🇪🇺🇬🇧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊

Yet current discussions around « Made in Europe » risk creating new barriers where cooperation already works. A restrictive interpretation could create fragmentation, additional administrative burdens and uncertainty for businesses on both sides of the Channel.

That is why a Europe-wide Coalition of British Chambers of Commerce representing thousands of businesses operating across integrated EU-UK value chains, including those in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Belgium and others, has today released a Joint Statement on the Importance of Including the United Kingdom as a Trusted Partner in the European Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA).

Decades of industrial cooperation, robust commitments under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and closely integrated supply chains mean the UK cannot simply be viewed as a standard third country.

This is also consistent with the conclusions of both the Draghi Report and the Rapport Wennink, which underline the need for Europe to strengthen its competitiveness, industrial resilience and long-term economic growth. At a time of increasing global competition, Europe should build on existing industrial strengths and partnerships, not create new barriers across highly integrated value chains.

A competitive Europe and a competitive United Kingdom are not mutually exclusive objectives. On the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing.

Against that backdrop, we are calling on policymakers to:
🔹Recognise the United Kingdom as a trusted partner in the Made in Europe framework;
🔹Allow UK-origin industrial content to contribute towards relevant European value chain, industrial policy and procurement frameworks;
🔹Provide businesses with certainty through a clear framework, rather than fragmented product-by-product assessments.

We look forward to engaging with policymakers including Stéphane Séjourné, Maroš Šefčovič, Christophe Grudler, Pierre Jouvet, Anna Cavazzini, Members of the Council of the European Union and the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU as discussions continue in the coming months.

Proud to stand alongside Chambers across Europe, representing thousands of businesses investing, trading and operating across EU-UK value chains.

We are stronger together. Let’s shape the future together.