Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 24 May 2024

Main results

Internal market and industry

'A' items

Ministers adopted two legislative files: 

• the corporate sustainability due diligence directive

• Corporate sustainability due diligence: Council gives its final approval (press release, 24 May 2024)
• Corporate sustainability (background information)
• Watch the public session

• amendment to the regulation on the Schengen Borders Code

• Schengen area: Council adopts update of Schengen Borders Code (press release, 24 May 2024)
• The Schengen area explained (background information)
• Watch the public session

The Council also adopted without discussion the items on the list of non-legislative A items.

The future of EU industrial policy

Ministers approved Council conclusions on “A competitive European industry driving our green, digital and resilient future”. The conclusions analyse the situation of the EU's industrial sector, explore ways to improve innovation, access to finance and the business environment for companies, and propose the main principles underlying a future EU industrial policy. 

The Union's ambitious goals for digital leadership and climate neutrality offer important opportunities to build industrial leadership and create high-quality jobs. With the start of the next mandate of the European Commission ahead of us, now is the time to reflect on the future, lay the building blocks for a European industrial policy and to provide guidance on the way forward towards a new European competitiveness deal.

Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister for Economy, Innovation, Work, Social Economy and Agriculture

• Council adopts conclusions on the future of industrial policy (press release, 24 May 2024)
• Council conclusions on “A competitive European industry driving our green, digital and resilient future”
• EU industrial policy (background information)

Future of the internal market

The Council approved conclusions on the future of the internal market, based on the momentum given by the high-level report presented by Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Prime Minister of Italy, at the special European Council on 18 April. The conclusions call for a holistic new strategy for the single market with a focus on the regulatory framework, enhancing its potential benefits, particularly towards achieving a fair green and digital transition, more integrated services, qualitative jobs and resilient supply chains. 

The internal market is one of the main achievements of the European Union. It has provided benefits to our social welfare and reinforced our economic global position. But we should not be complacent: the single market is still fragmented, all people don't benefit equally from it, and big players are imposing their own rules. The conclusions adopted today draw a roadmap to strengthen our single market and prepare it for the incoming global challenges.

Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy and Employment

• Council adopts conclusions on the future of the single market (press release, 24 May 2024)
• ‘Much more than a market’, report by Enrico Letta
• Special European Council, 17-18 April 2024
• EU single market (background information)

EU public procurement contracts

Ministers also approved Council conclusions on the European Court of Auditors’ special report: “Public procurement in the EU: Less competition for contracts awarded for works, goods, and services in the 10 years up to 2021.” The conclusions, entitled 'Improving fair and effective competition for EU public procurement contracts awarded for works, goods and services', reflect the response of competitiveness ministers to that report and propose the launch of an EU-wide strategic action plan for public procurement as one of the priorities for the Commission's next mandate.

Public procurement is one of the main drivers of economic growth and employment and can be a powerful tool to reach our strategic objectives. However, we need to be sure to get the highest value for every euro spent on public purchases, making sure that rules are clear, information is easily available, and that there is real competition among all participants.

Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy and Employment

• Council adopts conclusions on the Court of Auditors' report on public procurement (press release, 24 May 2024)
• Report of the Cour of Auditors on EU public procurement

Other business

The Belgian presidency briefed ministers on the state of play of the legislative files it has been working on. These include the regulation on toy safety, the regulation on late payments, the regulation on compulsory licensing and the package of measures to reduce administrative burden by 25%.

• Commission proposal for a regulation on the safety of toys
• Commission proposal for a regulation on combating late payment in commercial transactions
• Commission proposal on compulsory licensing for crisis management
• Commission communication on long-term competitiveness

Ministers were also informed about the following issues:

• Commission communication on biotechnology

• Commission communication on “Building the future with nature: boosting biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU”

• ministerial declaration of the D9+ ministerial meeting

• Ministerial declaration of the D9+ ministerial meeting

• a European sustainable carbon policy package for the chemical industry

• Information note from the French, Dutch, Irish and Czech delegations, supported by the Spanish delegation, on a sustainable carbon policy for the chemical industry

• the need to reflect on options to finance industrial policy at EU level: ‘Reinforcing European industry to boost competitiveness’ 

• Information note from the Spanish, Portuguese and Greek delegations on the need to reflect on options to finance industrial policy at EU level: “Reinforcing European Industry to boost competitiveness”

• declaration of the posting of workers

• Information note from the German, Czech and Lithuanian delegations on further activities regarding the common form for the declaration of the posting of workers (eDeclaration)

• regulation and harmonisation of pyrotechnic articles

• Information note from the delegations of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on the Regulation and Harmonisation of Pyrotechnic Articles in the Single Market

• US customs measures
• EU Competition Day

• European Competition Day on the website of the Belgian Presidency

• the incoming Hungarian presidency presented its work programme in the field of the internal market and industry