Updating the new industrial strategy

Key points

The EESC:

• Welcomes the commitment by the European Commission to retain and grow Europe’s the industrial and manufacturing base and underlines that social partners and civil society organisations have a key role and need to be included in designing the future of European industry;
• Calls for an alignment of the measures envisaged to achieve climate neutrality and the digital transition with the objective of social wellbeing and sustainable growth;
• Stresses that the successful implementation of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) requires close dialogue with worker representatives and trade unions in order to include their know-how and to reduce uncertainties in the conversion as well as possible. They must be flanked with an impact assessment regarding the effects of the decarbonisation processes on value creation, employment and the skills required for decarbonised industrial production and the circular economy;
• Calls for dedicated Key Performance Indicators that measure not only the ecosystem's competitivity, but also horizontal issues, and underlines the need for regular assessments of the chosen indicators and for adapting or changing them over time.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.