A shared strong call for a competitive and resilient European manufacturing ecosystem

Together with three other European industry associations, APPLiA is calling for a stronger, more competitive and resilient European manufacturing ecosystem, following President Ursula von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union address.

Europe’s manufacturing strength depends on an interconnected value chain, spanning raw materials, components and technologies through to finished goods, recycling, logistics and industrial services. Strengthening this ecosystem as a whole is essential to support investment, innovation, quality jobs and sustainable production in Europe.

𝗧𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿:

• an assessment of the cumulative impact of EU legislation on manufacturing

• coherent, workable and predictable regulation across policy areas

• clear responsibilities, practical implementation and realistic timelines

• stronger coordination across the European Commission and consistent application across Member States

• greater recognition of downstream industries within Europe’s competitiveness agenda

The objective should be to ensure that companies can continue to invest, innovate, scale up and decarbonise while remaining globally competitive and producing in Europe.

Europe’s climate, circularity, resilience and strategic autonomy objectives should reinforce one another and contribute to a stronger manufacturing base. APPLiA, AIM, Detergents Europe and FESI stand ready to work constructively with the European Commission to support effective implementation and a competitive European industrial ecosystem.