Feb 2 - Europe must adopt a concerted "Made in Europe" strategy to protect its industrial base, EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne said in a newspaper article published late on Sunday and co-signed by more than 1,100 chief executives and other business leaders.
"Without an ambitious, effective and pragmatic industrial policy, the European economy is doomed to be just a playground for its competitors," Sejourne wrote in the piece that ran in newspapers across the continent. He added that Europe needs to "establish, once and for all, a genuine European preference in our most strategic sectors."
The article carried signatures from leaders across a wide swath of industries. Signatories included steelmakers ArcelorMittal, ThyssenKrupp and Tata Steel; pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Sanofi; tyre manufacturers Continental, Michelin and Pirelli; airline group Air France KLM; and French utility Engie. The list notably did not include car makers.
Sejourne's intervention comes ahead of the expected publication later this month of the European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act, a proposal that is likely to include provisions to prioritise products manufactured within the EU.
The draft measure is framed as a means to strengthen European industries in response to cheaper imports from China. However, it has exposed divisions among member states. Some national governments, including France, are backing the idea of introducing preferences for locally produced goods. Other countries, among them Sweden and the Czech Republic, have warned that "buy local" rules could deter investment, push up prices for public tenders, and harm the EU's competitiveness on the global stage.
Sejourne framed the debate in comparative terms. "The Chinese have 'Made in China', the Americans have 'Buy American', and most other economic powers have similar schemes that give preference to their own strategic assets. So why not us?" he wrote. He also asserted that "Whenever European public money is used, it must contribute to European production and quality jobs."
The piece signals a push by the Commission's industry wing for clearer rules that would steer public spending and procurement toward strengthening domestic production across identified strategic sectors. It leaves open the scope and specifics of any such measures until the Industrial Accelerator Act is released, while highlighting the political and economic tensions they already generate among EU capitals.