Audi sues German importer over Chinese AUDI electric cars
The cars are the E5 Sportback and the E7X, developed with SAIC Motor for young, tech-minded Chinese buyers and never listed for official sale in Europe.
Industrial policy
Latest reporting and analysis on industrial policy.
Ratcliffe mothballs Hull chemical plants as UK gas hits 12 times US price
Ineos said almost 4,000 jobs in the Humberside supply chain hang on the plants if the pause becomes permanent.
German chemical giant Evonik cuts 3,200 jobs amidst crisis
The figures match a plan first set out in June under the “tailor Made” programme.
Jaguar Land Rover to cut about 4,000 jobs
JLR employs about 43,000 people worldwide, including about 34,000 in Britain. A smaller round last year removed about 500 UK management roles.
German industry pushes Merz towards a harder China line
For years the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and the big car, chemical and machinery groups treated China as a market first and a rival second.
Leading German corporations demand immediate implementation of reforms
They called for the burden to be reduced on a sustainable basis, describing further increases as unacceptable for businesses and employees.
German industry losing 15,000 jobs a month
High energy costs, bureaucracy, skilled-labour shortages and external pressures, including US trade policies and Chinese market distortions.
BMW joins Germany’s car industry cuts with 8,000-job reduction plan
The Munich-based manufacturer plans to reduce its global workforce by around 8,000 positions by the end of 2027, with most of the cuts expected to come from Germany…
European Commission opens interest-free loan scheme for electric vehicle battery makers
Applications for the Battery Booster Facility close on September 30, with a ceiling of €500 million per project.
France and Germany seek joint line on EU car rules and European content
Paris and Berlin have promised a common position on the bloc's automotive package and its "Made in Europe" requirements by the end of summer.
China’s Geely to build electric SUVs at Ford’s struggling Spanish plant
The Valencia factory currently produces only the Kuga and has been operating well below its full capacity, making the partnership important for its long-term future.
Porsche to cut up to 6,000 jobs amid deepening crisis
In previous years these bonuses and special payments could reach several thousand euros when the company was performing strongly.
European Commission slows carbon cuts and extends free permits for industry
Heavy industry would keep free pollution permits until 2038 under the biggest overhaul of the European Union carbon market since it began in 2005.
Ten EU members demand looser carbon market rules as Commission prepares to give ground
Italy and Poland lead a group with just enough weight to block the reform in the Council of the European Union.
One of Germany’s oldest breweries goes bust after more than 350 years
Eichbaum Brewery, founded in 1679 in the town of Bad Windsheim in Bavaria, announced that it will cease production later this year.
Volkswagen to slash model range in half, cut production by 10 per cent
The move is part of a broader far ranging cost-cutting and efficiency drive as the group confronts a sharp downturn in its core European and Chinese markets.
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German company bankruptcies highest in over two decades
In the April-to-June period, there were 4,996 insolvencies of partnerships and corporations.
Porsche announces up to 4,000 additional job cuts amid industry pressures
The company, part of the struggling Volkswagen Group, employs around 40,000 people worldwide, with the majority based in Germany.
Germany’s net investment has almost ground to a halt
McKinsey’s 65-page study shows that Germany is investing almost nothing in additional production capacity.
Germany’s energy-hungry small firms struggle with green shift
Germany's small firms are facing challenges in the shift to carbon-neutral production, grappling with high energy costs and insufficient electricity supply for electrification…
British American Tobacco to cut around 9,000 jobs in AI-driven overhaul
Chief Executive Tadeu Marroco said the changes would strengthen the company’s ability to compete in a rapidly evolving environment.
Volkswagen plans to double job cuts to 100,000 and close four German plants
The plans would roughly double the previously announced target of around 50,000 job reductions, already called historic at the time due to its impact.
High energy prices force Playmobil to end production in Germany
Around 350 jobs are affected at the Dietenhofen site, which specialised in the manufacture of the popular toys.
Spanish defence firms offer to build new fighter after FCAS collapse
The companies said prolonged uncertainty threatened not only their own expertise and resources but also the stability of their partners and supply chains.
EU strikes deal to cut red tape for defence investment and procurement
National law could still allow exceptions to automatic approval where there was a serious risk to human health or national security.
German auto giants face deepening crisis as global rivals pull ahead
The German's challenge is combined by a broader slowdown across the global automotive sector.
Tusk government hurriedly signs scores of contracts funded from EU’s defence loan
The contracts followed the government signing an agreement for Poland to borrow €43.7 billion from the €150 billion SAFE programme.
Meloni says that gigantic EU bureaucracy is smothering industrial development
Italian Prime Minister called for greater competitiveness, simplification and the cutting of red tape.
Philip Morris International vows to transition to ‘smoke-free’ future
A visit to Philip Morris International’s (PMI) manufacturing and technology hub in Bologna offered Brussels Signal a firsthand look at the company’s ambitious…
EP backs tighter screening of Chinese and Russian investment in EU strategic sectors
The sectors covered include defence, financial services, semiconductors, telecommunications, transport and raw materials.