Competitiveness

A future growth strategy

The economic recovery plan will continue to be implemented during the Presidency. The recovery plan is aimed at boosting demand and facilitating smart investment. Together with a transition of the business sector to sustainability the recovery plan has the potential to create jobs in new growth industries while contributing to the EU’s achievement of the climate objectives.  

The Presidency will contribute to the next Lisbon strategy for 2010-2020, with the external dimension as an important factor. The economy needs the stable long-term perspective that the Lisbon strategy and clear global trade regulations provide. Another important question in the future growth strategy is to contribute political leadership to achieve a transition to an eco-efficient economy. Competitiveness ministers have a key role in close cooperation with energy and environment ministers. 

Improvement of the corporate climate

One main task is to ease companies' everyday environment, thereby guaranteeing a long-term and competitive business sector. Better legislation and fewer rules, not least in the areas of business and accounting, better access to funding for small and medium sized enterprises, as well as promotion of their participation in public procurement, making it easier for women to start and run businesses, promoting innovation and using the potential of the transition to an environmentally efficient economy will be important both for the EU to emerge from the current economic situation, and to create long-term growth. By easing the extraction of Europe's own raw materials and improving environmental criteria in public procurement we will contribute to increased growth.

Consumer affairs

In autumn 2008, the European Commission presented a proposal for a directive on consumer rights as part of efforts to review the EU consumer acquis. The Commission proposes a high level of consumer protection by means of full harmonisation in those areas of consumer contract law that are relevant to the internal market.

The Commission also presented a proposal regarding a regulation with rules concerning textile names and labelling of textile products, and rules concerning the quantitative analysis of binary and ternary textile fibre mixtures.

In 2009, the Commission will also conduct negotiations with the USA on a cooperation agreement regarding cross-border infringements in the area of consumer affairs.

• Consumer affairs

EU internal market

Dealing with the economic crisis will continue to be an important task in the second half of 2009. A well-functioning internal market will strengthen the European economy, particularly in view of the economic crisis, but it must be developed and streamlined even further.
 
This is a matter of focusing on practical measures, aimed at getting the internal market to work more smoothly. Forward-looking efforts are also required to ensure that the internal market continues to be as important in the future as it has been up to now.

• The EU internal market