BRUSSELS/Paris (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and affordable clean energy will be at the center of a European Union (EU) initiative aimed at making the bloc competitive globally, particularly in the face of United States and China, according to a draft European Commission document seen by Reuters.
Several members of the bloc, including France, are pushing for the EU to simplify regulations for the business sector, especially as it now faces new challenges with the new administration of President Donald Trump.
The US president, who has pledged to reduce rules for US businesses, addressed the red tape debate at the annual Davos summit of the world's business elite, urging the EU to reduce regulations. He also threatened to impose new tariffs on EU exports to the United States.
The European Commission's document is a draft of proposals – a competitiveness compass – which will be presented on January 29. It describes 29 measures and strategies planned for the next two years to increase productivity through innovation and decarbonize the manufacturing industry.
The Commission is expected to launch its “Clean Industry Pact” at the end of February, with measures to cut corporate sustainability reporting requirements by 25% and cut energy prices , which can be three times higher than in the United States.
The EU executive will review EU rules governing chemicals, encourage AI-related factories and seek to tackle barriers that prevent innovative startups from scaling up, the draft document on competitiveness.
It will also encourage the 27 EU members to further coordinate their patchwork of industrial policies and support.
OFFENSIVE FRANÇAISE
-The Commission's proposals come after an offensive by France aimed at reducing administrative formalities at European Union level.
In a confidential document dated January 20 and obtained by Reuters, Paris calls for a “massive regulatory pause” at the European level, a postponement of the entry into force of certain environmental rules adopted under the old mandate as part of the ” Green Deal”, or even “the revision of legislation, even recently adopted”.
In the French document, which will be presented by Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad on Tuesday to other EU ministers, France proposes to delay “sine die” a new EU directive on the duty of vigilance of companies ( CS3D) and to delay the Corporate Sustainability Information Directive (CSRD) by two years.
The document also proposes simplifications in the agricultural field as well as reducing the time limits for state aid procedures.
During his greetings to the press on Thursday, Finance Minister Eric Lombard called for a real “shock of simplification” at European level.
“We expect strong announcements in the first 100 days of the mandate of the President of the Commission who has made this a priority,” he declared.
(Reports by Philip Blenkinsop, Kate Abnett and Michel Rose, French version by Alban Kacher, edited by Blandine Hénault)
