All eyes in Brussels are on the Informal EU Leaders’ retreat happening this week.
Ceemet, the European employers’ organisation representing 200,000 companies in the metal, engineering and technology-based (MET) industries, welcomes the decision to place competitiveness and the functioning of the Single Market at the centre of discussions at the upcoming retreat.
MET industries are among the first sectors and most directly affected by the current geopolitical and geoeconomic context. Global overcapacity, distortions of competition, supply chain disruptions, and volatility in energy and raw material prices are putting considerable pressure on our sectors, which are essential to Europe’s industrial ecosystem, green transition, defence capability, and technological sovereignty.
In the context of current geopolitical crises, the EU must position itself as a strong, open but assertive economic player. This requires the ability to respond effectively to economic coercion, reduce excessive dependencies, particularly in strategic areas such as critical raw materials, energy, and key technologies, and protect its industrial base while preserving the integrity of the single market.
With this open letter, addressed to Permanent Representations of EU member states, we outline the views of key industrial sectors on the need to both protect EU industries and further complete the Single Market.