Britain warned the European Union on Monday against excluding UK companies from its “Made in Europe” industrial strategy, arguing that measures intended to strengthen European economic security risk undermining cooperation with key partners ahead of a November 20 summit.
The EU is developing procurement and subsidy rules favoring European-made products in sectors including defense, automotive manufacturing, and emerging technologies. British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting raised the issue during talks in Brussels with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, with further meetings planned with EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
“We need to be careful” that the initiative “doesn’t spread into self-defeating protectionism,” Streeting said, as reported by French media.
The warning follows similar concerns from European officials and trading partners. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has cautioned against protectionist measures and acknowledged the importance of including Britain in certain European industrial arrangements. British Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds said on October 27 that London and Brussels were working through disagreements over the proposed rules. The dispute comes as the EU seeks to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, particularly China, while strengthening its defense-industrial capacity and technological autonomy. Britain is simultaneously seeking closer economic and security cooperation with the bloc a decade after the Brexit referendum. The November 20 summit is expected to address trade barriers, youth mobility, carbon-related costs, and broader bilateral relations.
The dispute highlights a tension between European industrial sovereignty and cooperation with non-EU security partners. Restricting British participation could complicate joint defense procurement and industrial integration, while broader exemptions could weaken the EU’s effort to prioritize domestic production. The immediate indicators to watch are Wednesday’s EU ambassadors’ discussions on the draft summit statement, any agreement on UK eligibility under “Made in Europe” rules, and whether the November 20 summit produces concrete commitments on industrial cooperation. (AFP+EIR)
