Jordi Hereu chairs a new meeting of the Electro-intensive Industries Alliance in Brussels

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, poses for a group photo at the meeting of the Electro-Intensive Industries Alliance

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has chaired a new meeting of the Electro-intensive Industries Alliance, which aims to address the challenges facing the European electro-intensive industry, threatened by high energy prices, the risk of carbon leakage, limited access to financing and geopolitical uncertainty.

The European Alliance of Electro-intensive Industries advocates the need for concrete measures to ensure the competitiveness of energy-intensive industrial sectors, which are essential for Europe's strategic autonomy.

These measures include the establishment of trade protection agreements for steel production within the EU, support for the decarbonisation of industry, access to energy at affordable prices, and the promotion of public procurement of green industrial products as a tool to support the transformation of the European industrial fabric.

The Alliance was established in July 2025, and in addition to Spain, includes France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Greece. The members of the Alliance aim to safeguard Europe's industrial future, ensure a just transition to a decarbonised and sustainable economy, and lead the global industrial renaissance.

More industry presence in the Competitiveness Fund

The day before, also in Brussels and in the framework of the Competitiveness Council, Jordi Hereu defended the idea that industrial sectors should have a greater presence in the European Competitiveness Fund.

In this respect, Spain considers that industry should be more clearly reflected in the thematic windows of the instrument, with specific actions relating to productive industry.

The Competitiveness Fund proposed by the European Commission aims to increase the competitiveness of the EU by financing disruptive innovation and critical, strategic and dual-use technologies.

Non official translation