Public Consultation : Our industry as a driver of sustainable growth and jobs

Europe needs new ideas to boost its growth potential. Industrial innovation is one of the key drivers to improve our competitiveness. This is why the Commission is launching today a new public consultation, which is meant to provide input for the mid-term review of the industrial policy communication planned for September 2012. This review will focus on developing a limited number of new initiatives that can deliver substantial results in the short- to medium-term.

Moreover new policy initiatives should have a demonstrable and significant impact on competitiveness, growth and jobs. The European Commission draws the attention to this important component of its economic growth strategy on the occasion of today's Conference "Mission Growth: Europe at the Lead of the New Industrial Revolution".

The conference is expected to give strong impetus to the debate about new ideas for the growth strategy focusing on the real economy and industrial innovation in view of promoting a European leading role in the new technological development (see MEMO/12/383). High-ranking speakers at the conference include the President of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso, Vice President Antonio Tajani, Professor Jeremy Rifkin, several EU Ministers and industrial leaders.

European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship said: "Europe's economy cannot survive in a sustainable way if it cannot rely on a strong and profoundly reshaped industrial base. Industry is a big contributor to the real economy producing real values. All efforts need to be undertaken to secure a modern, resource efficient, competitive and robust industry in Europe. I call on all who can and like to contribute to the planned reshape our industrial policy to let us know what they think should be done.

“Public Consultation webpage: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/industrial-competitiveness/index_en.htmMore information on industrial competitiveness

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 public consultation runs until 7th August. A summary report will be published on the public consultation webpage.