"Made in Europe": Suppliers demand even stricter regulations
The European Association of Automotive Industry Suppliers, CLEPA, argues that the European Commission's proposals on the Industrial accelerators Act of March 4 are insufficient, and calls for stricter safety measures to make the "made in Europe" regulations effective rather than symbolic, according to Automobilwoche.
In a policy statement dated April 27, CLEPA notes that major gaps need to be addressed and insists that a vehicle should only be considered European if at least 70% of its added value comes from Europe, warning against lowering this threshold. Suppliers generally welcome the IAA's goal of strengthening greater industrial value creation in Europe, arguing that competitors from China and other regions are taking advantage of unfair conditions, while CLEPA says 350,000 supplier jobs are under immediate threat.
However, this shows a clear gap with the manufacturers. ACEA and VDA take a more cautious and realistic view, emphasizing that Europe's deeper problem lies not only in local content, but also in weak competitiveness caused by bureaucracy, high energy costs and strict regulation. ACEA CEO Sigrid de Vries warned that the "developed in Europe" rules alone would not solve these problems and could even weaken Europe's industrial base if market conditions did not improve. CLEPA is also seeking to include the UK and EFTA in the European definition, anti-circumvention mechanisms for third countries, and stricter rules on foreign investment by lowering the verification threshold from 100 million euros to 30 million euros.