CO2 emission standards: BDI and Confindustria welcome the ENVI's compromise and call for greater ambition
A strong automotive industry across the entire value chain matters to Italy, Germany and Europe as a whole. Its strength is closely tied to Europe’s prosperity. Against this background, Confindustria and the BDI welcome the general compromise on the revision of the CO₂ Emission Standards Regulation reached by the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee on 4 November 2026, considering it a positive step forward and a constructive basis for further discussions. However, safeguarding the future of Europe's automotive industry requires a stronger and more ambitious signal.
Digitalgipfel: Bundesregierung muss verbindlichen Fahrplan für Physical AI vorlegen
Zum Digitalgipfel äußert sich Holger Lösch, stellvertretender BDI-Hauptgeschäftsführer: „Die Bundesregierung muss auf dem Digital-Gipfel einen verbindlichen Fahrplan für Rechenkapazitäten, Physical AI-Anwendungen und einen schnelleren Technologietransfer vorlegen.“
EU-Kanada-Gipfel: Wirtschaftliche Integration jetzt vertiefen
Zum EU-Kanada-Gipfel äußert sich Wolfgang Niedermark, Mitglied der BDI-Hauptgeschäftsführung: „Angesichts wachsender geopolitischer Spannungen müssen Europa und Kanada ihre wirtschaftliche Integration konsequent vertiefen.“
EU ETS Revision 2026: Industrial Transformation Requires the Right Framework Conditions
The European Commission has presented a draft for the further development of the EU ETS 1 beyond 2030, thereby providing an impetus for the future design of the European emissions trading system. The draft forms the basis for the upcoming discussions on a central instrument of European climate policy.
EU-Gipfel-Ergebnisse: Richtiger Kurs gegenüber China, falsche Haushaltsprioritäten
Tanja Gönner, BDI-Hauptgeschäftsführerin anlässlich des EU-Gipfels: „Richtiger Kurs in der Handelspolitik, falsche Prioritäten beim EU-Haushalt.“
BDI key messages on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA)
With our key messages on the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), we assess the European Commission’s proposal. The IAA addresses key challenges facing European industry and introduces new policy approaches. At the same time, significant implementation risks remain, particularly regarding demand-side measures, foreign investment provisions, permitting procedures and other key regulatory elements. A practical and business-friendly design that avoids additional bureaucracy will be crucial. While the IAA can be an important element of industrial policy, it cannot substitute for the fundamental improvements in framework conditions that are needed to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.
The Public Procurement Act: A New Direction for European Public Procurement
With the Public Procurement Act (PPA) presented on 9 September 2026, the European Commission is proposing the most far-reaching reform of European public procurement law in more than a decade. The objective is to make procurement procedures simpler and more digital while using public procurement more strategically as a tool to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and economic security. From an industry perspective, the proposal offers significant opportunities but also raises questions regarding practical implementation and administrative burden.
ETS Review: Falling Short on Industrial Transformation and Deindustrialisation
On the presentation of the ETS Review, Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), stated: ”The proposal contains some sound elements, but it neither provides adequate conditions for investment in Europe’s industrial transformation nor offers a convincing response to the ongoing deindustrialization.”
BDI Position Paper on the Revision of the EU Merger Control Guidelines
BDI supports the Commission’s broader objective of aligning merger control more closely with Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and innovation goals and welcomes the more dynamic and forward-looking assessment of competition. However, certain amendments are necessary. While the draft rightly emphasises a more balanced assessment of potential harm and benefits resulting from a merger, the evidentiary requirements for demonstrating benefits remain significantly more demanding and the expanded theories of harm need to be accompanied by sufficient legal certainty and clear safeguards.
BDI-Gremienstruktur
Der BDI ist so vielfältig wie auch die deutsche Industrie. Und doch spricht er mit einer Stimme! Die gemeinsame Meinungsbildung des Verbandes findet in einer Vielzahl von Gremien statt. Die Gremien-Broschüre bietet einen Überblick, welche Ausschüsse und Arbeitskreise für die Positionierung des BDI verantwortlich sind und welche Themen dort ganz konkret bearbeitet werden.
