What the European Industry Summit in Antwerp is really about

On Wednesday, Europe’s political heavyweights gathered in Antwerp alongside some of the continent’s most influential industrial leaders. 

Officially, the meeting was a preparatory moment ahead of this week’s competitiveness summit. In reality, it signals a recalibration of the relationship between Brussels and European industry.

The gathering comes as the balance between politics and industry shifts. European companies face high energy costs, trade tariffs, and rising competition from China. 

Cutting red tape and lowering regulatory costs have moved to the top of the political agenda.

Leaders take centre stage

Present in the Belgian port city were Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

Von der Leyen used the meeting to sharpen the message of her second mandate: Europe must become a simpler place to do business. 

Competitiveness is now the organising principle of the Commission’s economic strategy, with a renewed focus on reducing administrative burdens and removing regulatory overlaps.

In a letter published on Monday, she called for deeper integration of the single market, describing it as Europe’s most powerful economic asset. Yet internal barriers continue to function as hidden tariffs —equivalent to 45 per cent on goods and as much as 110 per cent on services, according to IMF estimates.

She also singled out the practice of “gold plating”, whereby Member States add national requirements on top of EU legislation, increasing compliance costs and fragmenting the market.

Convergence between Berlin, Rome and Paris

The Commission’s tone increasingly aligns with major capitals.

In January, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to place the automotive sector at the centre of Europe’s industrial strategy, calling for a more pragmatic approach to climate regulation and fewer overlapping rules. 

Paris has meanwhile intensified its push for a “European preference” in public procurement, seeking to anchor supply chains within the bloc.

Antwerp therefore represents more than a symbolic gathering. It connects directly to the 2024 Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal, backed by more than 1,000 companies and spearheaded by the chemical industry. 

The declaration argues that without a robust industrial pillar, Europe risks eroding its productive base at a time when the United States and China are deploying large-scale industrial subsidies and strategic investment programmes.

The Industrial Deal industry wants

The demands are clear.

First, regulatory predictability. Beyond high energy prices and taxation, businesses cite unstable and layered legislation as a major deterrent to long-term investment. Gold plating, in particular, is seen as undermining the integrity of the single market.

Second, genuine market integration. While the EU counts 450 million consumers, it still operates as a mosaic of national systems, especially in services, energy and capital markets. 

Removing these internal frictions is viewed as essential to unlock scale, attract investment and build resilient supply chains.

Third, energy competitiveness. 

European industry continues to face a structural price gap compared to the US and parts of Asia. Companies are calling for shared infrastructure, faster grid integration and more predictable pricing mechanisms. 

Without this, they warn, the green transition risks accelerating deindustrialisation rather than enabling industrial transformation.

Finally, industry is seeking a stronger role in shaping policy. Representatives from chemicals, construction and manufacturing see Antwerp as an opportunity to relaunch the 2024 declaration and push leaders to translate broad competitiveness rhetoric into concrete legislative adjustments.

The real test will come later this week, when heads of state and government meet formally to discuss Europe’s competitiveness strategy.