BETA


1995/0081(CNS) Industry and international industrial competitiveness: Community action programme

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ECON KUCKELKORN Wilfried (icon: PES PES)
Committee Opinion BUDG TAPPIN Michael (icon: PES PES)
Committee Opinion ENER PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly (icon: ELDR ELDR)
Committee Opinion CONT
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
EC before Amsterdam E 130-p3

Events

1996/07/06
   Final act published in Official Journal
1996/06/25
   EP/CSL - Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
Details

The Council adopted the Decision on the implementation of the programme.

1996/06/25
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
1996/06/25
   CSL - Council Meeting
1996/02/22
   EC - Modified legislative proposal
1996/02/21
   EC - Modified legislative proposal published
1995/11/22
   ESC - Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report
Details

The ESC supported the central idea of the Commission’s industrial policy, which was to set clear and predictable conditions for the optimum allocation of resources via the market, accelerating the process of structural adaptation and boosting the competitiveness of European firms. The public authorities should play the role of catalyst and pathbreaker for innovation, and firms could expect them to provide not only clear and predictable conditions but also the right prospects for their activities. The main responsibility for industrial competitiveness lay, however, with firms themselves. The ESC felt that Article 130 of the EC Treaty provided a coherent legal basis for a horizontal Community industrial competitiveness policy. With regard to the competitiveness of European industry, the ESC supported the strategic line of the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment, which identified a technology-intensive, highly productive and profitable industry as the backbone of a European economic development model. The Community’s priorities for industrial policy action In its Opinion, the ESC concentrated on the Commission’s industrial policy action programme of March 1995. It felt, however, that the priorities were broken down into too many individual measures and that existing EU policy areas had been dispersed. Finally, it was also unclear how the roles were to be allocated between firms and the State and between the Community and its Member States. There was a lack of clarity over the allocation of objectives and measures if the industrial policy communication was compared with the action programme (COM(95)87). The ESC supported the (two-year?) priorities for action put forward in the Commission’s action programme: development of the internal market, greater consideration of industry’s needs in research policy, establishment of the information society and promotion of industrial cooperation. It was surprising, however, that other, no less important priorities were mentioned only in passing or were indeed entirely omitted. The Commission had submitted an action programme with objectives and programmed measures and an indicative timetable for the implementation of the industrial competitiveness policy. As in its industrial policy communication of September 1994, the Commission set out four priorities for action, reflecting the need for technological change and guiding the future approach to industrial policy. Promotion of intangible investment: vocational training, modernisation of the forms of labour organisation, development of environmentally-friendly technologies. Promotion of industrial cooperation: the ESC unreservedly shared the Commission’s view that there were still no suitable legal instruments for cross-border organisation and cooperation for EU firms. It was now time to offer firms European legal vehicles. The European Company proposals were particularly relevant here. The ESC supported the initiatives listed concerning closer cooperation with the associated Central European states and the independent republics of the former Soviet Union. Guarantee of fair competition: the Commission’s intention of seeking multilateral competition rules and effective control mechanisms aimed at achieving greater openness of foreign markets deserved support. The Committee feared, however, that plans such as competition rules with binding arbitration procedures were at that stage unrealistic. The Commission should, as a first step, improve cooperation between the existing competition authorities of the main trading partners in order to achieve convergence of administrative practice. With regard to the internal market, the ESC regretted that in the field of competition policy the Commission had concentrated purely on subsidies. With the exception of merger control, the Community’s procedures in matters of competition dated from the early 1960s and had been designed for six Member States. The ESC unreservedly welcomed the Commission’s announcement that it would reconsider its policy on monitoring national subsidies. Modernisation of the role of the public authorities: the ESC welcomed the Commission’s initiative to redefine the responsibilities of the public authorities. This would include the further, targeted development of the instruments with which the State carried out its many policy tasks. For the Commission, the continuation of the process of deregulation was an integral part of its action programme. The ESC considered that too many unduly complicated provisions, guided too seldom by economic criteria, risked weakening the market’s self-regulatory forces and threatening the necessary flexibility, especially in the small/medium business sector. At the same time the ESC stressed that the flexibility that firms needed to have should not jeopardise workers’ social protection. In relation to the report on legislative and administrative simplification submitted by an independent group of experts, the ESC supported the proposal that all new draft laws should indicate the expected positive or negative impact on employment and competitiveness, costs and innovation. The Commission intended to support and accelerate industrial change with the help of structural policy financial instruments, in particular by making improvements to the new programmes for Community initiatives, promoting partnerships between large firms and SMEs, and establishing networks and clusters. The ESC appreciated these plans but pointed out that official influence going beyond this catalytic function would be out of place. It felt that further expansion of the objectives of the Structural Funds should not be allowed to place an excessive burden on the system. The Commission should therefore constantly review its list of measures qualifying for support (timely evaluation) and set more priorities. The ESC also felt that the individual Funds should be more closely coordinated than in the past. Timetable for the action programme The ESC regretted that the Commission’s timetable for its numerous initiatives was incomplete. Above all, in relation to certain important actions to strengthen industrial competitiveness, there appeared to be no plan as to the steps to be taken or the timetable. The ESC hoped that the report on the progress of the industrial policy measures, and possible adjustments to the action programme, which the Council asked be drawn up for 1996, would be used by the Commission to fill the gaps in the programme. Coordination of industrial policy activities The ESC shared the Commission’s concern that the public decision-making centres shaping industrial activity were growing in number and exercising their powers without any real overview or constant coordination and reminded the Commission that Article 130(2) of the EC Treaty stipulated that the Member States should consult each other in liaison with the Commission and, where necessary, should coordinate their action (on industrial policy). The ESC felt that there was an urgent need for harmonisation and coordination of national industrial policies with each other and with corresponding Community initiatives. As a result, the Council should adopt the Commission’s proposal for a decision on the implementation of a Community action programme to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry. The Commission and Member States should implement these priorities for action without delay.

