Healey to press for UK not to be shut out of EU’s ‘made in Europe’ plan

Helen Corbett, Press Association Political Correspondent

Chancellor John Healey will press EU finance ministers not to shut the UK out of a plan to protect the bloc’s industries from unfair competition as he meets counterparts in Dublin on Friday.

He will push for closer partnerships on tech, defence and manufacturing at the Ecofin meeting.

And he is set to appeal to the EU to design its made in Europe procurement agenda in a way that “lands a good deal for all” instead of “erecting new barriers”, according to Treasury sources.

He will also tell his counterparts it is important to “learn lessons” after the collapse of talks on the prospect of the UK joining the EU defence loans scheme, security action for Europe (Safe).

The made in Europe scheme, which is progressing through the European Parliament as part of its industrial accelerator act, is designed to protect the continent’s manufacturing from global competition, especially from China.

It would give EU firms priority for public contracts and subsidies.

Mr Healey said: “The next chapter of Britain’s growth story will be written in more places.

“To me, closer ties with the EU means British businesses – wherever they are based across the UK – get better access to both the supply chains and the customers they need to grow.”

Concerns have been raised that UK industries including car manufacturing and steel would suffer if the plan shut out British firms that trade across the UK-EU border.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told French president Emmanuel Macron earlier this month that the “buy European” programme “could pose significant challenges” for UK industry.

It comes ahead of a UK-EU reset summit set to take place in the autumn.

It was originally due in the summer but was postponed after Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister.

The summit is aimed at settling deals on food and drink, linking carbon trading schemes and closer defence co-operation, as well as on a youth mobility scheme, where Brussels is seeking lower tuition fees for EU students at UK universities.

Mr Burnham has said he wants closer ties with the bloc, building on his predecessor Sir Keir’s work to reset the relationship.

But he is sticking with the 2024 Labour manifesto’s “red lines” of not returning to the customs union or the single market or allowing free movement.

Mr Healey will also meet his Ukrainian counterpart Sergii Marchenko for the first time at the informal talks in Dublin and reaffirm UK support.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.