Italy Leads EU Industrial Reform Talks

In December 2025, Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT), chaired the 4th Alliance for Energy-Intensive Industries and attended the EU Competitiveness Council. He pushed for aggressive reforms to protect European industry from unfair global competition.

Key Policy Initiatives

• “European Preference” Principle: Calling for a “Buy European” framework to support local manufacturing, specifically in clean technologies like green steel and cement.
• Trade Defense & Fast Fashion: Urso urged the EU to immediately impose tariffs on imported goods valued under €150 (targeting ultra-fast fashion) instead of waiting until 2028.
• Economic Security: Promoting the “REsourceEU” initiative to ensure the resilience of critical raw materials and semiconductor supply chains.
• Export Restrictions: Proposing emergency limits on the export of scrap metal to keep essential secondary raw materials within the EU.

Sector-Specific Reforms

• Automotive Industry: In talks with Germany and France, Urso emphasized “technological neutrality” and called for pragmatic reforms to the Green Deal to ensure the survival of both light and heavy vehicle markets.
• Carbon Adjustments (CBAM & ETS): Pushing for the expansion of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to downstream products to prevent businesses from bypassing carbon costs.
• Chemical & Steel Alliances: Supporting the newly formed “European Chemical Alliance” to maintain productivity and competitiveness in basic and biochemical sectors.

Strategic Collaboration

Minister Urso held bilateral and trilateral meetings with counterparts from Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, and Cyprus. The consensus focused on simplifying administrative procedures, reducing regulatory burdens for SMEs, and securing funding through the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

***Photo Reference: https://www.eunews.it/en/2025/09/29/european-e-car-sejourne-sets-price-at-e15-20-thousand-urso-let-it-not-be-only-electric/***