The Council's Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) is scheduled to meet on 1 July 2026 at 14:30 in the Justus Lipsius Building in Brussels to start an article-by-article examination of the proposed Chips Act 2.0 regulation, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the Council. The meeting will adopt the agenda and then proceed to detailed scrutiny of the proposal for a regulation on a framework for strengthening the Union's semiconductor ecosystem, which would repeal the existing Chips Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/1781).
The document references two preparatory documents (ST 10094/26 and ST 10094/26 ADD 1) that will serve as the basis for the examination. The meeting is part of the legislative process following the European Commission's proposal for a revised Chips Act, aimed at bolstering Europe's semiconductor industry amid global supply chain concerns and technological competition. The working party's examination marks the first step in the Council's internal negotiations on the file, which will later be discussed at higher levels and eventually with the European Parliament.
The Chips Act 2.0 proposal seeks to update the original 2023 regulation, which set targets for doubling Europe's global market share in semiconductors to 20% by 2030 and mobilising €43 billion in public and private investments. The revision is expected to address new challenges such as export controls, supply chain resilience, and support for advanced manufacturing nodes. The working party's meeting on 1 July will allow member states' experts to scrutinise the text article by article, identifying areas of agreement and divergence before the file progresses to the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) and ultimately the Competitiveness Council.
Stakeholders most affected include semiconductor manufacturers in the EU, which face potential new obligations and incentives; national authorities responsible for implementing state aid and investment measures; and downstream industries such as automotive and electronics that rely on chip supply. The examination will likely reveal tensions between member states favouring more state aid flexibility and those advocating for stricter competition rules, as well as between those prioritising security of supply and those emphasising cost efficiency. The outcome of the working party's work will shape the Council's negotiating position for trilogues with the European Parliament.