All 27 European Union member states have joined a Dutch-led coalition calling for revisions to the EU’s semiconductor strategy, strengthening momentum for what industry voices are calling “Chips Act 2.0,” Reuters reported.
The coalition, known as the Semicon Coalition, was launched in March by the Netherlands and eight other countries. On Monday, it delivered a declaration to the European Commission urging that Europe’s semiconductor policy shift from its broad 20% global market share goal to a more targeted plan focused on securing critical technologies, speeding project approvals, and boosting finance and skills.
“Today all EU Ministers agreed on the fact that Europe’s industrial strategy should adapt to the increasing geopolitical tensions in the world,” Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Vincent Karremans said in a statement.
The original EU Chips Act, adopted in 2023, sought to double Europe’s global chip output by 2030 and spurred investment pledges. But progress has been uneven: Intel scrapped a planned megafactory in Germany, underscoring the challenges of competing with Asia and the United States in advanced chipmaking.
Industry support for the revamped approach is growing. Semiconductor industry group SEMI said it had signed the coalition’s declaration, alongside more than 50 major companies including Nvidia, ASML, Intel, STMicroelectronics, and Infineon. The group reiterated its call for Brussels to establish a dedicated chip budget and quadruple EU spending on semiconductors.
The European Court of Auditors warned earlier this year that the 20% global market share target was likely unreachable. Instead, it projected Europe’s share of the global semiconductor value chain will rise from 9.8% in 2022 to 11.7% by 2030.
The push for a Chips Act 2.0 reflects mounting geopolitical pressures and the bloc’s determination to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for critical technologies.
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