Written declaration No. 551 | Doc. 13267 | 02 July 2013

Industrial policy in Europe

Signatories: Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Theodora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr José Manuel BARREIRO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr José María BENEYTO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Tinatin BOKUCHAVA, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr António BRAGA, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Agustín CONDE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Telmo CORREIA, Portugal, EDG ; Mr Paolo CORSINI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Carlos COSTA NEVES, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Ms Ismeta DERVOZ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Roel DESEYN, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Ioannis DRAGASAKIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Damian DRĂGHICI, Romania, SOC ; Mr Axel E. FISCHER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Erich Georg FRITZ, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Tamás GAUDI NAGY, Hungary, NR ; Ms Maria GIANNAKAKI, Greece, NR ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Joachim HÖRSTER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Nermina KAPETANOVIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Mr Burhan KAYATÜRK, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Attila KORODI, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Frano MATUŠIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr José MENDES BOTA, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr José Ignacio PALACIOS, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Ángel PINTADO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Yves POZZO DI BORGO, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Gabino PUCHE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Ms Luz Elena SANÍN, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Imre VEJKEY, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

There is large consensus as to the limits of austerity policies and the need to promote growth ones. If we analyse any set of indicators we will clearly see that industrialised regions have lower levels of unemployment and better opportunities.

We are witnessing the Third Industrial Revolution (a phenomenon named Social Manufacturing (“A Third Industrial Revolution”) by The Economist (August 21, 2012)), based on very low industrial costs, factories with fewer workers, carried in countries which at the same time spend more in R+D and have highly qualified workers.

Turning our backs to the hyperactive industrial policy of emerging countries has proven to be mistake.

The European cohesion policy 2014-2020 supports smart specialization and suggests to “identify the unique characteristics of each country and region” in order to set up “integrated, place-based economic transformation agendas”.

No nation can aspire to leadership if it lacks a sound industrial base, since many services (auditing, advisory, finances…) are indeed dependant on that very industrial base.

The undersigned, members of the Parliamentary Assembly, express the urgent need to consider as one of the crucial needs of European public policies the promotion of industrial policies which will preserve the existing industrial tissue, discourage the delocalisation of the already implemented industry and encourage the emergence of new companies and industrial sectors.