The European Commission recently announced a proposal requiring companies vying for public funding to adhere to specific standards, notably that a portion of their goods or components must be manufactured within the EU. This measure targets strategic sectors such as the automotive, chemicals, steel, and green technologies industries. The intention behind this initiative is to bolster European autonomy and reduce dependency on non-European manufacturing, particularly in the wake of supply chain disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vidmantas Janulevičius, the president of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, has expressed cautious optimism regarding this initiative. He believes that the push for greater European autonomy has been a topic of discussion since the pandemic underscored the vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Janulevičius recalls that during the 2022 Economic Forum, he advocated for shifting perceptions from "Made in China" to "Made in EU" as an essential strategy for economic resilience in Europe, indicating a broader shift towards prioritizing local production.

However, Janulevičius also pointed out that many of the European initiatives born out of the pandemic have lost momentum soon after their inception. This raises concerns among industry leaders regarding the sustainability and enforcement of these proposed rules. While the call for autonomy is met with a supportive response from some industrialists, there is a collective apprehension about whether this strategy can maintain its significance in the long term, as the pressures of globalization continue to exert influence on the European market.