Update to 2020 Industrial Strategy

In a Communication yesterday, the EC updated the 2020 Industrial Strategy reaffirming the priorities set out in the March 2020 Communication, published the day before the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, while responding to the lessons learned from the crisis to boost the recovery and enhance the EU’s open strategic autonomy.

It proposes new measures to strengthen the resilience of our single market, especially in times of crisis; new measures to accelerate the green and digital transitions; a new identification and monitoring of the main indicators of the competitiveness of the EU economy as a whole: single market integration, productivity growth, international competitiveness, public and private investment and R&D investment.

There are already reactions from EARTO, especially welcoming the coordinated development of industrial technology roadmaps under the renewed European Research Area and its attention to technology infrastructures – EARTO calls for the development of an ERA Strategy for Technology Infrastructures.  

New regulations to address distortions on the Single Market

The SME dimension is at the core of the updated Industrial Strategy, with tailored financial support and measures to enable SMEs and start-ups to embrace the twin transitions. For this reason, the Commission has also adopted yesterday the proposal for a Regulation on foreign subsidies distorting the single market. It is a key element to deliver on the EU industrial strategy by ensuring a level playing field and by promoting a fair and competitive single market. More information can be found here.

Sustainable chemicals high-level roundtable

The Commission has launched the high level roundtable on the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. The first meeting has been held yesterday, chaired by the Commissioners for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and for Internal Market Thierry Breton. The members of the high-level roundtable include leaders from Member States, industry, NGOs, international organisations and scientists, who will support the Commission in achieving the objectives of the strategy and monitor its implementation. The work of the roundtable will focus on how to make EU chemicals legislation more preventive and effective in terms of protecting health and the environment, and on boosting the development and uptake of chemicals, materials and products that are safe and sustainable by design. More information on the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability can be found here.