Competitiveness Council

National Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis presented six proposals for boosting the European Union's competitiveness during an informal ECOFIN Council of Ministers on the topic held in Ghent last week.

"We must adopt the Draghi dogma and do everything that is necessary to boost the European economy's competitiveness," Hatzidakis said during the meeting.

Greek Minister of Development Kostas Skrekas emphasized the necessity for the European Union to embrace a unified industrial strategy geared toward ensuring autonomy, advancing green and digital transitions in alignment with significant global challenges, and upholding indisputable European values during his address at European Union Informal Competitiveness Council on Friday.

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to back a revamp of the single market, simplified regulations and other steps to ensure the bloc can compete with the United States and China as an industrial leader in green and digital technologies.

We must have a fleet of European companies, because they will be at the forefront of the transition to a neutral economy from the standpoint of climate impact, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elzbieta Bieńkowska said on Friday. Today's discussion was very interesting.

The contribution of entrepreneurship, SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups to EU's competitiveness will be among the topics to be discussed at an informal meeting of the ministers responsible for Competitiveness (COMPET) - Internal Market and Industry section, Romania's Economy Minister Niculae Badalau said on Friday.

Minister of Research and Innovation Nicolae Hurduc at the meeting of the European Union Council COMPET - Research - Innovation, which he presided in Brussels on Tuesday, pointed out that Innovation and Research are the first of the four pillars of the programme of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, namely the "Europe of Convergence" pillar.

AGERPRES special correspondent Loredana Ciobanu reports: The Competitiveness Council (COMPET) adopted on Monday, in the first meeting of the Romanian mandate at the EU Council Presidency, the conclusions regarding the coordination plan on the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) "Made in Europe."

AGERPRES special correspondent Loredana Ciobanu reports: The Competitiveness Council, which is taking place on Monday in Brussels will tackle aspects related to the single market, in view of finding solutions for its development, Economy Minister Niculae Badalau said.

The informal meeting of the ministers responsible for competitiveness in sections "Industry" and "Research" will be held on 1 and 2 February 2018. The meeting for the "Industry" section will be presided over by the Minister of Economy, Emil Karanikolov, and the "Research" section - by the Minister of Education and Science, Krasimir Valchev.   

 „Industry" section - 1 February 2018

Environment Minister Ivelina Vasileva expressed Bulgaria's concerns over the overly ambitious and unrealistic emission reduction commitments of the EU after 2030 at a meeting of the Environment Council in Luxembourg.