The Dutch economy minister told attendees of a G7 meeting in Rome that he believes a European Union (EU) "coalition of the willing" to strengthen the political bloc’s semiconductor industry.

In comments reported by Reuters, Dirk Beljaarts said: “To have a stronger EU, between the other global players, to get leverage, it's important to work together.”

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– Getty Images

Referencing the fact that the Netherlands is home to semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, Beljaarts added that such a coalition could help to "facilitate other [EU] countries having several plants in production, assembly, and packaging,” adding he has already held talks with his Italian counterpart Adolfo Urso about the idea.

In April 2023, the EU approved the €43 billion ($47bn) Chips Act, established with the intention of doubling the EU’s global market share in semiconductors from 10 percent to at least 20 percent by 2030. Originally set to focus only on high-end chips, the EU Chips Act has since expanded to include older chips and research and design facilities.

However, in September 2024, Europe’s largest semiconductor trade group – the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) – released a policy document making a number of recommendations in order to improve the legislation.

In the document, the (ESIA) called for new governance for a “holistic, coherent policy strategy, and regulatory approach” to “boost the EU’s semiconductor industry,” and proposed a 'Chips Act 2.0' to improve initiatives, reconsider the scope, and assess gaps resulting from the original Chips Act legislation.