European Chips Act, Preamble 31 to 40
(31) Any relevant findings, including information provided by relevant stakeholders and industry associations, should be provided to the European Semiconductor Board to allow for a regular exchange of information between high-level representatives of Member States and for integration of the information into a monitoring overview of the semiconductor value chains.
(32) It is important to take into account the specific insights into the supply situation of users of semiconductors. Therefore, Member States should identify and regularly exchange with the main user categories on their national markets. Furthermore, Member States should offer the possibility for relevant stakeholder organisations, including industry associations and representatives of the main user categories, to provide information regarding significant changes in demand and supply, and known disruptions of their supply chain, this could include the unavailability of critical semiconductors or raw materials, longer than average lead-time, delays in delivery and exceptional price surges.
(33) In order to carry out these monitoring activities, the competent authorities of Member States may need certain information, which may not be publicly accessible, such as information on the role of an individual undertaking along the semiconductor value chain. In those limited circumstances in which it is necessary and proportionate for the purpose of carrying out the monitoring activities, the competent authorities of Member States should be able to request this information from the undertaking in question.
(34) Member States should alert the Commission if relevant factors indicate a potential semiconductor crisis. In order to ensure a coordinated response to address such crises, the Commission should upon the alert by a Member State or through other sources, including information from international partners, convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Semiconductor Board for assessing the need to activate the crisis stage and for discussing whether it may be appropriate, necessary and proportionate for Member States to carry out coordinated joint procurement.
The Commission should engage in consultations and cooperation with relevant third countries with a view to addressing any disruptions in the international supply chain, in compliance with international obligations and without prejudice to procedural requirements under the Treaty on international agreements.
(35) As part of the monitoring, national competent authorities should also do a mapping of undertakings operating in the Union along the semiconductor supply chain established in their national territory and notify this information to the Commission.
(36) In order to facilitate effective monitoring, in-depth assessment of the risks associated with different stages of the semiconductor value chain is needed, including on the origins and sources of supplies beyond the Union. Such risks may be related to critical inputs and equipment for the industry, including digital products that may be vulnerable, possible impact of counterfeit semiconductors, manufacturing capacities and other risks that may disrupt, compromise or negatively affect the supply chain. Those risks could include supply chains with a single point of failure or which are otherwise highly concentrated. Other relevant factors could include the availability of substitutes or alternative sources for critical inputs and resilient and sustainable transport. The Commission should, assisted by the European Semiconductor Board and taking also into account information received from the main user categories, develop a Union level risk assessment.
(37) In order to forecast and prepare for future disruptions of the different stages of the semiconductor value chain in the Union, the Commission should, assisted by the European Semiconductor Board, identify early warning indicators in the Union risk assessment. Such indicators could include the availability of raw materials, intermediate products and human capital needed for manufacturing semiconductors, or appropriate manufacturing equipment, the forecasted demand for semiconductors on the Union and global markets, price surges exceeding normal price fluctuation, the effect of accidents, attacks, natural disasters or other serious events, the effect of trade policies, tariffs, export restrictions, trade barriers and other trade related measures, and the effect of business closures, delocalisations or acquisitions of key market actors. Member States should monitor these early warning indicators.
(38) A number of undertakings providing semiconductor services or goods are assumed to be essential for an effective semiconductor supply chain in the Union's semiconductor ecosystem, due to the number of Union undertakings relying on their products, their Union or global market share, their importance to ensure a sufficient level of supply or the possible impact of the disruption of supply of their products or services. The Member States should identify those key market actors in their territory.
(39) Under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union, in determining whether a foreign direct investment is likely to affect security or public order, Member States and the Commission may consider its potential effects on critical technologies and dual use items as defined in point 1 of Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 428/200959, including semiconductors.
(40) As part of the monitoring, Member States could specifically consider the availability and integrity of the services and goods of key markets actors. Such issues could be brought to the attention of the European Semiconductor Board by the Member State concerned.
Note: This is not the final text of the European Chips Act. This is the text of the European Chips Act Proposal of February 2022.