La Commission veut des champions de l’industrie

Infographie : F. Descheemaekere

[Euractiv]

Dans un document sur la future politique industrielle qui devrait être publié le mois prochain,  la Commission européenne a adopté une nouvelle approche en mettant l’accent sur les secteurs. L’objectif est d’éviter les pièges des approches précédentes et de créer des champions supranationaux.

Industrial policy has historically been defined by levels of state intervention: at one extreme stands the proactive, interventionist state; on the other minimal influence, with a view to preserving the principles of competition and free trade. This divide is often characterised by France, on the one hand, with its historical preference for picking sectoral winners, or national champions – such as automobile manufacturer Renault and energy giant EDF. On the other side of the ideological divide stands the UK with its laissez-faire tradition. The European Commission, for its part, has tended to side with the British and has long been the defender of open markets and free competition. This may now be changing.
An upcoming communication to be published on 10 October by Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani – seen by EurActiv – earmarks six immediate priority areas including electric cars and 3-D printing, and makes clear that this is the start of a new series of focuses on specific industrial sectors.

Lire : euractiv.com