Brussels – The Council of the European Union (EU) for Competitiveness held meetings in Brussels on Monday, focusing primarily on enhancing the competitiveness of European industry. Following the discussions, Vladimír Šimoňák, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, expressed Slovakia’s support for initiatives aimed at aiding the industry. This was reported by the TASR correspondent.
Vladimír Šimoňák highlighted that the topic was examined “from multiple perspectives,” with discussions centering on industrial sectors that face challenges from non-EU competition, high energy costs, and other persistent issues familiar to member states.
The European Commission (EK) has introduced several initiatives this year to safeguard industry and enhance competitiveness. Šimoňák noted that while these proposals have only been under consideration for a short time, they have garnered significant support from member states.
“These proposals aim to assist key industrial sectors vital to the Slovak economy, including metallurgy—both ferrous and non-ferrous—as well as the chemical industry,” he stated.
There is strong support for the European Commission’s industry-focused proposals
He mentioned that, while no formal decisions have been made yet, there is considerable backing for the European Commission’s industry-related proposals, especially from member states that are advocating for additional measures from the European Commission.
“We anticipate that the European Commission will further these initiatives. Slovakia is aligned with all coalitions emerging among member states advocating for support for energy-intensive industries,” he commented. He pointed out that this includes controlling the export of scrap iron and other metals that are essential raw materials for domestic industrial enterprises.
Šimoňák also noted Slovakia’s support for initiatives aimed at alleviating the disadvantages faced by European producers, who must comply with stringent decarbonization standards compared to producers in Asia or the United States, who do not incur such costs. (8 December)
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