Industrial policy for an enlarged Europe: fostering structural change

 The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by Dominique VLASTO (EPP-ED, FR) in response to the Commission paper.

The committee said that creating new jobs must be an industrial policy objective. It was vital to push industry's attractiveness amongst young people. Another objective should be to devise an industrial policy that will enable European 'industrial champions' to emerge.

MEPs called on the Commission to draw up an industrial inventory to make up for the lack of data available in the new Member States. They also demanded statistical and economic studies and analyses about SMEs in all EU countries, particularly those engaged in craft trades. The Commission and Council were urged to develop a Community strategy agreed with the organisations representing enterprises to encourage ownership succession for existing viable enterprises. In general, the committee stressed the importance of measures to reduce the administrative burden on SMEs.

Though supporting the aim of reducing the global volume of aid to enterprises, the report called on the Commission to maintain within the Structural Funds all aid instruments for the economic conversion of regions affected by industrial relocation. Mutual guarantee schemes could provide enterprises with easier access to financial instruments. MEPs also called for the development of innovative financing arrangements in order to respond to the new tangible investment needs of enterprises, including small and micro-enterprises, particularly in the areas of standards, technologies, the environment and market development.