‘Get more competitive’ Liikanen urges EU ministers

By Peter Chapman

Date: 20/11/03

THE European Commission has unveiled a blueprint designed to ensure the EU's year-old "Competitiveness Council" lives up to its name.

The move follows a volley of criticism from industry groups that ministers taking part in the meetings do more to hold back legislation that could boost the chances of European industry, than they do to nurture competitiveness.

Erkki Liikanen, the commissioner for enterprise and information society, said: "The new Competitiveness Council is a useful forum to provide sound coordination of policies that have an impact on our industry's competitiveness. Europe must become more competitive and we must place this issue at the top of the political agenda in the EU.

"I believe that it is important that competitiveness of industry is highlighted in our decision-making."

The Finnish commissioner stressed that reforms should include speedy adoption of pending legislative proposals, such as the proposal for a Community patent, and the reform of EU pharmaceuticals legislation. A competitiveness impact assessment should also be in place throughout the decision-making process.

The Council of Ministers should also ensure that the voice of the Competitiveness Council is heard in other Council bodies on all matters affecting competitiveness.

Liikanen said the Commission will do its part, by pressing ahead with a number of actions to help boost competitiveness.

These include "mobilizing its legal and financial instruments to support competitiveness and assessing the impact of its proposals on competitiveness".