Defense and competitiveness: companies are now putting von der Leyen to the test – ‘Actions needed’

Brussels – Satisfied with what has been said, but awaiting action: overall, the business world welcomes the State of the Union speech by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, though without standing ovations. On the contrary, there is cautious anticipation to see whether—and to what extent—intentions will be translated into concrete action.

It is Eurofer, the European steel producers’ association (of which the Italians Acciaieria Arvedi, Acciaierie d’Italia, Metinvest, Officine Tecnosider, Riva are members) that expresses this climate of cautious satisfaction and optimism. If on the one hand “we welcome the attention given to steel in the State of the Union address and the commitment to propose measures to support our sector and clean production value chains in Europe,” on the other, “we urgently await effective proposals,” said Axel Eggert, Eurofer’s general director. Von der Leyen’s promise of proposals to support European industry’s transition efforts “is encouraging,” but “our industry is currently facing all kinds of difficulties,” and it is therefore imperative “to protect EU steel producers from global overcapacity and unfair competition.”

Eurochambres, the association of chambers of commerce, also emphasized this sense of urgency, and ahead of the State of the Union address, asked for “concrete actions,  starting with simplification and enabling market access.” The words spoken by von der Leyen certainly go in the desired direction, but they are just words, and the hope and invitation is that “this will then be reflected in the actions of her college of commissioners and across the services.”

https://www.eunews.it/en/2025/07/29/timid-enthusiasm-and-concerns-agreement-on-tariffs-gets-businesses-and-unions-excited-up-to-a-point/

BusinessEurope, the association of European Confederations of Industries, has a similar stance. “President von der Leyen rightly addressed crucial issues to strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness and defense capability. Now it is a matter of putting results into practice,” said Director General Markus Beyrer, convinced that “we need to reduce regulatory burdens, speed up authorization procedures, diversify trade relations, and remove barriers in the Single Market.” 

The industry most satisfied is defense. ASD Europe, the sector’s association of European manufacturers (which includes Italy’s Leonardo and Fincantieri), “welcomes von der Leyen’s clear signals” for the industry. The industrial integration of Ukraine into the European market, with special attention to drone production, is viewed positively, as is the commitment to “continue to support joint procurement, industrial investment, and the development of new joint defense projects.” Now, however, “Europe’s ambitions must be backed by continued political and financial support based on separate budgets.” In other words, “momentum is building, but implementation must accelerate.”