1995/11/15
   CofR - Committee of the Regions: opinion
Details

The Committee of the Regions noted the Commission’s views and put forward specific comments on the suggestions made in the communication. It stated that when implementing the actions account should be taken of the needs of the local and regional authorities within the Member States. In this context, the strengthening of human resources was of great importance to industrial competitiveness and should therefore play a greater part in overall European industrial policy. The Committee called for an industrial policy angled more towards sustainability, sustainable management and consideration of environmental issues. The harmonisation of national legislation and the application of the principle of mutual recognition were important instruments for the realisation of the internal market, bearing in mind however that a high level of protection should be ensured in areas of public interest such as health and consumer protection and environmental protection. The Committee considered that efforts in the research and technological training area should be steadily increased not only in the EU, the Member States and in industry, but also at regional level, in order to enable firms to adapt quickly to new technologies and markets and to permit the application of appropriate strategies. It recommended therefore that a suitable campaign to promote communications technologies for SMEs be launched within the framework of the action programme. As regards the action programme, the Committee held fast to the basic condition that the action programme should be carried out with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity, should strengthen human resources and should promotion sustainable industrial production.

1995/11/07
   CSL - Council Meeting
1995/10/27
   EP - Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
1995/10/27
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Documents
1995/10/26
   EP - Debate in Parliament
1995/10/17
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
1995/10/17
   EP - Vote in committee
1995/10/16
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
1995/09/22
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
1995/06/01
   EP - TAPPIN Michael (PES) appointed as rapporteur in BUDG
1995/05/31
   EP - KUCKELKORN Wilfried (PES) appointed as rapporteur in ECON
1995/04/25
   EP - PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly (ELDR) appointed as rapporteur in ENER
1995/03/30
   EC - Legislative proposal
1995/03/29
   EC - Legislative proposal published

