EU Industrial Policy How It Is Developing And How To Contribute

The EU is increasingly concerned about its declining industrial competitiveness and threats to economic security. The Draghi and Letta reports stressed the seriousness of the challenges and implementation of their recommendations was made a cornerstone of the Commission’s mission statements and is regularly referred to in subsequent work programmes.

According to the EU Treaty industrial policy is the responsibility of the EU Member States. Article 6, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) lists industrial policy as an area where the Union may only “support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States” in the same way as for health and education, for example. Article 173 TFEU instructs the Member States to coordinate their industrial policy “in liaison with the Commission” and requires the Union to contribute to the achievement of such objectives through the policies and activities it pursues under other provisions of the Treaties.