Industrial policy

Industrial policy is a part of economic policy. It covers all the economic policies of a state or its administrative entities that act on the structure and development of an industry.

Following the Anglo- American usage, this refers to the term " industry" not only on the manufacturing sector, but to any industry, including the so-called New Economy. However, as the example of Great Britain shows have gone where lost in the last thirty years, two -thirds of the industry, an unrealistic prioritize the information economy lead to processes of de-industrialization, which are difficult to undo.

Industrial policy can be both ( eg promotion of structural change or the provision of export subsidies ) and carried out actively to influence a process of industrialization reactive to unwanted differentiation effects of industrialization. For reactive industrial policy, for example, include the implementation of conservation measures or the provision of adjustment assistance (for example, by promoting research and development).

Industrial Policy in Europe

1992 industrial policy was taken catchment in the Maastricht Treaty. For there, Article 157: " The Community and the Member States shall ensure that the conditions necessary for the competitiveness of industry are guaranteed." In this way, the EU Commission hoped appropriately to the threat of de-industrialization of Europe to respond. Since then discussed the content and objectives of industrial policy in Europe again and again. 2003 the European Council of Heads of State and Government of the EU Council of Ministers and the EU Commission had asked more and more targeted to the needs of individual sectors, especially the manufacturing sector, to take to increase with the aim of its competitiveness. 2004 was supported by the three Member States, Germany, France and Great Britain, the need for a " proactive European industrial policy ". This means that the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy are to be met.

Here, the notion of so-called European champions played a role increasingly. This refers to mulitinationale company with a global market leader position (for example, air and space company EADS). European industrial policy should support such champions, promote and, where appropriate, also help to build. From politicians to a strict interpretation of European merger control by the European Competition Commission is in this context therefore often criticized, because this powerful groupings of companies would be prevented (example: the prohibition of the merger of Scania and Volvo). Critics again note that through the support of European Champions would often abused for the objectives of the national location and employment policy (example: the takeover tussle between the Franco- German Aventis Sanofi -Synthelabo and the French ).

In response to the recent financial crisis, " green" industrial policy is increasingly understood as a tool for linking economic growth and sustainability. An example of this is about the promotion of electric mobility, which is being pursued politically in several European countries and at the level of the European Union.

The German federal election campaign of 2009 was marked clearly by industrial policy. The major parties were arguing less if, but rather how cutting-edge technologies are state- to promote.

Economic Patriotism

This term is brought lately especially with France ( known there patriotisme the term économique ) in conjunction. He expresses through a manifest national protectionism of individual countries, especially in matters of takeover deemed important national companies by foreign investors. Thus the French government has with Gaz de France successfully prevented the acquisition of the energy group Suez by Italy's ENEL using an Inner French blockade merger of Suez. The Spanish government is trying to fend off the takeover of the energy company Endesa by the German E.ON. Failed, however, is such a defense in the event of the acquisition of the Luxembourg Arcelor by Mittal Steel, the Dutch (see also: Arcelor Mittal ).

Different value judgments

In 2009 Germany 's expertise in international economic context, the Advisory Council on the Assessment of Overall Economic Development formulated his conception of state-run "industrial policy" as follows:

Economists such as Gerhard Bosch, however, see in too many government interventions no political alternatives; he calls empirical studies of interventions against the prevailing doctrine but actually made.