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“Simplifying those rules is not about lowering standards, but it is about recognising that if we keep piling rules on top of rules without thinking about how they work in the real world then sooner rather than later we end up making things harder for our own companies than for anyone else. This is also why the automotive package now on the table is something the European Parliament has long called for, because we know that what our manufacturers need above all is predictability and the breathing space to adapt and stay competitive. I know what the automotive industry means to this country and to this continent. For too long, we almost made people feel guilty about driving a car or made it impossible to produce a cheaper, smaller version or worse, in some places, subsidised competitors from third countries in our Europe, on this continent. Europe also needs to invest in the industries that will shape the future, whether this is artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, clean technology or digital innovation as drivers of economic growth. But for that, we need investment”, said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in a Keynote Speech during the Europe 2026 Conference in Berlin.
“Across Europe and right here in Germany, more than 125,000 industrial jobs have disappeared in recent years. Factories are closing in regions that built Europe’s prosperity. We should not ignore it. We would make a big mistake if we did.
We must reply with a sense of urgency that meets the moment. Europe is a single market of 450 million people. We have world class universities and research centres. We are global leaders in sectors like car manufacturing, mechanical engineering, aerospace and chemicals, and we also have companies operating right at the technological frontier, companies like SAP here in Germany or Mistral in France.”