Cutting red tape at EU level: businesses are not feeling the relief
Reducing red tape is one of the most pressing economic policy challenges facing the EU. The European Commission’s new communication on better regulation demonstrates that Brussels has correctly identified the core problem. However, in the BDI’s view, the measures so far and those announced fall well short of what is required. Tangible relief for businesses will only materialise once the flow of new regulation is significantly reduced. This necessitates a fundamental shift in the mindset of EU regulators.
AI Act Omnibus: AI as a building block for sovereignty, resilience and competitiveness
On 7 May 2026, the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament reached agreement on an Omnibus package for the AI Act. The debate around the AI Act goes beyond regulatory fine-tuning. At its core, it is about Europe’s ability to translate AI technologies into industrial applications – and in doing so, to strengthen value creation, resilience and technological sovereignty in a sustainable way. In an increasingly competitive global environment, it is crucial for Europe to combine ambitious regulatory objectives with a strong industrial base. The BDI is committed to ensuring that companies in Germany and across Europe can not only develop AI technologies, but also scale and deploy them widely in industrial contexts.
Tax Omnibus as an Opportunity for Genuine Simplification and the Promotion of Growth and Competitiveness
The European Commission is planning a tax omnibus package for the end of June 2026 to simplify direct taxation. However, real relief will only be achieved if overlaps are consistently eliminated and rules that hinder investment are corrected. Why a minimal compromise is not enough and where urgent action is needed is outlined below.
A new approach to EU merger control
In her Political Guidelines for 2024–2029, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a “new approach” to competition policy, aimed at better aligning it with common European objectives and more supportive of companies scaling up in global markets. Against this backdrop, the European Commission is currently revising its merger control guidelines, which have remained unchanged for around 20 years and form the basis for assessing corporate mergers.
EP-Abstimmung über EU-USA-Handelsabkommen: Zustimmung stabilisiert transatlantische Handelsbeziehungen
Wolfgang Niedermark, Mitglied der BDI-Hauptgeschäftsführung, zur Abstimmung im Europäischen Parlament über die Umsetzung des EU-USA-Handelsabkommens: „Wichtiger Schritt zur Stabilisierung der transatlantischen Handelsbeziehungen.“
AI Act Omnibus: Trilog Einigung reduziert Doppelzertifizierungen
Zum Ergebnis der Trilog Einigung zum AI Act Omnibus äußert sich Holger Lösch, stellvertretender Hauptgeschäftsführer des Bundesverbands der Deutschen Industrie (BDI): „Die Einigung ist ein wichtiger Schritt hin zu mehr Praxistauglichkeit und Rechtssicherheit für die europäische Industrie.“
BDI on the EU AI-Act: Europe needs AI that can scale in industry – not duplicated rules
With regard to the ongoing negotiations on the EU AI Act, Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), comments: “Europe needs AI that can scale in industry – not duplicated rules.”
The EU amid trade risks and growth opportunities
By early 2026, the European economy will face a global environment characterized by trade policy uncertainty, with significantly higher trade barriers, geopolitical volatility and intensified competitive pressure. At the same time, the deepening of the single market, new trade agreements and – subject to clear conditions and in the longer term – EU enlargement offer significant opportunities to cushion external shocks and strengthen growth in a sustainable manner.
Die EU zwischen Handlungsrisiken und Wachstumschancen
Anfang 2026 sieht sich die europäische Wirtschaft einem globalen Umfeld gegenüber, das von handelspolitischer Unsicherheit mit deutlich erhöhten Handelsbarrieren, geopolitischer Volatilität und verschärftem Wettbewerbsdruck geprägt ist. Gleichzeitig bieten eine Vertiefung des Binnenmarkts, neue Handelsabkommen sowie – unter klaren Voraussetzungen und auf längere Sicht – die Erweiterung der EU wichtige Chancen, externe Belastungen abzufedern und das Wachstum nachhaltig zu stärken.
EP-Abstimmung über EU‑US‑Zoll‑Abkommen: Wichtiger Schritt für Stabilität
Zur heutigen EP-Abstimmung über das EU-US-Zoll-Abkommen äußert sich Wolfgang Niedermark, Mitglied der BDI-Hauptgeschäftsführung: „Das heutige Votum des Europäischen Parlaments ist ein wichtiger Schritt zur Stabilisierung der transatlantischen Handelsbeziehungen.“