Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called for a faster pace in Europe to stay competitive in the global market. Speaking at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp on Wednesday, she warned that world‑market pressure on European industry is mounting.
Whenever she hears that an investment is being pulled out of Europe or a factory faces possible closure, she first thinks of the workers and families who may lose a vital source of income. She adds that such moves also have a broader impact on Europe as a whole, because “your industry is the industry of industries”.
Von der Leyen noted that investments aimed at industrial transformation have more than doubled, from €52 billion in 2024 to €115 billion in 2025. She also highlighted proposals to reduce by‑company bureaucracy costs by €15 billion a year.
She stressed that, while Europe remains a leader in many areas of the energy transition, competition is tightening. Massive subsidies, state‑backed overcapacity, and market distortions are evident, especially as China now exports nearly twice as much clean technology as Europe-an indication of shifting global market positions. “We must act urgently to secure Europe’s place in the new world economy” she said.
To boost competitiveness, von der Leyen urged streamlined approval procedures and simplified rules. She announced a new wind‑energy package that will cut permitting times by two‑thirds, and plans to cut the EU’s bureaucratic overhead by €37 billion. She added that national governments and the European Parliament must also contribute to implementing these changes.
