ACEA echoes Antwerp Declaration Summit call for bold action to secure Europe’s industrial future

Antwerp, 11 February 2026 - Following today's Antwerp Declaration Summit and ahead of the Alden Biesen meeting of EU leaders, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) is calling for concrete action in 2026 to restore competitiveness and secure Europe's industrial future.

The diagnosis from the Antwerp discussions is unambiguous: there is no resilient, safe or strong Europe without a strong European industry.

"The automotive sector is a cornerstone of Europe's manufacturing ecosystem, providing more than 13 million people with jobs and the largest private investor in research and innovation. We endorse the Antwerp call for coordinated measures that safeguard high-quality jobs and restore Europe's industrial strength," stated Sigrid de Vries, ACEA Director General. "The success of Europe's decarbonisation pathway for road transport depends on a thriving and competitive industrial base in Europe."

Addressing President von der Leyen at the Antwerp Summit, Karin Radström, ACEA's Commercial Vehicle Chair and CEO of Daimler Truck, underlined that decarbonising heavy-duty vehicles is a capital-intensive endeavour requiring a coherent and enabling policy framework. In this regard, the segment needs a more radical approach to regulatory simplification to free resources for electrification, starting with the Euro 7 regulation.

What is crucial in 2026 is to continue with a targeted "three-lane" pragmatic approach to decarbonisation to ensure that policies reflect the unique conditions of passenger cars, vans, trucks&buses. The current Commission's proposal for compliance relief for cars and vans for 2030 CO2 emission-reduction targets is not sufficient and should be strengthened by the Parliament and Council. Whilst the Clean Corporate Vehicle proposal recognises the need to create demand measures, it needs to be rebalanced with incentives to accelerate the much-needed market-driven transition towards zero-emission mobility. The transition will only accelerate if the EU and Member States double down on enabling conditions today - from grid upgrades and infrastructure roll-out to purchase incentives and lower electricity prices for charging.

Europe's vehicle manufacturers remain fully committed to climate neutrality. With the right framework conditions in place, the automotive industry stands ready to contribute to a competitive, sustainable and resilient European economy.

Notes for editors

• Learn more about the Antwerp Declaration here: https://antwerp-declaration.eu/
• The Deloitte's Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Report assesses EU progress on industrial competitiveness against the Declaration's ten pillars. Read the full report here: https://antwerp-declaration.eu/monitoring-report#navigate-the-2026-monitoring-report
• You can read ACEA's president "Letter to EU leaders" here: https://www.acea.auto/files/ACEA-Open-Letter-to-EU-Leaders_2026-FINAL.pdf

About ACEA

• The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
• Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on https://www.x.com/ACEA_auto or https://www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/

Contact:

• Camille Lamarque, Media Relations Manager, [email protected], +32 2 738 73 16

About the EU automobile industry

• 13.6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
• 8.1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
• €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments
• €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
• Over 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
• €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total