The recent cases of Alstom and Caterpillar have put the troubles of European industries in the spotlight. Is there a way to turn the tide?

﻿The case for reindustrialisation

In 2012 the European Commission  announced a new industrial revolution,

but announcements of  a Caterpillar closure in Belgium

and Alstom reducing workforce in France,

illustrate just how vulnerable  Europe's industrial fabric is.

The European Parliament  is presenting a new resolution

on the need for reindustrialisation policy,

but what will its impact be,  and is there a way to turn the tide?

We asked two MEPs  with a trade union background,

Edouard Martin from France  and Claude Rolin from Belgium.

What's needed first is for the Commission  to act in line with its statements.

If it really wants to protect industry,  it must begin by saying

Yet the Commission is preparing to  recognise its status as such in December.

And then, to allow large European industrial  groups to cooperate, to collaborate,

to set up joint projects in innovation,  research, development,

and even to merge in order to compete with  global giants like the Chinese, Indians etc.

What's needed is to build capacity  to create European giants, Airbuses.

Today our competition policy prohibits  for reasons of internal competition,

Secondly, beyond an industrial policy  what's needed is the capacity

to put in place policies of planning ahead  for cases of restructuration.

But in your view,  is it really a European issue?

Today Europe's weakness, sorry,  the weakness of European industry,

is a lack of Europe,  every country trying to defend its turf,

Today it's Caterpillar, Alstom.  Who will it be tomorrow, Siemens?

Everyone can face difficulties, closure,

that gradually increase their market share  at the expense of others,

But if it's everyone for themselves,  everyone will lose.

The only solution at a European level  is to do things together.

When we put our competences,  our capacities together, we win.

When, as Europeans,  we compete against each other, we lose.

The multinationals call the tune,  do you agree?

Clearly the multinationals  impose their rules.

if politicians work together in order to carry  weight with respect to these big groups.

What are the groups doing today?  They pit our countries against each other.

If we work together with the same rules,

we can impose on multinational groups  our rules,

a minimum of ethics  and respect for people.

If multinationals can get away with  telling countries exactly what to do,

it's because they know very well  the weaknesses of the European Union.

'Mind what you're doing,  be careful with that decision,

because if you make it harder for us  with too many restrictions,

well, we'll go to your neighbour -  France, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany.'

And that's where we need a common  position, to prevent social dumping

In your view, isn't it a bit  'everyone for themselves'?

But in reality,  look at what happens further east,

It's that China is winning a share of the  market in Bulgaria, in Romania, in Poland,

and that means that if the only policy  for protecting European industries

is the lowest bidder in social terms,  one country will quickly get us to agree

and give us all a pounding,  and that's China.

There are different views of  the European reality, of European will.

Enlargement was necessary,  but we wanted to advance too quickly

and we can see that the disparity of views,

the socio-economic and  cultural differences are such

that for the future of the European Union  we need the capacity,

the realism to say that we need to work  in different concentric circles.

﻿The case for reindustrialisation

The case for reindustrialisation