CECE publicly launches EU Elections Manifesto in Brussels

Guests were welcomed by CECE President Jose Antonio Nieto, who underlined the importance of taking part in the democratic process in a transparent way and releasing the Manifesto. Political circumstances influence the business environment of CECE’s member companies and, especially with the strong regulatory push over the past five years, the next European legislature must support industry in delivering long-term objectives and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness by stopping new rule-making and focusing on concrete enabling measures. Nieto also reminded all participants to cast their votes in June.

Karel Lannoo, CEO of CEPS, then overviewed the predictions and forecasts for the upcoming elections. His deep dive into the expected outcomes explained the political environment in which CECE releases its Manifesto and underscored the need for CECE to make its voice heard. Fernando Sigchos Jimenez, Secretary General at the European Builders Confederation, then took to the stage to present the Construction 2050 Alliance’s Call and Commitment. The Alliance's Manifesto for the built environment calls for a cross-stakeholder coordinated and integrated EU-policy approach to improving the climate resilience of the sector’s process and output under the new EU-Commission mandate. As one of its founding members, CECE supports all actions of the Construction 2050 Alliance.

CECE then welcomed Member of Parliament Beatrice Covassi, Co-chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on sustainable long-term investments and competitive European industry. Covassi announced her agreement with CECE’s call for the sustainable reindustrialization of Europe, noting that the EU’s competitiveness cannot be reinforced without supporting industry.

CECE Secretary General, Riccardo Viaggi, then walked participants through the key points of CECE’s Manifesto, which are organized into four overarching categories: the Single Market, Path to Decarbonisation, Digital Transition and Data, and Global Competitiveness. The crucial message is that the potential of industry to help realise the Green Deal and bolster Europe cannot be leveraged without enabling policies in these four areas.

Following this, a panel debate on the EU policies for construction and machinery and whether the industry is fit for the future took place. The panel welcomed as guests Katharina Knapton Vierlich, DG Grow Head of Unit, Lidia Godlewska Carmona, DG Grow Deputy Head of Unit, and Domenico Campogrande, Director General of the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC). The discussion highlighted why it is essential that CECE contribute to the wider political debate and provided an enlightening look into the importance of the next five years, for CECE, for industry and for Europe.

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To read the Manifesto or watch its short introductory video, follow the link here.