ANTWERP (dpa-AFX) - In light of challenging economic conditions, Europe's industry is calling for a political approach akin to that taken during the Covid pandemic. "Thanks to your leadership, the Covid crisis was overcome and measures were taken that had previously been considered impossible. We need the same approach for industrial competitiveness," states the declaration adopted at an industry summit, addressed to the heads of state and government of the EU. At the meeting in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, business representatives gathered with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other top EU politicians.
Markus Kamieth, CEO of German chemical giant BASF, said that implementation of bold solutions was still too slow and hesitant. "The European industry is under unprecedented pressure," Kamieth emphasized. Specifically, in their declaration, the industry representatives are calling for lower energy costs and free trade agreements that would enable greater exports. They are also advocating for more bonuses in public tenders for European products.
To address the economic damage and modernize the economy at the same time, a multi-billion euro EU support fund was created during the Covid pandemic. It was designed to help the 27 EU member states get back on their feet. For this purpose, the EU jointly took on large-scale debt for the first time./tre/DP/jha