Documents

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/0
date
1995-03-30T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/0
date
1995-10-09T00:00:00
docs
title: PE214.044
type
Committee draft report
body
EP
docs/1
date
1995-10-17T00:00:00
docs
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs/1
date
1995-10-17T00:00:00
docs
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs/2
date
1995-10-27T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs/2
date
1995-10-23T00:00:00
docs
title: PE212.858/DEF
committee
EMPL
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
docs/2/docs/0/url
Old
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1995:308:TOC
New
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:1995:308:SOM:EN:HTML
docs/3
date
1995-10-23T00:00:00
docs
title: PE214.078/DEF
committee
BUDG
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
docs/4
date
1995-10-23T00:00:00
docs
title: PE214.359/DEF
committee
ENER
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
docs/5
date
1995-10-27T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs/5
date
1996-02-22T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Modified legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/5/docs/1/url
Old
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:1996:136:SOM:EN:HTML
New
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1996:136:TOC
docs/8
date
1996-02-22T00:00:00
docs
summary
type
Modified legislative proposal
body
EC
docs/9
date
1997-02-03T00:00:00
docs
title: PE214.044/AM
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
events/0/date
Old
1995-03-30T00:00:00
New
1995-03-29T00:00:00
events/3
date
1995-10-16T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-4-1995-0248_EN.html title: A4-0248/1995
events/3
date
1995-10-17T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
title: A4-0248/1995
events/6/date
Old
1996-02-22T00:00:00
New
1996-02-21T00:00:00
docs/6/docs/0/url
Old
https://dm.cor.europa.eu/CORDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:0377)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN)
New
https://dmsearch.cor.europa.eu/search/public?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:0377)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN)
docs/7/docs/0/url
Old
https://dm.eesc.europa.eu/EESCDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:1296)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN)
New
https://dmsearch.eesc.europa.eu/search/public?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:1296)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN)
events/1/type
Old
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
New
Committee referral announced in Parliament
events/2/type
Old
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
New
Vote in committee
events/4/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=19951026&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/EN&reference=19951026&type=CRE
events/5/type
Old
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
New
Decision by Parliament
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy
committee
ECON
rapporteur
name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy
committee
ECON
date
1995-05-31T00:00:00
rapporteur
name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
committees/1
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Budgets
committee
BUDG
rapporteur
name: TAPPIN Michael date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
committees/1
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Budgets
committee
BUDG
date
1995-06-01T00:00:00
rapporteur
name: TAPPIN Michael group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Research, Technological Development and Energy
committee
ENER
rapporteur
name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 group: European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party abbr: ELDR
committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Research, Technological Development and Energy
committee
ENER
date
1995-04-25T00:00:00
rapporteur
name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly group: European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party abbr: ELDR
committees/3/date
    activities
    • date: 1995-03-30T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1995&nu_doc=87 title: COM(1995)0087 type: Legislative proposal published celexid: CELEX:51995PC0087:EN body: EC commission: type: Legislative proposal published
    • date: 1995-09-22T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: BUDG date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Budgets rapporteur: group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Budgetary Control committee: CONT body: EP responsible: True committee: ECON date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 committee_full: Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried body: EP responsible: False committee: ENER date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 committee_full: ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy rapporteur: group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly
    • body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: BUDG date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Budgets rapporteur: group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Budgetary Control committee: CONT body: EP responsible: True committee: ECON date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 committee_full: Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried body: EP responsible: False committee: ENER date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 committee_full: ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy rapporteur: group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly docs: type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A4-0248/1995 date: 1995-10-17T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
    • date: 1995-10-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=19951026&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 1995-10-27T00:00:00 docs: type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T4-0526/1995 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
    • date: 1995-11-07T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Industry meeting_id: 1880
    • date: 1996-02-22T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1996&nu_doc=31 title: COM(1996)0031 type: Modified legislative proposal published celexid: CELEX:51996PC0031:EN body: EC commission: type: Modified legislative proposal published
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Agriculture and Fisheries meeting_id: 1940
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP type: End of procedure in Parliament
