Meeting with
ERT Competition Policy Working Group
Ref. Ares(2020)6985190 - 21/11/2020
Ref. Ares(2021)1148528 - 10/02/2021
Brussels, 11 November 2020
Steering brief
Scene setter
You will meet with
,
of
the European Round Table for Industry (ERT).
is also the
Industrial strategy for Europe
On 10 March 2020, the Commission adopted a
new industrial strategy for Europe as
part of a package of initiatives for making Europe’s businesses future-ready, including
also a new SME strategy and concrete steps to address Single Market barriers and better
implement and enforce Single Market rules. The new industrial strategy will help Europe's
industry lead the green and digital transformations, and driving Europe's global
competitiveness and its strategic autonomy. For that, it defines fundamental
enablers: a
deeper and more digital Single Market; upholding a global level playing field; working
towards climate neutrality and a more a circular economy; fostering innovation, skills and
investments.
The strategy proposes a new type of governance based on an approach on industrial
ecosystems, incorporating all players operating in a value chain. It also promotes
cross-
border industrial cooperation, such as through industrial alliances, which have
produced good results in batteries. Since then, the Commission has launched the
European Clean Hydrogen Alliance (July) and the European Raw Materials Alliance
(September).
The Commission is setting up an
industrial forum for co-designing solutions with
stakeholders, supporting the Commission in its analysis of the different ecosystems and in
assessing the different risks and needs of industry. The industrial forum will also
contribute to the coordination of recovery efforts, as a forum for Member States and
industry to exchange best practices aiming at the transformation of industrial ecosystems.
The Commission will update the industrial strategy in the first half of 2021.
Position of European Round Table for Industry (ERT)
ERT members are committed to creating a strong, open and competitive Europe and
promote sustainable growth, jobs and prosperity. In its
position paper of December
2019 (presented in Brussels with your presence), they underlined the following priorities
for action for a modern and ambitious European industry strategy:
enabling framework with a strong Single Market;
securing access to low carbon energy;
skills, digital transformation, innovation and investment for sustainability, advancing
large-scale projects such as Important Projects of Common European Interest,
intellectual property framework, smart approach to regulation;
push for ambitious trade and investment agenda and level playing field, including value
based EU economic diplomacy (including actions with Africa);
competition and State aid policy (keeping balanced approach);
In a
letter to Commissioner Breton in March 2020, ERT members highlight the
importance of
benchmarking EU’s competitiveness with other countries and regions,
using key performance indicators on industrial competitiveness and establishing a
Sounding Board with high-level business representatives, providing input and feedback on
the Commission’s initiatives and actions.
Steering brief
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Meeting with
ERT Competition Policy Working Group
Brussels, 11 November 2020
In its publication in October 2020,
ERT invites the Commission to develop and
formally adopt key performance indicators (KPIs), as a basis for regular monitoring of
the implementation of the new industrial strategy and to add clear indicators and targets to
any update of the industrial strategy. ERT proposes a
scoreboard for EU industrial
competitiveness based on a set of 28 KPIs and targets for 2030, divided into
four
headings:
EU’s performance in industrial production;
how the EU organises industry internally – green and digital transitions;
future orientation – investment, skills, enabling technologies;
global relationships, presence in international markets.
ERT members support the Commission’s NextGenerationEU recovery plan and recognise
the importance of investing in the green and digital transitions and of improving EU’s
global competitiveness, using a market-based approach and following open trade
dynamics, and avoiding protectionism and economic nationalism.
Key messages
On industrial strategy and key performance indicators
We must move forward on our agenda announced in the
new industrial strategy.
The transition of our industry can only be envisaged within the framework of a balance
between our three ambitions, which are mutually reinforcing: a green, digital and
resilient Europe.
The objectives of our industrial strategy also guide our
recovery plan, which is historic
both in its volume and its political, institutional and budgetary architecture. We need to
ensure the recovery is sustainable, inclusive and fair for all Member States, regions
and cities.
The COVID-19 crisis has given increasing momentum to deliver on these objectives
and build on the recovery as an opportunity to accelerate our joint efforts.
EU Institutions, Member States and regions, alongside industry and all other relevant
actors, have to work together to ensure that our
industry emerges from this crisis stronger than before, greener, more digital and more resilient.
A deeper and more digital
Single Market, upholding a global level playing field,
working towards climate neutrality and a more a circular economy, fostering innovation,
skills and investments will be essential to make this happen.
The implementation of the industrial strategy is on track with many measures already
presented by the Commission, e.g. the white paper on foreign subsidies, the action
plan on critical raw materials, the skills agenda.
We will
update the industrial strategy next year, taking into account the accelerated
transformation and the changing global competitive landscape.
With the new industrial strategy, we propose a new type of governance based on an
approach on
industrial ecosystems, incorporating all players operating in a value
chain.
These industrial ecosystems bring together all the players in a sector, from large
companies to small SMEs and start-ups, from training centres to research institutes,
and related services to suppliers.
This strategy will only work if businesses within industrial sectors and between them
join forces.
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Meeting with
ERT Competition Policy Working Group
Brussels, 11 November 2020
Industrial alliances can be an important tool to bring all actors together and identify
technology needs, investment opportunities and regulatory barriers and enablers at all
stages of the value chain. Such an approach has already shown its advantages in the
field of batteries, bringing the EU to a position of industrial frontrunner in this key
technology.
The Commission launched in July the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, and in
September, we launched the new Raw Materials Alliance.
Alliances will have a flexible governance framework built on the principles of openness,
transparency, diversity and inclusiveness. They will be open to Member States,
regions, companies of all sizes, civil society, associations, experts, research &
innovation communities, covering the whole value chain.
We are currently preparing the mandate for the
industrial forum announced in the
March Industrial strategy that will involve the Member States and other stakeholders.
It will be a new, inclusive and open mechanism for co-designing solutions with
stakeholders, supporting the Commission in its systematic analysis of the different
ecosystems and in assessing the different risks and needs of industry as it embarks on
the twin transitions and the strengthening of its resilience.
We have always monitored the health and competitiveness of EU industry, with a
number of indicators and reports.
In the industrial strategy, we proposed a regular
monitoring of the implementation and analysis of a
set of key performance
indicators.
Contact – briefing coordination:
Contact – briefing contribution:
Steering brief
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