Europe tries to reverse drift to de-industrialisation

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Europe’s industrial base has been in long-term decline, but a set of new policies from the EC look to take it up to 20% of the bloc’s GDP by 2020 – up from its current level of 15%. A decade ago, the EC put in place policies to develop the “knowledge” economy, but now says the structural funds that supported that can be diverted back to industry. The big question is whether the pro-industry lobby in the EC can get ...