Preparing for the next Council presidency

A few weeks before Bulgaria takes its turn in holding the EU presidency, Markus J. Beyrer met Emil Karanikolov, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Council presidency comes at a decisive moment, when the EU has to roll out the necessary steps following the recent adoption of the EU’s industrial policy strategy. “The Competitiveness Council”, Beyrer stressed, “plays a pivotal role in making sure that the voice of industry is properly reflected in the EU policy-making process.” He also underlined some of the building blocks for successfully implementing the strategy, notably the need for a monitoring framework, long-term objectives and fit-for-purpose governance.