Agenda highlights

New internal market strategy

Ministers in charge of competitiveness will have a first discussion on the new internal market strategy, which was recently unveiled by the Commission. 

The actions and the roadmap included in the strategy aim to:

• create additional opportunities for consumers, professionals and businesses
• encourage the modernisation and innovation
• bring practical benefits for people in their daily lives.

Better regulation

Over the working lunch, ministers will discuss how to make use of the new better regulation agenda to improve the functioning of the internal market. 

The 'better regulation' agenda seeks to improve the way the EU legislates. One of the main goals is to ensure that EU policies and laws achieve their objectives at minimal financial and administrative cost.

Competitiveness check-up

The second edition of the "competitiveness check-up" will allow ministers to put forward priorities and to respond to urgent issues and developments of the real economy. It will include an exchange of views on the relation between the state of the internal market integration and the competitiveness of the EU in the global markets.

The check-up will also include the presentation of a report on the state of play and perspectives for the competitiveness mainstreaming, which is a process that seeks to ensure that EU policies have a positive impact on competitiveness. 

European Research Area

The Council will be invited to adopt conclusions on:

• research integrity
• advancing gender equality in the European Research Area (ERA) 
• the ERA governance

In addition, ministers will exchange views on the ways in which the European fund for strategic investments can boost research and innovation.