The next European mandate must secure a long-term commitment to revitalise domestic industrial production. This was the focus as the Financial and Economic Network (FEN) of the Party of European Socialists (PES) met today.
The PES FEN – meeting online and in Brussels – reiterated its call for a Made in Europe Strategy to boost competitiveness, particular in manufacturing sectors.
PES FEN Chair, and President of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), Maria João Rodrigues, said:
“It is essential that we engage seriously with the question of the EU’s manufacturing sector’s ability to keep creating quality jobs. That is why we are calling for a Made in Europe Strategy, as set out in the PES Malaga Congress Resolution.
“The Green Deal targets are jumpstarting a green revolution that will keep us ahead of the curve on a number of technologies.
“Our continent’s prosperity can only be secured with a long-term commitment to leading new technologies, through regulations defining new standards and larger scale investments. We are preparing our industries for the future of global competition.”
The meeting exchanged on which sectors should be prioritised under the Strategy, which existing instruments should be leveraged to support those sectors, and which regulatory steps need to be taken to incentivise sustainability, social progress and good wages.
MEP Aurore Lalucq updated the meeting on the European Citizens Initiative called “Tax the Rich”, put forward by MEP Lalucq and Paul Magnette, the leader of PS Belgium. Their campaign to institute a European wealth tax has already gathered over 130,000 signatures.
The meeting also exchanged on the economic governance review, with input from MEP Margarida Marques, one of the Parliament’s negotiators on the file.
