An industrial competitiveness policy for the European Union

In adopting the report by Mr Bernard Rapkay (PSE, D), the European Parliament approved the Commission's guidelines on industrial competitiveness, although it considered that several aspects should be given greater consideration: sustainable development, social dialogue, worker participation, making full use of the ability of SMEs, research, vocational training, the information society, the modernisation of the public authorities. The report called on the Member States to conduct an active employment market policy and stressed the importance of promoting sustainable development by encouraging integrated environmental technologies. It recommended a form of competitiveness that was responsible on both a social and an ecological level, an innovative policy in the area of work and production methods and responsibility for the public authorities in terms of creating an appropriate framework for competitiveness.