Stellantis and Renault want to include the United Kingdom in EU car protection

The heads of Stellantis and Renault have advocated including the United Kingdom in the EU's planned „Made in Europe“ legislation. Emanuele Cappellano, who is responsible at Stellantis for the European brands Fiat, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall, and François Provost, CEO of Renault, said,

The United Kingdom should, for the purposes of the new rules, be treated in practice as one of the 27 EU member states.

What the „Made in Europe“ rules provide

The European Commission is working on legislative proposals aimed at protecting European industries, including the automotive sector, from cheap imports from third countries. Central to this is the question of what share of a vehicle's value creation must occur in Europe for it to be considered „European“ and to benefit from possible advantages or protective measures. For manufacturers with plants both in the EU and in the United Kingdom, including the United Kingdom would have direct implications for supply chains and site planning.

The position of Stellantis and Renault

Cappellano and Provost argue that the close intertwining of the British and European automotive industry justifies a joint treatment. Both groups operate plants in the United Kingdom, such as Stellantis with the production of Vauxhall vehicles.

At the same time, the two managers called on the British government to consider its own measures to limit imports of Chinese vehicles, similar to the proposals already being discussed in the EU.

Background of the debate on the British market

Since leaving the EU, Britain has faced the question of how to shape its trade relations with the EU in sensitive sectors such as automotive manufacturing. Inclusion in the „Made in Europe“ rules would mean closer coordination between London and Brussels, even though Britain is no longer an EU member.

For Austria as an industrial location with a strongly export‑oriented supplier industry, developments in European automotive regulation are of immediate relevance. Numerous Austrian supplier companies supply both Stellantis and Renault plants in the EU and in the United Kingdom.

The determination of which production shares will be considered „European“ in the future could have a direct impact on orders and location decisions of Austrian suppliers that are part of these corporations' cross‑border supply chains.

Source: Europe | The Guardian | Original Article