The future of EU industry in the face of high energy prices and transition costs

Key points

The EESC:

• calls for urgent action to establish a comprehensive EU industrial strategy that ensures competitive industries and quality jobs, aligning with Green Deal objectives through close monitoring and targeted adjustments;
• urges improvements to the economic and regulatory environment to address Europe’s structural competitiveness challenges, including high energy and raw material costs, upfront investment and compliance burdens of the green transition, inadequate infrastructure, persistent skills shortages, limited financing and internal demand, and an incomplete single market;
• advocates for a competitiveness policy that prioritizes investment and innovation, while promoting social and territorial inclusiveness and ensuring that social dialogue and collective bargaining guide structural changes in a fair and equitable manner;
• calls for a sector-inclusive industrial strategy that enhances policy coherence, optimizes resource allocation, establishes a dedicated European investment fund for strategic priorities, and considers the transnational dimension of key areas such as energy, R&I, and skills;
• emphasizes the need for a resilient EU trade policy that mitigates the risks of asymmetric decarbonization, global overcapacity, and intensifying trade tensions, while strengthening autonomy in critical raw materials to safeguard Europe’s industrial future.