"The upcoming EU summit must send a very clear signal and initiate measures that advance European competitiveness with the necessary political urgency and strategic clarity. Europe now needs a clear, comprehensive, and ambitious agenda for competitiveness. Because: competitiveness and attractiveness as a business location determine international relevance, growth and prosperity, and thus also jobs. The EU must be judged by its results and concrete decisions. The world is not waiting for us. On the contrary—competitors are watching Europe and exploiting its weaknesses to gain a leading position and achieve economic growth.

So what needs to be done? First, the single market must be completed – with the swift implementation of the Single Market Strategy presented by the European Commission in 2025 and fewer tax and regulatory barriers. Second, a consistent, measurable reduction of bureaucracy is needed so that companies have more time and capital for innovation. And this requires more than just promises: in 2025, the EU introduced more legislation than in any year in the last 15 years—that's no reduction! Third, electricity costs must fall noticeably through better grids, faster permitting processes, and an integrated electricity market.

At the same time, innovations need to reach the market faster. For this, we also need a fully-fledged capital markets union and better conditions for transformation financing, especially for suppliers, enabling long-term investments instead of hindering them. Location attractiveness is not created by local content requirements, but by reliable, competitive framework conditions.

The fact is: targeted programs like the Battery Booster strategy are a good start to industrial transformation, but they must be significantly strengthened along the entire value chain—as must a market-based raw materials policy instead of centrally planned interventions. In terms of foreign trade, Europe needs open markets: negotiated free trade agreements must be ratified swiftly and new ones proactively pursued. Only with economic strength the EU can play a significant role on the world stage.

And finally, the automotive industry needs planning certainty: through innovation-friendly rules for automated driving, a functional data framework, and an automotive package that guarantees genuine technological openness, realistic climate targets, and reliable transition pathways. Now it's about unleashing our strengths once again. This requires a renewed sense of trust as a response to excessive regulation characterized by mistrust. This applies particularly to the EU. The guiding principle must be: away from obligations and penalties and towards market-based incentives."