Europe’s Industrial Ambition

Cradle of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, industrial Europe has gradually been caught up and then taken over by other geographic areas - yesterday it was North America, tomorrow it will be Asia. Is this an inevitable development? Should we fear it, resign ourselves to it or fight it? What should we do so that Europe's industrial ambition comes to full fruition? In the light of past major successes the recipe seems to be quite simple: we have to choose the appropriate industrial sectors; we have to stop comparing competitiveness and industrial policy in the ilk of the USA; we have to strengthen national industrial policy coordination and put an end to protectionist behaviour on the part of the Member States; develop coordination work between the Commission and the States with major programmes and by introducing poles of technological and industrial excellence that bring together public authorities, industrial players, research centres, as well as the universities; we must step up the supervision of standards, industrial property rights, the supervision of key technologies; finally we need to develop an intelligent, coordinated, reciprocal policy in extra-European international trade. Hence in an extremely pragmatic manner and in the way Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman would have done, Europe's industrial ambition will be accomplished thanks to specific structuring action.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background Information: Press Release: Industrial revolution brings industry back to Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-industrial-revolution-brings-industry-back-to-europe/

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