Brussels, 01/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Given a further case of industrial restructuring on its territory - Caterpillar in this instance - the Belgian government is urging the Commission to tackle the subject of subsidised imports or imports not complying with the European social and environmental standards.
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo hammered his argument home on Thursday 28 February, calling on the EU to conduct a more coherent industrial policy in order to contain restructuring. He said a minimum amount of coherence is needed at European level, and particularly at industrial policy level. Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani, he said, has asserted that industrial policy is required, and Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, says free competition is needed. Di Rupo felt that, when it comes down to it, what is needed is a Commission decision. Di Rupo was addressing the House of Representatives (the Belgian parliament's lower House), in response to Thursday's announcement that Caterpillar, which manufactures worksite machinery, plans to make 1,400 people redundant out of the 3,700 working at its Charleroi site. The head of the Belgian government called on the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, to discuss these matters.
Competition must be fair between European and non-European industrialists, Di Rupo said on Thursday. After discussing the matter with the directors of the Belgian arm of Caterpillar, Di Rupo said that Europe imports machinery which, as far as one can see, does not comply with EU environmental norms, slipping through the control net. A large number of such products are subsidised, either by direct aid or by aid to exports in the countries of origin, which distorts competition still more, according to the explanations provided by Caterpillar and passed on to Belgian MPs by Di Rupo. The announcement of the Caterpillar social plan caused a new shockwave in Belgium after the announcement that the Ford factory in Genk was to close and that large-scale restructuring was to take place at ArcelorMittal in Liège. (EH/transl.jl)