Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Robert Habeck, German Minister of Economy and Climate Action, and Adolfo Urso, Italian Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, have discussed today the prospects on the development of green and digital technologies to improve technological leadership, productivity, competitiveness and economic growth in Europe.
While European economies have lagged other large economies emerging from the pandemic, the three ministers recognized that urgent action is needed to unlock the technological and innovation potential of European companies. They agreed that EU industrial policy should combine well-targeted support for strategic industries, while promoting a high level of competition in the single market and reducing bureaucratic burdens. This support will help industrialists, entrepreneurs, SMEs and researchers access the exceptional talent, research and innovation capabilities, cutting-edge industrial equipment and cutting-edge processes they deserve. The objective is for Europe to remain an industrial power.
France, Italy and Germany, through their spokespersons, have identified some crucial development points for the next five years:
1) Ambitiously eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens to unleash the full potential of European businesses for investment, innovation and growth in Europe.
Ensure a stable and effective regulatory environment and further reform, simplify and accelerate EU administrative procedures, including authorizations and access to European financing programs and state aid, in particular for SMEs;
Eliminate regulatory overlaps and reduce reporting obligations, mainly for SMEs and well beyond the Commission's target of 25%, sbased on a thorough assessment of the results of its “call for evidence” regarding the streamlining of reporting requirements; invite the Commission to clarify the rules, simplify or remove obsolete or irrelevant rules; call for the launch of so-called “reality checks” at European level in pre-determined areas to identify unnecessary bureaucracy in a more targeted way;
Support SMEs by strengthening the “SME test” in impact assessments, taking into account inflation developments in the financial thresholds of the SME definition and adding a new business category of small and medium-sized enterprises (250 – 500 employees) to extend the administrative exemptions already provided for SMEs.
2) Promote public and private investments to strengthen innovation, productivity and competitiveness
Facilitate and accelerate the approval of State aid procedures and improve the EU State aid framework by considering the possible extension of the transition chapters of the TCTF to provide targeted support to companies in their transition process and to industrial sectors more strategic.
Because securing tomorrow's growth paths through pan-European cooperation in highly innovative technology is a political superpower, actively pursue research by the Commission and Member States for important new projects of common European interest (IPCEI), in particular in the context of the joint agreement European Forum for IPCEI.
Strengthen EU funding for European public goods and infrastructure for digital and green transitions, including across borders where appropriate. Fund innovation technology projects, especially for clean and net-zero emissions technologies, artificial intelligence from chips to compute capacity and large models, semiconductors, quantum and high-performance computing, and cybersecurity.
Accelerate the mobilization of private finance for deep technologies and breakthrough innovations, building on the European Champions of Technology initiative and the European Innovation Council.
3) Further pursue the green and digital transition with a strong and resilient economic base
Following the Versailles Declaration of March 2022, the Granada Declaration of October 2023 highlighted that significant progress has been made in record time to reduce our dependencies, diversify and strengthen our economic base. They agreed to continue work on the European Union's resilience and long-term global competitiveness, ensuring that the EU has all the necessary tools to ensure sustainable, inclusive growth and global leadership in this crucial decade. In this spirit, the three Ministers recognized the importance of the Antwerp Declaration in which European industry stakeholders promoted a European Industrial Pact.
Better apply, deepen and strengthen the single market to fully reap the benefits of European economic integration.
Ensure effective competition in the single market and adequately address structural competition problems in the global context, in particular in sectors that have an international dimension and are of great importance for the overall EU economy. Ministers also support effective merger control that prevents “killer takeovers” with legal certainty and call for thorough implementation and monitoring of the Digital Markets Act.
Ensuring the security, sustainability and affordability of the energy sector's supply, as well as the efficiency of the internal energy market, are crucial for the industry. Further steps need to be taken in this direction.
Make full use of European public procurement to ensure that resilience and sustainability procurement criteria are used systematically.
Strengthen measures to strengthen EU resilience for key technologies, including building on the Net Zero Industry Act list to help decarbonise our sector. Anticipate future risks of dependence on emerging technologies, including quantum computing, semiconductors, robotics, biotechnology, space and aeronautics.
Pursue an ambitious EU trade policy, based on openness and assertiveness, to promote diversification, resilience, social standards and sustainability. Before expanding the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to indirect emissions, ensure that the decarbonisation path and the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries, particularly exposed to international trade, are not hindered and that the CBAM can completely prevent carbon relocation carbon emissions.
Increase investment in security and defense to support joint resilience. The EU must strengthen our ability to design and produce the European defense goods we need.
Adolfo Urso, Minister of Business and Made in Italy, declared on the sidelines of the meeting: “Amid rapidly evolving geopolitical risks, the strategic partnership between Italy, France and Germany emerges as crucial in promoting economic security, competitiveness, innovation and sustainability across the EU. We affirm our firm commitment to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and simplifying regulatory frameworks to stimulate growth in the green and digital sectors. At the heart of our collaborative efforts is consolidating financial resources at the European level, advancing technological breakthroughs and strengthening the economic foundation of our region. Furthermore, we recognize the critical importance of ensuring strategic autonomy in key sectors, such as green technologies and the steel sector, even as we address global challenges, and of promoting environmental and health protection standards consistent with regulations and internationally recognized guidelines. “
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