«Estendere anche ai fasteners il Made in Eu»

The European Industrial Fasteners Institute (Eifi) has written to Brussels, urging a revision of the Industrial Accelerator Act to include fasteners in the "Made in EU" protection. The association argues that Europe must extend "Made in EU" requirements to intermediate components and industries in the automotive production supply chain.

Eifi President Paolo Pozzi, CEO of Agrati, states that a resilient European automotive industry requires equally resilient supply chains, emphasizing that Europe cannot bolster its automotive industry by focusing solely on the final vehicle and concurrently losing production capabilities, know-how, investments, and employment related to the components that make it possible.

The association highlights a 7 percentage point decrease in the market share of European component manufacturers for fasteners between 2021 and 2025 within the EU. Additionally, there is significant price pressure, particularly affecting automotive suppliers. According to a sample of 102 European component manufacturing companies, representing 42% of the total value of EU-produced fastener sales in 2025, there has been a decline of over 12% in volumes since 2019, while the rest of the industry has remained essentially stable.

Eifi estimates that "Made in EU" components represent about 72% of those purchased by European automotive OEMs and component suppliers. The proposal recommends introducing a 70% "Made in EU" requirement for fasteners supplied to automotive OEMs and first-level suppliers, as well as extending the measures to electric vehicles and Euro 7 vehicles and a minimum combined "Made in EU" content of 80% for vehicles.

Eifi also calls for an effective "Made in EU" requirement for automotive components with an average of 70% or an equivalent mechanism based on EU-added value, as well as restrictions on foreign direct investment in the automotive sector, excluding green technology investments. The core concern for component manufacturers is that without these safeguards, competitive pressures could increasingly transfer from car manufacturers to European second- and third-level suppliers.

Pozzi emphasizes that the objective should not be merely to assemble more vehicles in Europe, but to maintain a significant share of value, production, and industrial know-how in the EU. He stresses that the Industrial Accelerator Act should aim to safeguard this European industrial ecosystem, stating that "Made in EU" should mean much more than the location where a vehicle is assembled in its final stage, reflecting the European industrial value generated throughout the entire value chain.