Europe’s rail supply industry has gained political support from a group of EU transport ministers, who are calling for a more strategic approach to the sector.
The initiative was led by Austria and supported by Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Romania during a meeting of the EU Transport Council. The countries called on the European Commission to develop a comprehensive European Railway Industry Strategy.
The proposal follows similar industrial policy initiatives in other sectors, including the Industrial Action Plan for the EU automotive sector and the Industrial Maritime Strategy. According to the initiative, Europe’s rail supply industry needs a comparable framework to support competitiveness, investment and long-term industrial capacity.
The debate also covered public procurement reform. Ministers highlighted the need for a fair and reliable framework for European railway suppliers, especially in areas linked to transport sovereignty, critical infrastructure resilience and strategic autonomy.
Public procurement rules are expected to become one of the key policy files for the sector. The European Commission is preparing a Public Procurement Act, expected on 1 July, following an orientation debate by the College of Commissioners on 3 June.
UNIFE, the European Rail Supply Industry Association, welcomed the initiative and also pointed to Spain’s call to put the competitiveness of the European rail supply industry at the centre of the EU transport and industrial agenda.
“We are profoundly grateful to Ministers and signatory EU Member States for their strong support, as not only do they acknowledge our strategic value, but also apprehend that we are central to delivering Europe’s industrial future and rail projects. Now we must think of the next steps and how to deliver quickly on this strategy,” said Enno Wiebe, Director General of UNIFE.
UNIFE argues that stronger procurement measures are needed to prevent fair competition from being undermined by distortive practices, unequal market access or non-reciprocal conditions.
“Because rail is so critical to Europe’s sovereignty and military mobility, sensitive technologies must not be delivered by high-risk non-EU suppliers. Further to this, upcoming reforms are important to ensure our industry can compete on a level-playing field both in Europe and globally,” Wiebe said.
At the same time, UNIFE warned that future reforms should not create unnecessary complexity for suppliers.
“Whatever reforms and policies are undertaken, the framework must be lean and proportionate, allowing our industry with its distinct business needs to thrive. We need to ensure that any gains made from the hard work of reform cannot be erased by complexity,” Wiebe added.
