Industrial Policy

Industry 4.0: The future of manufacturing is here

The European Commission is preparing an action plan for publication in April to mobilise an estimated €25 billion to harness the potential of the fourth industrial revolution, euractiv.com has learned.

Europe’s re-industrialisation agenda: A green policy U-turn?

European leaders are in broad agreement over the need to relaunch manufacturing industries. But walking the talk implies trade-offs and a possible u-turn – on climate, and energy policies, in particular – that some warn could put future growth at risk.

Associations Going Global

With the onward march of globalisation, companies are often faced with a bewildering range of standards to which their products must conform. A preferable option is adherence to a consistent set of standards, even if they are the most exacting. Trade associations increasingly seek to follow this trend by becoming relevant actors in global-policy definition.

Industrial Policy and de-industrialisation

Industry leaders and politicians alike have voiced their fears about the EU's manufacturing base moving out of Europe to benefit from cheaper labour, lower social costs and more flexible regulation in the East. In 2004, the Commission published a communication 'Fostering structural change: an industrial policy for an enlarged Europe', which examined the competitiveness of European industry, assessed the existence and scale of the risk of de-industrialisation and proposed specific solutions.