Amended proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION implementing a programme of Community action to promote the competitiveness of European industry
Date: 1996-02-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU industrial policy, EU programme, action programme, competitiveness, industrial development

COMMISSION  OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

it 
it 
it 

it 
it 
it 

Brussels,22.02.1996 
COM(%)  31  final 

95/0081  (CNS) 

Amended  proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  DECISION 

implementing a programme 

of Community action to promote the 

competitiveness of European industry 

(presented  by the  Commission  pursuant  to  Article  189 a (2) 
of the  EC-Treaty) 

Explanatory  memorandum 

On  22  March  1995  the  Commission  adopted  a  communication  on  a  programme  of 
action  and  a  timetable  for  the  implementation  of  the  initiatives  announced  in  the 
communication  on  an  industrial  competitiveness  policy  for  the  European  Union. 

to  send  a  draft  Council  Decision 
The  Commission  used 
implementing  a  programme  of  Community  action  to  promote  the  competitiveness  of 
European  industry  to  the  Council,  Parliament,  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee  of  the  Regions. 

this  communication 

In  response  to  the  Council's  consultation  request  in  accordance  wilh  Article  130  of  the 
Treaty  the  European  Parliament  adopted  a  resolution  on  27  October  1995  which,  with 
amendments,  approved  the  draft  Council  Decision. 

The  Commission  is  presenting  an  amended  proposal  for  a  Council  Decision  that  takes 
account  of  most  ol  the  amendments  requested  by  the  European  Parliament. 

The  effect  of  the  amendments  to  the  draft  Decision  is  to  clarify  the  scope  and  aims  of 
the  Decision,  in  particular  as  regards  the  interested  parties,  the  level  of  investment  in 
intangibles,  and  the  contribution  by  the  internal  market  and  that  of  the  policy  on 
economic  and  social  cohesion. 

The  rejected  amendments  are  either  redundant  (amendments  5,  8,  9,  12)  are  too 
detailed  for  a  framework  Decision  (amendment  11)  or  involve  a  failure  to  implement 
Community  policies  (amendment  6),  or  refer  to  an  Annex  serving  as  an  example  which 
does  not  form  an  integral  part  of  the  draft  Decision  (amendments  13-29). 

Amended  proposal for a Council  Decision 

implementing a programme of Community  activities 

to promote the competitiveness  of European  industry 

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION, 

having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community  and  in  particular 
Article  130(3)  thereof, 

having  regard  to  the proposal  from  the  Commission, 

having  regard  to the  opinion  of  the  European  Parliament, 

having  regard  to  the  opinion  of the  Economic  and  Social  Committee, 

having  regard  to the  opinion  of the  Committee  of  the  Regions, 

1.  Whereas  the  Heads  of  State  or  Government,  meeting  within  the  European  Council 
in  Brussels  on  10-11  December  1993,  adopted  the  White  Paper  on  competitiveness, 
growth  and  employment  as  a  reference  for  the  European  Union's  activities  and 
those  of  its  Member  States,  thus  supporting  an  approach  to  industrial  development 
based  on  overall  competitiveness,  growth  factor  and jobs, 

2.  Whereas,  on  22  April  1994,  the  Council  adopted  conclusions  on  improving  the 
competitiveness  of  European  industry  on  the  basis  of  the  White  paper  entitled 
"Competitiveness,  growth  and  employment", 

3.  Whereas,  on  the  basis  of  a  Commission  communication  of  September  1994  the 
Commission  adopted  the  resolution  of  21  November  I9941  that  is  aimed  at  boosting 
the  competitiveness  of  Community 
industry  by,  in  particular,  stressing  that  a 
competitive,  innovative  industry  constitutes  the  basis  for  economic  growth  and  the 
creation  of  jobs;  whereas  the  background  conditions  for  competitiveness  and 
competition  must  be  improved  in order  to enable  the  European  Union  to  continue  to 
be  an  attractive  locus  of  economic  activity  in  order  to  create  new  businesses  and 
jobs, 

4.  Whereas,  on  10 October  1994,  the  Council  adopted  a  resolution  supporting  the 
in  support  of  small  and  medium-sized 

integrated  programme 

Commission's 
businesses  and  the  craft  industries, 

5.  Whereas  the  Cannes  European  Council  received  with  great  interest  the  report  by 

the  Advisory  Group  on  Competitiveness  (Ciampi  Group), 

OJ No 

, of. 

.i. 

6.  Whereas,  on  29  June  1995,  Parliament  adopted  a  resolution  on  the  communication 
the 

the  commission  concerning  an  industrial  competitiveness  policy  for 

from 
European  Union, 

7.  Whereas  industrial  production  and  services  increasingly  complement  each  other  and 
that,  therefore,  a  competitive  industrial  sector  is  essential  il  the  scope  for  job 
creation  in  the  service  sector  is to  be  fully  exploited, 

8.  Whereas  the  internal  energy  and  telecommunications  market  must  be  produced 
against  a  background  of  the  rapid  boosting  of  the  competitiveness  of  those  sectors 
and  of  industry  in  general, 

