?
• What can policymakers do to address the issues at EU level?

What are the issues covered by the consultation?
The questionnaire identifies a number of key areas for possible policy intervention and asks for stakeholders' views on options for changes. Some of the issues covered are the following:

• SME-friendly business environment and entrepreneurship
• Access to finance and risk capital
• Industrial innovation and technologies policy
• Skills, restructuring and structural change
• Improving the Single Market
• ICT, internet and cross-border sales
• Better and more consistent regulation
• Energy infrastructure and competition
• Internal transport market
• Environmental regulations
• Resource-efficiency and recycling
• Energy and climate
• International market access and global competition
• Access to raw materials

The original industrial policy flagship adopted in October 2010 identified the importance of a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base for the EU economy and set out a strategy for industrial competitiveness, sustainable economic growth and job creation. The review will contain a comprehensive progress report on the implementation of this strategy and its reinforcement.
The 2010 Communication "An Integrated Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era.Putting Competitiveness and Sustainability at Centre Stage"
The public consultation runs until 7th August. A summary report will be published on the public consultation webpage.

Documents & links

•  Link to the consultation