Competitiveness Council, 29 February 2016

A meeting of the Competitiveness Council took place on 29 February 2016. The agenda included the following topics:

+ Policy debate on the single market strategy for services and goods;

+ Discussion regarding the situation of the global competitiveness of European industry, with a focus on energy-intensive industries and namely the steel industry;

+ Ministers carried out a 'competitiveness check-up' of the real economy with a particular focus on how best to help SMEs scale up and create jobs;

+ Exchange of views on the implementation of country-specific recommendations within the framework of the European Semester;

+ Discussion on the circular economy package.

ESO: Background information: Competitiveness Council, 30 November 2015 http://www.europeansources.info/record/competitiveness-council-30-november-2015/

EurActiv, 02.03.16: Anglo-Dutch alliance resists pressure to impose higher tariffs on China http://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-china-trade/news/anglo-dutch-alliance-resists-pressure-to-impose-higher-tariffs-on-china/

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