9.  Whereas  no progress  is  made  towards  greater  economic  and  social  cohesion  without 
any 
industry  and  whereas, 
conversely,  improvements  to  competitiveness  can  only  take  place  if  economic  and 
social  cohesion  are  taken  into  account, 

improvements  to  the  competitiveness  of  European 

to  ensure  and 

10. Whereas  it  is  first  of  all  the  task  of  businesses,  individuals  and  both  sides  of 
industry 
the 
the  necessary  conditions  are 
Community  and  Member  States  to  ensure 
provided;  whereas  it  is particularly  urgent  that  the  Community  and  Member  States, 
acting  within  the  area  of  their  respective  powers,  should  adopt  measures  to  that 
end, 

industrial  competitiveness,  and 

improve 

that  of 

that 

11. Whereas  industrial  competitiveness  is  particularly  affected  by  the  cost  and  quality 

of  the  public  services, 

12. Whereas  the  gathering  pace  of  technical  progress,  the  increasing  globalization  of 
markets,  the  intensification  of  international  competition  and  the  growing  importance 
those  bearing 
of  environmental  protection  require  extra  efforts 
in  order  to  ease  the 
responsibilities  within  the  economy,  politics  and  society 
structural  adjustments  needed,  more  particularly 
lasting 
development  and  to create  new jobs, 

from  all  of 

to  ensure 

in  order 

13. Whereas  a  better  taking  into  account  of  the  needs  of  the  market  within  research 
policy  and  the  rise  of  the  information  society  will  have  a  decisive  effect  on  all  of 
the  industrial  activities  within  the  Union, 

14. Whereas 

it 

is  necessary 

to  avoid  distortions  of  competition  and 

to  provide 

incentives  lor  the  opening  up  of  markets  both  inside  and  outside  the  Community, 

15. Whereas 

the  development  of  human  resources  via, 

in  particular,  vocational 
training,  constitutes  an essential  aspect  of  the  structural  adjustments  needed  in  order 
to  boost  industrial  competitiveness, 

16. Whereas  it  is  necessary  to  clarify  the  legal  bases  of  the  activities  developed  in  the 
industrial  sphere 
the 
in 
implement 
communication  on  an  industrial  competitiveness  policy  for  the  European  Union, 

initiatives  announced 

in  order 

the 

to 

-2- V^A/* 

17. Whereas,  in  view  of  its  multiplier  effect,  the  strategic  role  played  by  investment  in 

bolstering 
industrial  cooperation  constitutes  a  priority 
economic  development  and the bringing  together of  nations, 

instrument  for  socio 

18. Whereas  it  is  appropriate  to  promote  the  social  dialogue  in  order  to  boost  the 

competitiveness  of  the European Union. 

-3-

MAS DECIDED  AS EOLEOWS: 

Article 1. 

The approaches contained  in the action programmes  annexed  hereto that are  intended  to 
boost  the competitiveness  of  that  European  industry  which  will  constitute  the  basis  for 
economic  growth  and  the  creation  of jobs  and  will  contribute  towards  economic  and 
social cohesion,  are hereby  adopted  for  the purpose  of: 

A.  promoting  the intangible factors  of competitiveness, 

B.  modernizing  the  industrial  role  of  the  public  authorities,  in  particular  in  order  to 
free  businesses  (in  particular  SMB)  of  all  superfluous  legal  and  administrative 
constraints, 

C.  guaranteeing  undistorted,  fair  competition  both  inside and outside, 

D.  boosting  international  cooperation. 

Article 2. 

Every  year  the  Commission  shall  send  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  a  report  assessing 
the results obtained  and accompanied,  where appropriate,  by appropriate  proposals. 

Done at Brussels, 

-4-

Annexe 

PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES INTENDED TO BOOST  II If: 

INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS OF THE EUROPEAN  UNION 

Main approaches 

1.  Giving  practical  form  to  the  initiatives  announced  in  the  communication  on  an 

industrial competitiveness policy  for  the European  Union 

—  intangible  investment, 

—  industrial cooperation, 

—  industrial aspects of competition, 
—  modernization  of the industrial  role  2of the public authorities, 

2.  Paving  a  smoother  way  for  the  learning  society,  more  particularly  by  promoting 

continuous  training, 

3.  Development  of  industrial  cooperation  by taking account  of the specific  situation 

—  of the Central  and  East European countries,  the Baltic countries  and  those of the 

CIS, 

—  of the Mediterranean-basin  and  Latin-American  countries, 

—  of the Asian countries, 

—  of the ACP and  Southern African  countries, 

4.  Intensification  and  deepening  of  the  relations  between  the  European  Union  and  the 
United  States, particularly  via support for the Transatlantic  Business  Dialogue, 

5.  Establishment,  in  cooperation  with  the  committee  with  responsibility  for  trade 
policy,  the  national  administrations  and  industry,  of  a  database  on  the  barriers 
encountered  by  European  businesses  in  non-member  countries  on  a  market-by-
market basis, 

6.  examination  of the question  of the scattering  of  industrial  activities  and  services and 

report to the Directors-General  for  Industry, 

7.  Improvements  to  the  operation  of  the  internal  market,  in  particular  with  a  view  to 
speeding  up  the  process  of  standardization  and  to  further  the  efforts  towards 
coordinating  national  initiatives  for  the  support  of  businesses  facing  barriers  to 
trade within the Union, 

8.  Examination  and upgrading  of the complementary  nature  of  industrial  activities  and 

the services linked to them, 

9.  Annual  report  on  movements  in  the  competitiveness  of  European  industry  -  more 
particularly  on the basis of the information  received  for  the  "Panorama  of  European 
industry", 

10. Regular  report  to  the  Directors-General  for  industry  on  the  progress  made  by  this 
programme  of  activities  and  on  any  possible  adjustments  to  the  programme  of 
activities for  the years ahead. 

-6-

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 31  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

10 

Catalogue number  : CB-CO-96-034-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-99892-X 

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg 

1