FOI delegation in Brussels for European Competitiveness Day

At a recent press conference, FOI president Anton Borg highlighted the outcome of a conference held in Brussels by the Union of Industrial and Employers Confederations of Europe (UNICE) last Friday week to stress the need for European industry to increase its competitiveness in relation to the rest of the world.

Over a hundred top entrepreneurs and business leaders from all over Europe attended the one-day EU Competitiveness Day with the theme "Release companies' potential - Free Gulliver!"

The conference was an excellent follow-up to the FOI annual conference entitled "Europe - most competitive economy by 2010? - How will Malta benefit from this process?" held in Malta on October 31.

As a full member of UNICE, the FOI arranged for a high-level business delegation from Malta to participate at this important European industry event. This delegation, led by FOI deputy president Adrian Bajada, who is also operations director of Multi Packaging Ltd., consisted of:

FOI council members David Mifsud, managing director of Methode Electronics Malta Ltd, and Helga Ellul, managing director of Playmobil Malta Ltd; Tonio Depasquale, chief officer of Bank of Valletta plc; Stephen Muscat, group chief executive officer of Maltacom plc; Dr Leonard Mizzi, Malta Business Bureau (MBB) director and FOI's permanent Brussels representative; and Janine Borg, FOI researcher in Brussels.

The entrepreneurs and business leaders at the UNICE Competitiveness Day Conference held discussions with high-level politicians, including Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi; European Commissioners Loyola de Palacio and Erkki Liikanen; French Industry Minister Nicole Fontaine; and Irish Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche.

The topics included the competitiveness challenges Europe faces and necessary action needed to re-launch the EU economy. On this occasion, UNICE also presented a manifesto on competitiveness and its annual assessment of the Lisbon strategy, which analyses the current situation and calls for progress in specific areas.

The presidents of UNICE's member federations discussed challenges and responses to be taken to boost European competitiveness again in two panel discussion sessions. UNICE's assessment clearly shows that Europe's economy is not catching up with its main competitors and risks missing its chance to do so in the 21st century.

Antonio D'Amato, president of the Italian Confindustria, was reported to have said: "Europe lacks growth! Our main competitors - the USA and Japan - have increasing labour productivity rates, whereas the EU is deteriorating."

Dr Michael Rogowski, president of the German Industry Federation (BDI), also said: "Structural rigidities don't let the space companies need to prosper, but tie them up with competitive disadvantages. Industrial production and research activity are leaving Europe. If no urgent decisions are taken, Europe risks de-industrialisation!"

The FOI officials stressed at the press conference on their return to Malta that the FOI concurs with the six top action points, identified by UNICE, on which political decision-makers have to deliver:

¤ Regulation: reduce existing legislation, make a real impact assessment on all envisaged business-relevant legislation with the Competitiveness Council as a key decision body;

¤ Public finance: continue social protection reform and reduce structural government deficits;

¤ Innovation: stimulate R&D and promote industry co-operation with knowledge institutions;

¤ Employment: introduce more flexibility into national labour markets;

¤ Trans-European networks: complete trans-European networks, considering more public-private partnerships;

¤ International economic relations: pursue the completion of the Doha Development Agenda in the WTO.

Mr Borg also referred to the concluding remarks delivered by UNICE president Dr Jürgen Strube at the conference relating to the need of "a real commitment to competitiveness among all European institutions.

"The Lisbon strategy, aiming at making Europe the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010, must be implemented. The European Union needs an integrated competitiveness strategy, creating space for entrepreneurial activity!"

Mr Borg was accompanied at the press conference by Mr Bajada and FOI administration manager John B. Scicluna.

Contact Ms Cecilia Vella at the FOI Secretariat on tel: 2123-4428, 2122-2074 if they wish to obtain a copy of the Lisbon Strategy Document and the Manifesto, which were presented during the UNICE conference, or the FOI report entitled "The Lisbon Indicators: How does Malta compare?" distributed at the recent FOI conference.