The launch of the new European industrial strategy focuses on three priority tasks
On the 10th, the European Commission announced a new European Industrial Strategy, covering a series of measures to support European industries, aiming at helping European industries transform into climate neutrality and digitalization, and improving their competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
The Industrial Strategy launched by the European Union is regarded as a future-oriented economic plan. Embedding the concepts of green sustainable development and digital transformation into the core of European industry, and aiming at maintaining Europe’s leading position in industry, this new industrial strategy will help to accomplish three key priority tasks: achieving climate neutrality by 2050, maintaining the global competitiveness and fair competition environment of European industry, and shaping Europe’s digital future.
The strategy lists the key drivers of industrial transformation in Europe, and puts forward a comprehensive future action plan, covering a series of measures to support European industry, involving large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, innovative start-ups, research centers, service providers and social public institutions. For example, formulate an intellectual property action plan, safeguard technological sovereignty, promote global fair competition, better crack down on intellectual property theft, and adjust the legal framework to adapt to green and digital transformation.
In order to make European enterprises play their greatest potential in the competition, the EU will continue to review the current EU competition rules, merger review, state subsidies and other policies, so as to make them conform to the current economic development and keep green and circular in the rapid development of digitalization. In addition to making full use of the toolbox of trade protection mechanism, the European Commission will adopt a white paper in mid-2020 to solve the market distortion caused by foreign subsidies in the single market and solve the problems of foreign EU public procurement and EU capital access.
Other initiatives include taking comprehensive measures to modernize and carbon-neutral energy-intensive industries. Support the sustainable and intelligent transportation industry; Improve energy efficiency, strengthen measures against carbon leakage, and ensure that sufficient and sustainable low-carbon energy is provided at competitive prices. Through the introduction of the action plan for key raw materials and medicines based on the EU’s new medicine strategy, we will strengthen European industrial and strategic autonomy and ensure the supply of key raw materials. Support the development of strategic digital infrastructure and key technologies.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are an important part of the EU industry. For this reason, the EU has issued a new SME strategy, which aims to help enterprises realize green and digital transformation and grasp the security of key technologies. The assistance to SMEs will focus on three aspects: sustainable and digital transformation, market access facilitation and financing facilitation.
The European Commission has also adopted an action plan for the EU single market to promote the integration of the single market and enhance the international competitiveness of EU enterprises by strengthening the implementation and enforcement of the single market rules. According to the action plan, the partnership between the member states and the European Commission will be re-established through the joint working group, sharing responsibilities, strengthening cooperation in the implementation of the single market rules, and ensuring the implementation and enforcement of the EU single market rules.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: "European industry is the driving force of European growth and prosperity. Its best state is to make full use of what makes it strong: employees and their ideas, talents, diversity and entrepreneurial spirit. This is more important than ever as Europe begins its ambitious green and digital transformation in a more turbulent and unpredictable world. European industry has everything it needs to lead this road, and we will do our best to firmly support it. " (Reporter Li Shan)