ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
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DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (83) 150 
 
 
Vol. 1983/ 0043 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 
COM(83) 150 final 
Brussels,  16th March 1983 
COMMUNITY  INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY 
(Commission communication  to European  Council, 
21/22 March  1983) 
COM(83) 150 final 

COMMUNITY  INDUSTRIAL  STRATEGY 
1. Discussion  of matters  arising  in connection with  a 
Community  industrial  strategy  is complicated  by the  fact 
that it is not agreed—indeed  sometimes  not clear—what  that 
policy's  aims are. A first prerequisite  is to  dispel  this 
uncertainty. 
2. The Community  dimension  is nowadays  called in when 
harsh facts dictate  the orderly contraction  of sectors 
in structural decline. 
How is a  genuine  Community  contribution also  to be made 
to the process  of positive  adjustment  of Community  industry? 
The purpose  in mounting  a Community  strategy  is to  provide 
practical  answers  to this question. 
3. Two  preliminary points: 
(i) even in the  so-called  growth  sectors  the industrial  trend 
in the Community  overall  and the Member  States  individually 
is distinctly  less favourable  than in the  case of its 
Japanese  and American  competitors; 
(ii) in the  absence  of an alternative, continuing  rundown  of 
European  industry's productive capacity increases  the 
risk of national action. 

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k. Expanding  European  productive capacity could, the  Commission 
considers, be a  Community  action  priority  if it is simultaneously 
accepted  that this must be done in accordance  with the  requirements 
of world competitiveness. 
5. The moves  to achieve a  unified  market,  to reactivate 
productive  investment,  to promote  research and innovation, 
and the energy  strategy,  though  essential,  have not so far 
succeeded  in reversing the  process  of decline. 
Industrial  measures  today are primarily  planned  and 
carried  out nationally, not dovetailed into a  Community 
context. They  are leading to  dangerous  compartmentation  of 
the markets,  and impeding  the consolidation of the  Community. 
The industrial  strategy is directed to 
(i) discouraging  individual  or sectoral  measures  not 
integrated  into a  macro—economic  framework; 
(ii) endorsing  measures,  failure  to take  which would 
jeopardize a sector's  development. 

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6. It is  worth noting that twelve  major European  companies 
in competition, and desirous of remaining in competition, 
on the European  market  have told us, in connection with the 
Esprit programme, 
"Information  Technology  is now a  critical  factor in 
virtually  every sector of the  European  Economy.  In particular 
it acts as the  activator  and amplifier  for all industries and 
services  and provides the  crucial  infrastructure  of modern 
industrial  nations.  Moreover,  as some of the  traditional 
industries  decline, IT  offers  the best, if not the only, 
prospect of  their replacement.  Indeed  withdrawal  from 
participation  in the  development  of Information  Technology  is 
tantamount  to renouncement  from being a  modern  industrial 
nation.  Yet against  this background  of strategic  importance, 
the position  of European  Industry in  this field is depressing 
if not exactly disastrous. The figures of  market  share, i.e. 
European  Industry only  commanding  10^ of the world  market  and 
less than k0% of its own indigenous  market,  make stark reading. 
Not only is the  situation  in itself of great concern, but the 
low market  share means that the  volume  of sales and  profit  is 
inadequate to provide the  essential  investment  needed  to 
safeguard the future.  Even worse,  all the  indications  are 
that the situation  is deteriorating rather than improving. 
"The situation  is not a new one but has  been developing 
over a period of years, and  many attempts  have been made to 
reverse the trend. Unless a cooperative  industrial  programme 
of sufficient  magnitude  can be mounted,  most if not all of the 
current  IT industry could disappear in a few years' time." 
7. Where  projects  have to be selected, the following 
principles  should be observed. 

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(a) To avoid dispute  over the principle  of action by the  authorities 
(Community  or national), it  would be well to go  first for 
fields where they already play  a part, regulating (standards), 
providing assistance (research grants,  investment  aid, &c.) and 
ordering (public contracts. 
(b) Stimulating  expansion:  as concerns  information  technology 
and telecommunications  the economies  of scale essential  to 
achieve world competitiveness  will be achieved only if  industrialists 
have access to the  Community  market. 
(c) Ascertaining  the impact of certain  policies  industrially: 
. What, for instance,  is the  impact of the common  agricultural 
policy on the  location  of certain agri-food industries? 
. Does our space policy, with  the European  Space Agency in 
overall charge,  take sufficient  account  of the  claims on 
States in such matters  as aid for the developing countries, 
environmental  conservation  and telecommunications? 
. A like assessment  will need to be made of our  positions  on 
energy, research  and innovation. 
(d) Seeing to it that  funds are more efficiently  used—the 
object is not to  increase  overall  Budget  spending:  on the 
contrary, elimination  of the  extra expense  caused by 
dispersion  of effort and duplication could serve  to reduce 
the need for public funding. 

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8. Between  March and June the Commission  will be working out, 
with due regard for the  various considerations  and constraints 
here set out, practical  measures  and guidelines  on information 
technology,  telecommunications  and biotechnology. 
9· Unless  competitive  Community  productive  activity  increases 
it will hardly be possible  to deal with  the distressing 
problems of employment.  This point  is noted for the  sake of 
completeness:  there will of course be further  Commission  communica­
tions on the  subject. 
* 
European  Council guidelines  would be particularly  welcome 
to help ensure  that the Council continues devoting  itself to a 
debate so vital to the  future of industry  in Europe. In the 
light of that debate and of the  Commission's  new proposals 
the June session of the  European  Council  might determine  whether 
the suggested  strategy  is calculated  to meet the challenge  to 
the Community. European  Council  guidelines  would be particularly  welcome 
to help ensure that the Council  continues  devoting  itself to a 
debate so vital to the  future of industry  in Europe. In the 
light of that debate and of the  Commission's  new proposals 
the June session of the European  Council  might determine  whether 
the suggested  strategy  is calculated  to meet the  challenge  to 
the Community.