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP/CSL type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
    • date: 1996-07-06T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31996D0413 title: Decision 1996/413 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:1996:167:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ L 167 06.07.1996, p. 0055
    committees/0
    type
    Responsible Committee
    body
    EP
    associated
    False
    committee_full
    Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy
    committee
    ECON
    date
    1995-05-31T00:00:00
    rapporteur
    name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
    committees/0
    body
    EP
    responsible
    False
    committee
    BUDG
    date
    1995-06-01T00:00:00
    committee_full
    Budgets
    rapporteur
    group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael
    committees/1
    type
    Committee Opinion
    body
    EP
    associated
    False
    committee_full
    Budgets
    committee
    BUDG
    date
    1995-06-01T00:00:00
    rapporteur
    name: TAPPIN Michael group: Party of European Socialists abbr: PES
    committees/1
    body
    EP
    responsible
    False
    committee_full
    Budgetary Control
    committee
    CONT
    committees/2
    type
    Committee Opinion
    body
    EP
    associated
    False
    committee_full
    Research, Technological Development and Energy
    committee
    ENER
    date
    1995-04-25T00:00:00
    rapporteur
    name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly group: European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party abbr: ELDR
    committees/2
    body
    EP
    responsible
    True
    committee
    ECON
    date
    1995-05-31T00:00:00
    committee_full
    Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy
    rapporteur
    group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried
    committees/3
    type
    Committee Opinion
    body
    EP
    associated
    False
    committee_full
    Budgetary Control
    committee
    CONT
    date
    committees/3
    body
    EP
    responsible
    False
    committee
    ENER
    date
    1995-04-25T00:00:00
    committee_full
    ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy
    rapporteur
    group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly
    council
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Agriculture and Fisheries meeting_id: 1940 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=1940*&MEET_DATE=25/06/1996 date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Industry meeting_id: 1880 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=1880*&MEET_DATE=07/11/1995 date: 1995-11-07T00:00:00
    docs
    • date: 1995-10-09T00:00:00 docs: title: PE214.044 type: Committee draft report body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-17T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1995:308:TOC title: OJ C 308 20.11.1995, p. 0004 title: A4-0248/1995 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-23T00:00:00 docs: title: PE212.858/DEF committee: EMPL type: Committee opinion body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-23T00:00:00 docs: title: PE214.078/DEF committee: BUDG type: Committee opinion body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-23T00:00:00 docs: title: PE214.359/DEF committee: ENER type: Committee opinion body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-27T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1995:308:TOC title: OJ C 308 20.11.1995, p. 0467-0470 title: T4-0526/1995 summary: type: Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
    • date: 1995-11-15T00:00:00 docs: url: https://dm.cor.europa.eu/CORDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:0377)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN) title: CDR0377/1995 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1996:126:TOC title: OJ C 126 29.04.1996, p. 0028 summary: The Committee of the Regions noted the Commission’s views and put forward specific comments on the suggestions made in the communication. It stated that when implementing the actions account should be taken of the needs of the local and regional authorities within the Member States. In this context, the strengthening of human resources was of great importance to industrial competitiveness and should therefore play a greater part in overall European industrial policy. The Committee called for an industrial policy angled more towards sustainability, sustainable management and consideration of environmental issues. The harmonisation of national legislation and the application of the principle of mutual recognition were important instruments for the realisation of the internal market, bearing in mind however that a high level of protection should be ensured in areas of public interest such as health and consumer protection and environmental protection. The Committee considered that efforts in the research and technological training area should be steadily increased not only in the EU, the Member States and in industry, but also at regional level, in order to enable firms to adapt quickly to new technologies and markets and to permit the application of appropriate strategies. It recommended therefore that a suitable campaign to promote communications technologies for SMEs be launched within the framework of the action programme. As regards the action programme, the Committee held fast to the basic condition that the action programme should be carried out with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity, should strengthen human resources and should promotion sustainable industrial production. type: Committee of the Regions: opinion body: CofR
