European Commission vice-president and industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné on Monday urged the European Union to adopt a “European preference” within the single market to counter intensifying competition from China and the US.
The proposal, which would favour products containing “made in Europe” components in public procurement, has been under discussion for months within the Commission and among member states. It has, however, exposed growing fault lines in the bloc, with some countries warning it would disproportionately benefit the EU’s largest economies.
The “Made in Europe” push is set to feature prominently at next week’s EU leaders’ retreat on boosting competitiveness, where divisions run are expected to come to the fore.
In an op-ed signed by 1,141 business leaders, Séjourné framed competitiveness as central to Europe’s geopolitical strategy, arguing that a European preference is needed to shore up industry against global rivals.
“We must establish, once and for all, a genuine European preference in our most strategic sectors,” he wrote. “It is based on a very simple principle : whenever European public money is used, it must contribute to European production and quality jobs.”
