The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) has today adopted the opinion on the Clean Industrial Deal, prepared by William Elofsson, Deputy Mayor of Gävle, Sweden. This opinion positions local and regional authorities (LRAs). The main message of the opinion is that the Clean Industrial Deal is a vital and long-overdue growth strategy to boost EU competitiveness. Placing regions and cities at the center of industrial policy is essential to ensuring a successful and territorially balanced green transition in the EU.
In his reaction, Eloffson said “Today, the ECON Commission adopted the Clean Industrial Deal report, which positions local and regional authorities as key enablers of Europe’s clean, competitive industrial transformation. The opinion calls for place-based strategies, simplified permitting, investment in skills, and fair energy policies, while urging coherent funding, innovation support, and technology-neutral approaches to drive decarbonisation and industrial development across the EU."
The opinion calls for a place-based industrial policy that recognises the diverse industrial strengths of Europe’s territories. Local and regional leaders underlined that local governments are key drivers in supporting competitive industries. They highlighted key tools that can support industries in the clean transition including implementing simplification and public procurement policies, mobilising both public and private investment, targeted investment and state aid frameworks, innovative and smart specialisation strategies and enhancing public-private-academic and skills partnerships. The opinion also emphasised the need to reduce energy costs by increasing the production of clean energy.
A Local and Regional Lens on Europe’s Industrial Future
The opinion stresses that Europe’s clean industrial transformation must be firmly rooted in regional ecosystems and partnerships across all levels of government. Specific local and regional dimensions include:
- Place-based industrial strategies: The opinion calls for tailored policies that reflect the diverse industrial capacities and vulnerabilities across Europe’s territories, emphasizing collaboration between local, regional, and EU institutions.
- Empowering LRAs: The opinion calls underscores the essential role of LRAs in driving competitiveness through innovation ecosystems, infrastructure planning, public services, education, and skills development. Local administrations are identified as key in delivering on EU strategic goals.
- Smart specialisation and circular economy: The opinion promotes the use of smart specialisation strategies to boost regional competitiveness and align local initiatives with EU-wide innovation frameworks. LRAs are encouraged to develop circular economy clusters through waste management, energy recovery, and industrial symbiosis.
- Simplified permitting and legal clarity: Recognising the administrative burden on LRAs, the opinion calls for streamlined permitting procedures, digitalisation of processes, and respect for the diverse administrative structures across Member States.
- Public procurement and innovation: The opinion highlights public procurement as a tool for sustainability and innovation, urging proportional regulatory demands and better support for LRAs in integrating environmental criteria.
- Energy transition at local level: The opinion acknowledges the capacity of LRAs to lead the local supply of low-carbon energy and improve energy efficiency, calling for technology-neutral EU frameworks that allow Member States and regions to tailor energy mixes.
- Investment and funding coordination: The opinion calls for a coordinated approach to EU funding, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing access for LRAs. It stresses the need for shared financial responsibility between the EU, Member States, and regions for infrastructure crucial to industrial growth.
- Skills and workforce development: The opinion advocates for greater LRA involvement in building ecosystems that link businesses, academia, and vocational education to meet the skills needs of the clean industrial transition.
During the ECON meeting members also discussed the opinion of Ricardo Rio on the European Defence Readiness 2030. As the EU advances its European Defence Readiness 2030 agenda, local and regional authorities must be recognized as key strategic partners. With up to €800 billion in investment envisaged, these measures directly impact regions hosting defence and dual-use industries, border areas facing geopolitical risks, and territories reliant on Cohesion Policy funds. Regional clusters—comprising SMEs, midcaps, universities, and research institutions—are central to Europe's defence innovation, particularly in fields like semiconductors, drones, and cyber technologies.
“As we shape the new European defense investment strategy, I strongly emphasize the critical role of local and regional governments in building resilient, sustainable, and inclusive defense mechanisms that not only protect our communities but also foster cohesion, competitiveness and stability across the regions of Europe.” said Ricardo Rion, Mayor of Braga.
The opinion underscores the need for structured involvement of regional actors in defence planning, targeted SME support through programmes like Horizon Europe and STEP, and simplified regulatory frameworks. By advocating for tailored investment plans and leveraging initiatives such as SAFE and the EIB’s permanent defence funding line, EU regions can enhance Europe’s strategic autonomy while ensuring balanced, inclusive, and sustainable development across the Union.
