VDMA European Office - vdma.eu

The EU Parliament has taken the right step with the Deforestation Regulation, now it's up to the trialogue. In order for there to finally be planning certainty, the relief proposed by the Commission must be adopted swiftly.

Approximately 40 percent of our exports to the U.S. are affected by tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives. VDMA is working to find a solution to these trade barriers with our most important export market.

With the Digital Omnibus, the EU wants to tackle three laws at the same time and thus create initial relief for the industry. However, this is not enough to ensure Europe's competitiveness as a digital location.

Industry in Europe must finally be noticeably relieved of bureaucracy. MEPs are therefore called upon to push through the sustainability omnibus package now.

The European Commission presented its work programme for 2026. It sets the course for a forward-looking EU climate and energy policy.

The focus of the EU-Commission's work program for 2026 is on reducing bureaucracy, affordable housing and increasing investment in defence.

Europe must become less dependent on raw material imports. The EU action plan, which aims to reduce dependence on China, would be an important step in this direction. The focus must also be on the European production of critical raw materials.

The EU member states must finally put their commitments to strengthening competitiveness into action. The proposals for adapting the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) point in the right direction.

The US tariffs on steel and aluminum are a huge burden on the European mechanical engineering industry. They need to be renegotiated. This is because they contradict the spirit of the tariff deal concluded between the EU and the USA in Scotland.

The EU-Commission has published the formal withdrawal of the AILD proposal in the EU Official Journal. The VDMA welcomes this official step.

The EU's Apply AI strategy is sending out the right signals: artificial intelligence must be used where it creates real benefits - in the real economy. Mechanical engineering is the linchpin here.

The EU Commission has launched a survey on the Digital Omnibus—a law that aims to simplify EU digital regulations. The VDMA is participating and calling upon the EU to be bold in simplifying.

Three political groups in the European Parliament are blocking the urgently needed simplification of sustainability reports. Europe's competitiveness must not become a plaything of ideological interests.

The EU and India want to conclude negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year. VDMA would welcome such an agreement, provided that key demands of the European machinery and equipment manufacturing industry are also considered.

The EU has a range of trade policy instruments at its disposal to ensure a level playing field for German and European companies in trade with China.

Two Committees of the European Parliament have approved the negotiating mandate on the eDeclaration. VDMA hopes that the trilogue negotiations between the EU institutions can now begin promptly.

Instead of promoting innovation in the single market, EU digital laws have become hurdles in many places. The EU legislator must therefore use the digital omnibus to fundamentally correct digital regulation.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is building on Europe's industrial strength. To achieve this, however, the poor customs deal with the USA must be renegotiated.

The agreement on CBAM simplification is an important step, but the extension to downstream sectors should be taken off the table. And the technical specifications are still missing.

At the start of the IAA, the VDMA is sounding the alarm: Europe is at risk of being left behind in strategically important battery cell production. A 5-point plan for Europe must be implemented now.

The EU and Indonesia finalised on 23 September 2025 the negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). VDMA welcomes this, as our export-oriented industry needs new markets.

The slight easing in order books in July is not a trend reversal: The hoped-for momentum in investments in mechanical engineering is still lacking. The promised relief must therefore come in the fall.

The EU internal market for products is regulated by the NLF and its 30 harmonised legal acts. The European Commission is currently planning to revise the NLF. For this to be successful, the focus must be on simplification.

The EU proposes tariff exemption for US products - while punitive tariffs are extended to European machinery. The EU Commission urgently needs to renegotiate; mechanical engineering products must be permanently exempted from sectoral tariffs.

The EU's omnibus package on sustainability is intended to protect small and medium-sized industrial companies from excessive reporting obligations. This goal must no longer be watered down in the European Parliament.

The so-called 28th regime is intended to facilitate the establishment of companies in other EU Member States under simplified conditions. The EU-Commission is now consulting with stakeholders on its legislative proposal.

The budget of the EU research program Horizon Europe has almost doubled - a positive signal. However, horizontal key technologies such as robotics, industrial AI and production technologies must be given greater consideration.

VDMA emphasized during its discussions in Brussels in particular the importance of better framework conditions so that Europe can compete with China and the United States.

The VDMA welcomes the EU Commission's plan to strengthen the data economy. However, any measures must remain voluntary and must not lead to forced data exchange and further bureaucratic burdens.

A restructuring of the EU budget must not mean new levies for companies. That would be an own goal for investments in Europe.

The EU Commission wants to reduce bureaucracy for small-mid caps (SMCs) - for example in the GDPR, the F-Gas Regulation and the Battery Regulation. Larger companies should also benefit - for example through the digitalization of documentation obligations.

When it comes to raw material stocks in Europe, a broad perspective is needed. Stockpiling is one component, the circular economy another.

Legislators must not ignore the reality of everyday industrial life, and this also applies to the EU Commission's Chemicals Action Plan.

The European Union remains ambitious in climate protection with a new emissions reduction target for 2040.

Incoming orders in May were a positive surprise - albeit on a weak prior-year basis. Overall, companies have recorded a small increase in orders so far this year, but global uncertainty remains high.

The EU Commission announced that it would simplify the rules on State aid in order to promote the development of clean energy, decarbonization and net-zero technologies.

The EU omnibus package is intended to significantly reduce the bureaucratic burden on companies. Now the package must no longer be torpedoed. Bureaucracy must not become an obstacle to innovation.

Canada wants to expand its economic partnerships - an opportunity for Europe. It is crucial that the CETA free trade agreement is finally implemented in full.

Security and competitiveness will be two overarching priorities for the Danish Presidency, but it will also focus on the 28th regime and data.

The EU omnibus package is intended to significantly reduce the burden on companies. This applies in particular to the limitation of due diligence obligations to direct business partners. The EU must not be dissuaded from this course.

The EU-Commission has announced that it will withdraw the proposal for a Directive on AI liability. VDMA is calling on the EU-Commission to take the necessary steps.

On 21 May 2025, the EU Commission presented a fourth omnibus package to reduce the annual administrative costs for companies. It also provides for simplifications in the implementation of data protection for certain companies.

The Council has adopted its negotiating mandate on the eDeclaration. This is a first step towards less bureaucracy in the area of posting of workers.

The EU-Commission has presented a Single Market strategy and focuses on removing the 10 most harmful obstacles, including barriers to the posting of workers.

It is right to combine the topic of startups and scaleups with an EU strategy. After all, startups drive Europe's innovative strength and future viability.

The EU and the United Kingdom have decided to enter into a dialog on the entry and stay of persons for business purposes. The VDMA hopes that this will facilitate work assignments in the United Kingdom.

The CO2 border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) should be simplified. This is also urgently needed: Small and medium-sized companies in particular must be exempted.

The EU internal market needs ambitious reforms. The EU internal market strategy aims to improve Europe's competitiveness, but remains too vague in detail.

EU Commissioner Séjourné signals a change in policy to strengthen companies. What is needed is a drastic simplification of EU legislation, the completion of the internal market and more trade agreements.

The EU-Commission launches public consultations on possible countermeasures in response to Trump's introduction of “reciprocal” tariffs and tariffs on cars and car parts from the EU.