European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship and Vice President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani met with several representatives of the Slovak government and visited some industrial companies active in Slovakia during his visit on July 9.
Accompanied by Vice President of the EC Maroš Šefčovič, who is responsible for inter-institutional relations and administration, Prime Minister Robert Fico and Economy Minsiter Tomáš Malatinský, he visited the Podbrezová Steelworks in Banská Bystrica Region and Trnava-based carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, with the aim of affirming Slovak industry as an important factor in economic growth and the creation of new jobs.
“I welcomed the opportunity to exchange opinions on the support of extraordinarily important sectors of the Slovak economy, such as steel and automobile production,” said Fico, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “I appreciate the fact that there are representatives on the European Commission, too, who do not view the economic crisis only through the prism of statistics and figures, but rather realise that, aside from reviving public finances, we have to do our utmost to help the foundations of the European economy survive, regain momentum, and deal with the consequences of the crisis effectively.”
Fico welcomed the information that the Slovak business sector will have the access to drawing the money from EU structural funds allocated for supporting the research and innovations.
Šefčovič said that the EC’s new policy is conceived with an eye toward bringing the European industry back to where it rightfully belongs.
“So that we can return in 2020 to that percentage [of the economic pie] that industry previously enjoyed; so that at least 20 percent of European GDP is being generated in the industrial sector,” Šefčovič said, as quoted by TASR. “For that to happen, however, we need the support of industrialists in European countries.”
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
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