Sfpi Group, along with its four divisions, engages in activities within the industrial sector. As the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the limitations of globalization and import dependency, and the environmental crisis becomes increasingly palpable, the imperative for the reindustrialization of France and the Old Continent is on everyone's lips. In this context, Sfpi Group joins 988 other organizations in signing the Antwerp Declaration in favor of establishing a European Industrial Pact.
On February 20th, several dozen leaders of major European companies, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo gathered in Antwerp. The meeting took place at the Belgian plant of the German chemical group BASF and was titled "European Industry Summit: A Profitability Analysis for Europe." Quite an agenda! The discussions led to the formulation of ten demands addressed to Brussels aimed at promoting the competitiveness of European industrial companies.
Indeed, the Green Deal adopted in 2020 sets a target of carbon neutrality for the continent by 2050. While necessary, it aligns with the environmental policy pursued by the European Union. However, it comes with a certain regulatory burden and blind spots that penalize industrial companies, whose activities are particularly energy-intensive and complex to decarbonize. Consequently, these companies find themselves at a competitive disadvantage, especially compared to Chinese and American organizations. Subject to less stringent standards, the latter can offer low-cost products with high environmental impact, which are then imported from our countries. This situation is detrimental not only environmentally but also economically. Because every product imported from China and the United States is, in fact, not purchased in Europe, to the detriment of our companies, employment, and the attractiveness of our territories.
In response, the European Industrial Pact aims to support the competitiveness of businesses, particularly in their energy transition, by investing in efficient and sustainable innovation. More than just a complement to the Green Deal, it is seen as a necessary condition for its full success.
The signing of the Antwerp Declaration is an additional marker of Sfpi Group's commitment, adding to the ambitious goals and concrete actions taken within the framework of the ongoing environmental pillar of the transformation plan.
