The Committee of the Regions welcomed EU plans for more competitive and greener industry. European Commission Vice-President responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, underlined at the CoR plenary session, the key role of regional and local authorities in this process. He urged for a new industrial policy in a broader – and truly integrated – sense, to keep improving EU competitiveness.

At the Committee of the Regions plenary session, members supported the EU plans to keep industry jobs in Europe while reducing the sector's carbon emissions. The opinion adopted urged to adopt concrete measures that would give businesses greater flexibility in their employment strategies, in return for adequate protection providing income security for workers in sectors that are likely to be affected by the changes. In addition, the opinion calls for access to credit to be improved and for stronger links between the financial markets and the real economy.

The opinion also underlines that local and regional authorities are key players in economic development as they are closest to the reality on the ground for businesses. This is especially important for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, which provide two thirds of Europe's industry jobs. EU policy should follow the "think small first" principle to deal specifically with the needs of SMEs, and should give a more prominent role to regional and local authorities which provide essential support services to SMEs. On the other hand, the opinion also highlights the importance to protect the intellectual property rights of businesses. It is essential to simplify the procedure for obtaining patents, make it less expensive, and ensure that patents are automatically valid in all Member States, in line with the single European patent proposal. This proposal was given its green light by the Council last June.

The European Commission set out a strategy for boosting growth and jobs by maintaining a competitive industrial base in Europe offering well-paid jobs while becoming less carbon intensive in October 2010. The opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions is based on such plans.