Italy’s industry minister urges Europe to accelerate strategic autonomy and safeguard industrial competitiveness

According to the original report, Italy’s industry minister, Adolfo Urso, used a press point on the margins of the EU Competitiveness Council in Brussels to press for a Europe-first industrial strategy that couples strategic autonomy with international cooperation. Speaking to journalists, he said: “L’Europa deve far da sé ed è in condizione di farlo. Se rialza la testa, se ragiona. L’Europa deve fare la sua parte, pensando alle sue imprese, ai suoi lavoratori, ai suoi cittadini” and warned that Europe “non deve isolarsi nei confronti di altri Paesi del sud del mondo che possono condividere questa strategia di sviluppo e di crescita”.

Urso reiterated that Europe should pursue “autonomia strategica” while remaining “ben consapevole che gli Stati Uniti sono e restano il nostro principale alleato”, and outlined a wide set of external partners , from Mediterranean neighbours and African states under what he described as the “piano Mattei” to Gulf countries, India and Indo‑Pacific economies up to Japan and Australia , as part of a pragmatic economic outreach.

Policy priorities he set out are squarely aimed at shielding Europe’s energy‑intensive industrial base during the green transition. According to the original report, the European Alliance for Energy‑Intensive Industries, which Urso chairs and which includes 25 countries such as Germany, France, Spain and Poland, “ha condiviso l’urgenza che siano predisporre misure radicali, chiaro, efficaci per tutelare le imprese energivore europee, quindi l’occupazione, nella fase decisiva della transizione ambientale della decarbonizzazione”.

Urso called for immediate, implementable measures that cover a fast, effective revision of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to prevent circumvention along value chains and potentially restrictive controls on scrap steel exports if demonstrably required. He warned that Europe faces “un’invasione anomala, sleale, della sovrapproduzione asiatica nel nostro continente” and argued that recently announced tariff measures, including proposals to raise duties on low‑value goods, must not be delayed until 2028.

The minister also demanded a “revisione radicale ed efficace del regolamento sulle emissioni CO2 sulle auto” and equivalent reassessments for heavy and commercial vehicles, saying the review should reflect the positions advanced by Germany’s chancellor and by Italy’s government. He stressed the automotive sector’s systemic role: the car industry is “la prima industria europea” and links to steel, chemicals, plastics, micro‑electronics, chips and artificial intelligence.

Context and continuity

• Italy has previously signalled this line of policy. Industry sources note that in December 2024 Italy , together with Austria, Bulgaria and Poland , presented a non‑paper calling for an accelerated review of CBAM to protect European exporters and close loopholes before full implementation phases in 2026.
• Italy and France have publicly urged a reassessment of CBAM across 2025 to safeguard competitiveness in steel and chemicals.
• On automotive regulation, Italy and Germany joined carmakers in 2024 and 2025 in arguing for greater technological neutrality and for revisiting the 2035 internal‑combustion ban or its compliance timelines, pressing for review clauses and transition periods to avoid industrial disruption.
• In March 2025, the European Commission signalled willingness to provide transitional flexibilities for the auto sector, a development Urso described at the time as responsive to industry concerns.

Implications for industrial decarbonisation
Urso’s interventions reflect a broader tension in EU policymaking between rapid emissions cuts and preserving industrial competitiveness and employment. Industry data shows that steel, chemicals and heavy manufacturing remain exposed to import competition and carbon‑price differentials; firms in these sectors argue for targeted support, transitional allowances or strengthened border measures to avoid relocation and job losses. According to the original report, the Alliance’s members want measures that are “immediatamente applicabili” , an explicit demand for policy instruments with operational detail and short lead times.

For B2B leaders in industrial decarbonisation, the minister’s agenda signals three practical priorities to watch and act on:

• Regulatory timelines: urgent adjustments to CBAM design and to vehicle CO2 standards could alter compliance obligations and investment planning across supply chains.
• Trade enforcement and export controls: proposals to tighten rules on scrap trade and low‑value imports could disrupt secondary‑raw‑material markets and sourcing strategies.
• Strategic partnerships: an active push to diversify industrial and raw‑material ties beyond traditional allies implies new procurement, finance and technology‑transfer opportunities across the Mediterranean, Africa and Indo‑Pacific.

According to the original report, Urso framed these measures as defensive but also as part of a proactive industrial policy: Europe must “fare la sua parte” for firms, workers and citizens, while engaging externally where mutual development interests align. Industry leaders and policymakers will need rapid clarity from the Commission and member states on instrument design and timing if investments in decarbonisation are to proceed without undermining competitiveness.