    • date: 1995-11-22T00:00:00 docs: url: https://dm.eesc.europa.eu/EESCDocumentSearch/Pages/redresults.aspx?k=(documenttype:AC)(documentnumber:1296)(documentyear:1995)(documentlanguage:EN) title: CES1296/1995 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:1996:039:TOC title: OJ C 039 12.02.1996, p. 0001 summary: The ESC supported the central idea of the Commission’s industrial policy, which was to set clear and predictable conditions for the optimum allocation of resources via the market, accelerating the process of structural adaptation and boosting the competitiveness of European firms. The public authorities should play the role of catalyst and pathbreaker for innovation, and firms could expect them to provide not only clear and predictable conditions but also the right prospects for their activities. The main responsibility for industrial competitiveness lay, however, with firms themselves. The ESC felt that Article 130 of the EC Treaty provided a coherent legal basis for a horizontal Community industrial competitiveness policy. With regard to the competitiveness of European industry, the ESC supported the strategic line of the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment, which identified a technology-intensive, highly productive and profitable industry as the backbone of a European economic development model. The Community’s priorities for industrial policy action In its Opinion, the ESC concentrated on the Commission’s industrial policy action programme of March 1995. It felt, however, that the priorities were broken down into too many individual measures and that existing EU policy areas had been dispersed. Finally, it was also unclear how the roles were to be allocated between firms and the State and between the Community and its Member States. There was a lack of clarity over the allocation of objectives and measures if the industrial policy communication was compared with the action programme (COM(95)87). The ESC supported the (two-year?) priorities for action put forward in the Commission’s action programme: development of the internal market, greater consideration of industry’s needs in research policy, establishment of the information society and promotion of industrial cooperation. It was surprising, however, that other, no less important priorities were mentioned only in passing or were indeed entirely omitted. The Commission had submitted an action programme with objectives and programmed measures and an indicative timetable for the implementation of the industrial competitiveness policy. As in its industrial policy communication of September 1994, the Commission set out four priorities for action, reflecting the need for technological change and guiding the future approach to industrial policy. Promotion of intangible investment: vocational training, modernisation of the forms of labour organisation, development of environmentally-friendly technologies. Promotion of industrial cooperation: the ESC unreservedly shared the Commission’s view that there were still no suitable legal instruments for cross-border organisation and cooperation for EU firms. It was now time to offer firms European legal vehicles. The European Company proposals were particularly relevant here. The ESC supported the initiatives listed concerning closer cooperation with the associated Central European states and the independent republics of the former Soviet Union. Guarantee of fair competition: the Commission’s intention of seeking multilateral competition rules and effective control mechanisms aimed at achieving greater openness of foreign markets deserved support. The Committee feared, however, that plans such as competition rules with binding arbitration procedures were at that stage unrealistic. The Commission should, as a first step, improve cooperation between the existing competition authorities of the main trading partners in order to achieve convergence of administrative practice. With regard to the internal market, the ESC regretted that in the field of competition policy the Commission had concentrated purely on subsidies. With the exception of merger control, the Community’s procedures in matters of competition dated from the early 1960s and had been designed for six Member States. The ESC unreservedly welcomed the Commission’s announcement that it would reconsider its policy on monitoring national subsidies. Modernisation of the role of the public authorities: the ESC welcomed the Commission’s initiative to redefine the responsibilities of the public authorities. This would include the further, targeted development of the instruments with which the State carried out its many policy tasks. For the Commission, the continuation of the process of deregulation was an integral part of its action programme. The ESC considered that too many unduly complicated provisions, guided too seldom by economic criteria, risked weakening the market’s self-regulatory forces and threatening the necessary flexibility, especially in the small/medium business sector. At the same time the ESC stressed that the flexibility that firms needed to have should not jeopardise workers’ social protection. In relation to the report on legislative and administrative simplification submitted by an independent group of experts, the ESC supported the proposal that all new draft laws should indicate the expected positive or negative impact on employment and competitiveness, costs and innovation. The Commission intended to support and accelerate industrial change with the help of structural policy financial instruments, in particular by making improvements to the new programmes for Community initiatives, promoting partnerships between large firms and SMEs, and establishing networks and clusters. The ESC appreciated these plans but pointed out that official influence going beyond this catalytic function would be out of place. It felt that further expansion of the objectives of the Structural Funds should not be allowed to place an excessive burden on the system. The Commission should therefore constantly review its list of measures qualifying for support (timely evaluation) and set more priorities. The ESC also felt that the individual Funds should be more closely coordinated than in the past. Timetable for the action programme The ESC regretted that the Commission’s timetable for its numerous initiatives was incomplete. Above all, in relation to certain important actions to strengthen industrial competitiveness, there appeared to be no plan as to the steps to be taken or the timetable. The ESC hoped that the report on the progress of the industrial policy measures, and possible adjustments to the action programme, which the Council asked be drawn up for 1996, would be used by the Commission to fill the gaps in the programme. Coordination of industrial policy activities The ESC shared the Commission’s concern that the public decision-making centres shaping industrial activity were growing in number and exercising their powers without any real overview or constant coordination and reminded the Commission that Article 130(2) of the EC Treaty stipulated that the Member States should consult each other in liaison with the Commission and, where necessary, should coordinate their action (on industrial policy). The ESC felt that there was an urgent need for harmonisation and coordination of national industrial policies with each other and with corresponding Community initiatives. As a result, the Council should adopt the Commission’s proposal for a decision on the implementation of a Community action programme to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry. The Commission and Member States should implement these priorities for action without delay. type: Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report body: ESC
