Germany, France, Italy call for better EU industrial cooperation

The economy ministers of Germany, France and Italy are demanding a more powerful European industrial policy in order to counter growing competition from the United States and China.

At a tripartite meeting in Meudon near Paris on Monday, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire and Italy's Adolfo Urso spoke out in favour of more pan-European coordination in order to secure the strategic autonomy of the European Union and safeguard the bloc's independence as an economic power.

Europe must counter US protectionism and Chinese dumping prices with simplified rules for its industry, less ideological baggage and more speed, especially in the area of environmental technology, said Le Maire.

Fair competitive conditions for European companies were also necessary, he added. The French minister also called for products made in Europe to be favoured in public tenders, an initiative that his German and Italian counterparts do not support, however.

Germany's Habeck stressed the importance of "the bloc's geopolitical ability to act."

Europe, he said, cannot merely administer rules, but must be an economic policy actor.

The concept of industrial policy had long been frowned upon within the EU and the assumption had prevailed that the market regulated everything, he said.

"We can see today that this is not the case and probably never was."

Interventions were necessary to combat unfair competition and to protect critical infrastructure in the EU, Habeck said.

Italy's Urso added that Europe must not become an open-air museum but must safeguard its autonomy and act as a community of producers.