At the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen set out her vision for a more globally competitive, affordable, self-sufficient and sustainable industry for Europe’s energy, steel and chemicals sectors.
Over 500 attendees, including EU policymakers and business leaders, came together at the Handelsbeurs in Antwerp to discuss European Competitiveness.
The industrial view
In the lead up to the event, the Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal called for “clarity, resolve, and strong sense of purpose” in a “a bold agenda to strengthen Europe while upholding our core values.”
“SMEs, the backbone of European industrial and business fabric, struggle everywhere,” its statement read. “Global companies allocating capital for the 2030s need to decide today and often find Europe un-investable.
“Europe’s industries and businesses face persistently high energy and carbon costs, as well as unfair trade practices. The pace of site closures and job losses across vital sectors is unprecedented.
“The Draghi Report has not been implemented. The situation is worse than a year ago and the next five years will be the most challenging for Europe’s industry in many decades.”
INEOS chairman and CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated that, since the last Antwerp Summit in February 2024, the European chemical industry has suffered major losses. He indicated that the closure of 101 industrial sites has sacrificed 75,000 jobs – and he argued that these plants would cost around €70 billion to replace.
He went on to assert that European energy prices are four times higher than those in the United States. In his view, rising carbon costs and “weak” trade defence are not only discouraging companies from investing, but creating “unsurvivable” market conditions.
Stating that 25 million tonnes of chemical capacity has been forced out of Europe, Ratcliffe added that Europe is not lowering carbon emissions but “exporting” them to the United States and China – allegedly generating 20 million more tonnes of CO2.
“Europe’s share of global plastics production has nearly halved in two decades – not because demand is falling, but because investment is moving to more competitive regions,” agreed Virginia Janssens, managing director at Plastics Europe.
“When production leaves, it rarely returns. And when it goes, we lose innovation, skilled jobs, circularity capacity and strategic autonomy. We risk outsourcing not only manufacturing – but also emissions and environmental impact.”
“The industry is currently in the process of shutting down,” Ratcliffe warned. “Without a chemical industry we cannot run hospitals, we cannot feed people, we cannot defend ourselves. It is critical for National Security.”
“The choice is clear: act decisively now to safeguard Europe’s industrial base, or face a wave of lost investment, lost talent, and diminished strategic autonomy,” Plastics Europe summarized.
The political view
National politicians also weighed in. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever argued that “Europe must stop trying to do everything, everywhere, all at once.”
“There is a clear trinity of top priorities: innovation, productivity and competitiveness,” he suggested. “That is where our focus must be. If not, the decarbonization of Europe will become synonymous with its deindustrialization, poverty and irrelevance.”
Amidst ongoing competition with the United States and China, German chancellor Friedrich Merz encouraged “bold” action from the European Union to “deregulate every sector.”
“Only an economically powerful Europe will be a sovereign Europe,” said Merz. “It is high time for Europe to act, to act swiftly and to act decisively.”
Speaking at the event, Ursula von der Leyen told attendees that European countries “remain frontrunners in many areas of the clean transition.”
Apparently, the European Commission “more than doubled” investments in industrial transitions from €52 billion in 2024 to €115 billion in 2025. It also approved sixty new projects for critical raw materials, which von der Leyen believed would help the European industry secure its supply.
Even so, she acknowledged that the industry faces growing pressure and that Europe must “speed up further” – stating that energy, steel and chemicals are “vital to Europe’s independence.”
“We see massive subsidies, state-backed overcapacity and market distortions,” she admitted. “This makes it increasingly difficult for European industry to compete on a level playing field.
“China now exports almost twice as much clean tech as we do. This is not just a trade statistic. It is a signal of where industrial capacity is concentrating and of how quickly global market positions can shift.
“We are fighting for our place in the new global economy, and this means together we must make a strong business case for you to choose Europe.”
Ten omnibuses are on the table, von der Leyen told attendees – but with only three under way, she called upon the European Parliament and Member States to “share the same sense of urgency” and push the amendments forward.
On that note, she pointed out that fragmentation and ‘gold-plating’ – i.e., the “extra layers of national legislation that just make your life harder” – is holding the EU back from establishing a Single Market.
In response, the Commission will introduce EU Inc, a company structure with a “single and simple” set of rules applying across the European Union. This is hoped to streamline cross-border operations between Member States.
“Barriers inside Europe hurt us more than tariffs from outside,” said von der Leyen. “We must therefore complete the Single Market if Europe wants to stay competitive in a world of giants.
The Commission will also unveil the Industrial Accelerator Act later this month. The measure is set to introduce specific content requirements for strategic sectors, including low-carbon requirements in public procurement, and create “stable demand” for industries.
While von der Leyen underlined the Commission’s intent to channel more Emissions Trading System (ETS) resources into energy-intensive industries, she indicated that Member States invest less than 5% of these revenues into industrial decarbonization.
“I believe it is high time,” she said, “that Member States step up and match our level of support.”
The Commission’s Wind Package is also anticipated to reduce the amount of time needed to permit new factories and energy products by two-thirds.
On the topic of energy, she argued that the EU produced more electricity from solar and wind than all fossil fuels combined in 2025, and that nuclear energy increased. Even so, she acknowledged that “more is needed” to lower prices and unlock more affordable energy.
In December 2025, the Commission proposed a European Grids Package to fast-track the construction of Energy Highways across Europe. Ursula von der Leyen pointed to this step as a means of strengthening grid infrastructure and speeding up the permissions process.
“The goal is simple,” von der Leyen stated. “Clean energy must flow freely all across our Union so that cheap energy can flow where it is needed, when it is needed.”
Additionally, she told attendees that it is “just wrong” that the taxes the industry pays on electricity are fifteen times higher than those paid for gas, and promised the Commission would work with national governments to lower prices and relieve the tax burden.
She concluded that the EU “must make greater use” of power-purchase agreements and contracts.
“We need them in all Member States, and not only for large companies,” she commented. “Because locking in energy prices protects you from volatility and lets you plan for the long-term.”
The way forward
According to Plastics Europe, the EU must bridge the cost gap between energy and carbon, using ETS revenues to keep production viable during the transition.
An investment-ready framework should set out clear recycled content methodologies and technology-neutral rules, the company continues. Public procurement and EPR incentives could drive demand for circular and low-carbon plastics.
Harmonized end-of-waste rules and smoother waste shipments within the EU are expected to boost circularity and support the internal market, and policymakers are encouraged to protect European producers from unfair trade practices through stronger enforcement, transparency, and waste flow monitoring.
“Our message is simple: Europe needs a State of Industrial Emergency – fast, coordinated and decisive action to restore competitiveness, stabilize production and secure our industrial future,” said Janssens. “We must work together – industry, policymakers and value chain – to ensure Europe remains a place where plastics are produced, innovated and recycled at scale.”
Meanwhile, INEOS calls for the Commission and Heads of State to take action against cheap imports; suspend carbon tax for five years to re-evaluate its purpose; and boost the competitiveness of energy for industry.
“With the right decisions now, Europe can rebuild a competitive, resilient chemical industry that supports healthcare, clean water, food, defence and energy security,” said Ratcliffe. “We can protect high-quality industrial jobs and reduce emissions for real through investment in low-carbon production, hydrogen and carbon storage projects such as Greensand.
“Europe can only lead the energy transition and innovation with industry, not without it. It can strengthen its sovereignty and cut global emissions by producing efficiently at home rather than importing from elsewhere.”
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