Maintaining a competitive and flourishing industry in Europe is of vital importance to cover the ever more complex basic needs of European society (health, energy, transport, communication, environment, etc.) and to ensure that the services economy can develop to its full potential.

Development of European industry needs European policies which promote competitive and secure access to energy sources, raw materials and skilled labour.

The EU also has an essential role to play in encouraging R&D and innovation, which represent critical factors for competitiveness.

More broadly, stimulating industrial development is a multi-faceted task which calls for a strategic vision, an integrated policy approach and the attention of all public policy-makers. In 2009 the Council of Ministers asked the Commission to develop EU industrial policy along these lines.

For BUSINESSEUROPE, the European industrial policy should: deepen horizontal policies with great importance for industry like the internal market; integrate objectives / regulatory approaches in the areas of competitiveness, energy, climate and environment; implement these horizontal policies and these policy approaches looking at the specific context of major industrial sectors. Read more

EU action should focus on 5 priorities: increase public and private investments in R&D and innovation; enhance the efficiency of public support policies; nurture future talent; stimulate demand and markets for innovation; integrate better the EU policies influencing innovation. Read more

European energy policy should be targeted at the following objectives: access to diversified energy sources, that reflect the need to reduce carbon intensity dynamic competition within and between energy sectors address the environmental impact of energy through policies reflecting a sustainable development vision Read more