European sovereignty requires control over its industry, Belgian economy minister tells Euronews

Published on 25/03/2026 - 14:37 GMT+1

Europe needs to go sovereign and afloat successful power of its concern capabilities to fortify its competitiveness, according to Belgium's Labour, Economy and Agriculture Minister David Clarinval.

"We are present embracing a imaginativeness that focuses connected supporting the competitiveness of businesses and recognising that European sovereignty is fundamental," helium told Euronews’ interrogation programme 12 Minutes With.

"European sovereignty requires control: power implicit its concern capabilities, power implicit its vigor resources, and power implicit its defence ... and agriculture," helium added.

"These 4 pillars indispensable genuinely usher us; if we nary longer power these 4 pillars, we are nary longer a authorities — oregon astatine slightest a radical of sovereign states—and we suffer control. And truthful we are astatine the mercy of neighbouring continents," Clarinval said.

Asked whether the assorted EU programmes to heighten the competitiveness of the European system execute the intended goal, Clarinval was optimistic. But Europe eas coming from behind.

"For years, Europe was inactive a spot naive successful the look of the planetary situation, wherever we were subjected to monolithic Chinese dumping crossed a wide scope of products and besides facing a reasonably assertive stance from the Americans," helium said.

"I judge Europe has understood the connection that it was present clip for a paradigm shift," helium said.

Europe is presently successful a critical, "make oregon break" signifier regarding its planetary competitiveness, with aboriginal signs of stabilisation aft years of declining productivity comparative to the US and China.

While the continent faces deep-seated structural challenges — fragmented markets, precocious vigor costs, and a shrinking workforce — a renewed consciousness of urgency, driven by reports from Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta, has sparked a concerted effort to boost economic, digital, and defence capabilities.

The semipermanent effects of the wars successful Ukraine and Iran are risking complicating the situation.

The lipid and state terms increases owed to the Iran warfare are already having a important interaction connected citizens and businesses, Clarinval said.

"But determination are besides indirect effects; for example, we are already seeing an summation successful the outgo of materials, with a full scope of products that are already much expensive."

Therefore, his authorities is readying to trim taxation rates and little the taxes Brussels collects connected fuels to assistance offset the emergence successful vigor costs.

An further measurement is the "commercial diesel system", specifically aimed astatine entrepreneurs and transport companies, to headdress vigor costs.

"These are 2 measures that volition supply immoderate breathing country for some citizens and businesses," Clarinval said.

On different facet of the Iran war, Clarinval said helium was acceptable to prehend assets and fiscal interests successful Belgium belonging to Iran's caller Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Official sanctions registries, institution filings, and onshore registry records person revealed a immense fiscal web successful Europe that whitethorn beryllium linked to the lad and successor to the precocious Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"If determination are planetary resolutions from the UN oregon different planetary bodies calling connected Belgium to instrumentality action, we volition bash so. But of course, we volition lone bash truthful nether an planetary mandate that is wide and wide supported," Clarinval said.