Europe de la concurrence et politique industrielle communautaire: la naissance d’une opposition au sein de la CEE dans les années 1960

The EEC competition policy was developed upon an ordoliberal framework. The role of the state in the economy is limited to the shaping of a general framework. On the contrary, industrial policy seeks to develop specific state interventions, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the European industrial structure. Such a policy would promote measures aimed at supporting specific sectors (first industrial revolution sectors or high-techn industries) or at fostering specific operations (intra-european mergers, R&D). Whereas a German ordoliberal group based at the Commission launched the European Competition policy from 1962, a French-Italian group within the Commission responded by the development of projects for an Industrial Policy. A conflict occured within the Commission between these two visions of Europe, a Europe of Competition Policy and a Europe of Industrial Policy. This opposition is still acute today.