The Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) of the Council of the European Union is scheduled to meet on 14 July 2026 at 14:30 in the Justus Lipsius Building, Brussels, to continue its article-by-article examination of the proposed regulation for a framework to strengthen the Union's semiconductor ecosystem, known as Chips Act 2.0, which would repeal the current Regulation (EU) 2023/1781.
The meeting's provisional agenda, published on 8 July 2026, lists the adoption of the agenda and the continuation of detailed scrutiny of the proposal as the main items, with any other business to follow. The examination will be based on documents ST 10094/26 and ST 10094/26 ADD 1, which are available to delegates via the Council's Delegates Portal.
This working party session represents the next step in the legislative process for Chips Act 2.0, which aims to enhance Europe's semiconductor design, manufacturing, and packaging capabilities, reduce supply chain dependencies, and foster innovation. The proposal, put forward by the European Commission, builds on the original Chips Act adopted in 2023, which allocated €43 billion in public and private investments. The revised framework is expected to address emerging challenges such as geopolitical tensions, technological shifts, and the need for greater resilience in the semiconductor supply chain.
The article-by-article examination allows member state experts to scrutinize each provision of the draft regulation, raising technical questions and proposing amendments before the text proceeds to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) and ultimately to the Council for adoption. The working party's discussions will focus on key aspects such as investment targets, state aid rules, crisis response mechanisms, and the governance structure of the European Semiconductor Board.
Stakeholders most impacted by the Chips Act 2.0 include semiconductor manufacturers and their supply chains, which face new compliance requirements and potential access to EU funding; EU member states, which will need to coordinate national strategies and may have differing views on the level of state intervention; research institutions and universities involved in semiconductor R&D, which stand to benefit from increased funding and collaboration; and downstream industries such as automotive, electronics, and defense, which rely on a stable supply of advanced chips. The regulation aims to balance the positive impact of boosting domestic production and innovation against the negative impact of potential market distortions and administrative burdens on companies.
Following the working party's examination, the proposal will be discussed in Coreper before being placed on the agenda of a future Competitiveness Council meeting for political agreement. The European Parliament is also expected to begin its own scrutiny of the proposal in parallel, with the aim of reaching a final agreement under the ordinary legislative procedure.