Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 26 September 2024

Main results

The future of European competitiveness

Ministers held a discussion on the future of European competitiveness, based on a note prepared by the presidency. Ministers gave an overall assessment of the report by Mario Draghi entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’, and discussed what elements of this report should be reflected in the New European Competitiveness Deal.

• European Council conclusions 17-18 April 2024
• Council conclusions on the future of industrial policy (24 May 2024)
• A single market for the benefit of all (Council conclusions, 24 May 2024)
• Strategic agenda 2024-2029
• EU industrial policy (background information)
• Enrico Letta report - Much more than a market
• Mario Draghi report: The future of European competitiveness
• Priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU
• The Antwerp declaration

The state aid framework

The second exchange of views of Ministers focussed on the state aid framework and its contribution to EU policy objectives, based on a background paper prepared by the Hungarian presidency.

Ministers expressed their views on the proposals about state aid that were included in the reports by former Italian prime ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi on the internal market and competitiveness respectively. They also reflected on whether it would be worthwhile shifting from the temporary framework rules on state aid to pre-crisis state aid rules.

Finally, ministers explained how, in their view, the level of public funding contributing to EU competitiveness could be increased.

• Report on competition policy in 2023
• EU single market (background information)

SMEs and the benefits of the single market

During working lunch, ministers held an exchange of views on SMEs reaping the benefits of the single market. 

The discussion focused on the measures that must most urgently be taken in the European Union to improve access to the internal market for SMEs, including cross-border cooperation, and whether the definition of SMEs and small mid-caps should be adapted to the needs of the economic environment of the 21st Century.

• Enrico Letta report - Much more than a market
• Mario Draghi report – The future of European competitiveness
• Council adopts conclusions on the future of the single market, 24 May 2024
• EU single market (background information)
• Support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Other business

Under any other business, ministers were informed of three issues:

• e-commerce (at the request of the German delegation)
• priorities for the internal market (at the request of the Czech and Luxembourgish delegations)
• information point on the automotive conference organized by the presidency the day before.

Ministers also approved legislative and non-legislative A items, including the Internal Market Emergency and Resilience Act (IMERA) and accompanying measures (IMERA omnibus), as well as the Single European Sky 2+.

• Crisis preparedness: Council adopts the internal market emergency and resilience act (press release, 26 September 2024)
• Single sky reform: Council adopts first reading position to improve efficiency of air space management in the EU (press release, 26 September 2024)
• Internal market emergency and resilience act (background information)