The Head of State will dine on Monday with representatives of large groups likely to be tempted by the massive investment plan promulgated in the United States.
MO12345LEMOND With AFP and Reuters
A dinner to convince companies not to expatriate. Emmanuel Macron must receive, Monday, November 21, in the evening, large European manufacturers to encourage them to stay in Europe, and especially in France, faced with the fears of a revival of relocations.
According to the Elysée, the French head of state receives representatives of the round table of European industrialists (European Round Table for Industry, ERT), which claims among its members about sixty large companies on the continent. Among them, leaders of the groups Engie, Orange, Ericsson, Unilever, Astrazeneca, Volvo, BMW, Air Liquide or Solvay.
The objective? Tell them to stay in Europe and choose France, we explain to the presidency. The executive, which has made reindustrialisation one of its economic priorities, is indeed fearing that energy inflation pushes certain companies to make their future investments outside Europe.
Companies on the continent are launching increasingly marked warnings about the impact of energy prices since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The President and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, who directs the Union of Metallurgical Industries and Trades (UIMM), invited Sunday, in the newspaper Les Echos , Europe to protect its own industry with more determination:” I know several manufacturers who say to me regret their investment made six months ago, that they are ‘would not have done if they had experienced the evolution of the price of energy. I take it as a first signal which does not bode well. “
fears fed by the attractiveness of States -Unis
The French State is more particularly concerned about the effects of the massive investment plan in the United States promulgated this summer by President Joe Biden to fight in particular against climate change. This inflation Reduction Act is accused by part of Europeans of causing a distortion of competition with its tax credit for the purchase of an electric car built in an American factory with a locally manufactured battery.
“We have difficulties with companies that are starting to think about either relocating their production, or making their future investments elsewhere than in Europe”, it is said at the Elysée, quoting the high costs as reasons American energy and legislation. Mr. Macron, who asked the European Union to launch his own “European Buy Act” to subsidize European production, came up against the resistance of the most anti-protectionist members of the block.
At the beginning of November, the president had proposed to the most issuing manufacturers of co 2 in France to double public aid to accompany their decarbonation, provided that they also redouble their efforts in this area.