27th May 2019
Minister of State for Trade, Business, and EU Digital Single Market, Pat Breen TD, is in Brussels to meet his fellow Ministers at a formal meeting of the Competitiveness Council. Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elzbieta Bienkowska will also attend.
Ministers are focussed on setting the EU’s agenda for the next 5 years of industrial development in the face of challenges on climate change, digitalisation, and global threats.
Minister Breen said:
“As we prepare for the next 5 year policy and legislative cycle in the EU, I look forward to this opportunity to shape those policies that have the greatest potential to support and foster our enterprise sector.
“I’ll be arguing for greater market access across the EU, especially in the area of trade in services. In particular, I’ll be looking for a greater reduction of the barriers that impede businesses from reaping the full rewards of having such a large market on our doorstep. As we face the challenge of Brexit, it is particularly important that Irish SMEs are able to open and develop markets throughout the EU.
“I am also calling for an integrated policy approach, where we deploy all the tools at our disposal in areas such as research, innovation, digital and skills, with the key objective of growing agile and sustainable enterprises that can compete with the best in the world.”
The Council meeting is taking place under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
ENDS
Note to editors
The Competitiveness Council (Internal Market and Industry) meets in Brussels on Monday 27 May 2019.
The main agenda item is the adoption of Council Conclusions on “A new level of ambition for a competitive Single Market” and on “EU Industrial Policy Strategy: A Vision for 2030”.
About DBEI
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) plays a key role in implementing the Government’s policies of stimulating the productive capacity of the economy and creating an environment which supports job creation and maintenance. The Department also has a remit to promote fair competition in the marketplace, protect consumers and safeguard workers.
For further information please contact Press Office, D/Business, Enterprise and Innovation, press.office@dbei.gov.ie or (01) 631-2200
If you no longer wish to receive emails from the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation Press Office, please notify us by email to press.office@dbei.gov.ie
Back to Department News