    • date: 1996-02-22T00:00:00 docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1996&nu_doc=31 title: EUR-Lex url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:1996:136:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ C 136 08.05.1996, p. 0012 title: COM(1996)0031 summary: type: Modified legislative proposal body: EC
    • date: 1997-02-03T00:00:00 docs: title: PE214.044/AM type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
    events
    • date: 1995-03-30T00:00:00 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1995&nu_doc=87 title: EUR-Lex title: COM(1995)0087 summary:
    • date: 1995-09-22T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
    • date: 1995-10-17T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP summary:
    • date: 1995-10-17T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: title: A4-0248/1995
    • date: 1995-10-26T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=19951026&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 1995-10-27T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: title: T4-0526/1995 summary:
    • date: 1996-02-22T00:00:00 type: Modified legislative proposal published body: EC docs: url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1996&nu_doc=31 title: EUR-Lex title: COM(1996)0031 summary:
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament body: EP/CSL summary: The Council adopted the Decision on the implementation of the programme.
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    • date: 1996-07-06T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal docs: title: Decision 1996/413 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31996D0413 title: OJ L 167 06.07.1996, p. 0055 url: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:1996:167:SOM:EN:HTML
    other
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Former Council configuration
    procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
    Old
    ECON/4/07113
    New
    • ECON/4/07113
    procedure/final/url
    Old
    http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31996D0413
    New
    https://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31996D0413
    procedure/subject
    Old
    • 3.40.14 Industrial competitiveness
    New
    3.40.14
    Industrial competitiveness
    links/European Commission/title
    Old
    PreLex
    New
    EUR-Lex
    activities
    • date: 1995-03-30T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1995&nu_doc=87 celexid: CELEX:51995PC0087:EN type: Legislative proposal published title: COM(1995)0087 type: Legislative proposal published body: EC commission:
    • date: 1995-09-22T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: BUDG date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Budgets rapporteur: group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Budgetary Control committee: CONT body: EP responsible: True committee: ECON date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 committee_full: Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried body: EP responsible: False committee: ENER date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 committee_full: ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy rapporteur: group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly
    • body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: False committee: BUDG date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Budgets rapporteur: group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Budgetary Control committee: CONT body: EP responsible: True committee: ECON date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 committee_full: Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried body: EP responsible: False committee: ENER date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 committee_full: ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy rapporteur: group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly docs: type: Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading title: A4-0248/1995 date: 1995-10-17T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
    • date: 1995-10-26T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=19951026&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 1995-10-27T00:00:00 docs: type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T4-0526/1995 body: EP type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
    • date: 1995-11-07T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Industry meeting_id: 1880
    • date: 1996-02-22T00:00:00 docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=EN&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=1996&nu_doc=31 celexid: CELEX:51996PC0031:EN type: Modified legislative proposal published title: COM(1996)0031 type: Modified legislative proposal published body: EC commission:
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Agriculture and Fisheries meeting_id: 1940
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP type: End of procedure in Parliament
    • date: 1996-06-25T00:00:00 body: EP/CSL type: Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
    • date: 1996-07-06T00:00:00 type: Final act published in Official Journal docs: url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31996D0413 title: Decision 1996/413 url: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:L:1996:167:SOM:EN:HTML title: OJ L 167 06.07.1996, p. 0055
    committees
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: BUDG date: 1995-06-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Budgets rapporteur: group: PSE name: TAPPIN Michael
    • body: EP responsible: False committee_full: Budgetary Control committee: CONT
    • body: EP responsible: True committee: ECON date: 1995-05-31T00:00:00 committee_full: Economic and Monetary Affairs, Industrial Policy rapporteur: group: PSE name: KUCKELKORN Wilfried
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: ENER date: 1995-04-25T00:00:00 committee_full: ENER Research, Technological Development and Energy rapporteur: group: ELDR name: PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL Elly
    links
    European Commission
    other
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: Former Council configuration
    procedure
    dossier_of_the_committee
    ECON/4/07113
    reference
    1995/0081(CNS)
    instrument
    Decision
    legal_basis
    EC before Amsterdam E 130-p3
    stage_reached
    Procedure completed
    subtype
    Legislation
    title
    Industry and international industrial competitiveness: Community action programme
    type
    CNS - Consultation procedure
    final
    subject
    3.40.14 Industrial competitiveness