Norway loses when Europe suffers
Next week, EU heads of state and government will meet in Belgium to discuss Europe's industrial competitiveness.
Debate: By Kjetil Lein, NITO, Elisabet Haugsbø, Tekna, Frode Alfheim, Styrke and Christian Justnes, Fellesforbundet. The post was published 05.02.2026 in frifagbevegelse.no
The backdrop is serious: the EU is losing ground in global competition, especially against the US and China. This is thoroughly documented, including in the much-discussed Draghi report.
At the same time, the international rules-based world order that Europe has cherished is being challenged.
The US is breaking established rules for trade, peace and international cooperation through increased use of force, while China is systematically strengthening its global economic and military position through extensive subsidies.
In parallel, Russia's war against Ukraine continues on European soil. These actors also contribute in various ways to destabilising Europe from within, including through interference in elections, disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks.
In this situation, Europe can no longer rely on others. Responsibility for one's own industry, value creation and safety must be taken to a far greater extent at home.
A recently published report from the industry's pan-European trade union, IndustriAll Europe, now documents this through a sector-by-sector survey of the state of European industry.
The picture that is drawn is gloomy.
Of the 18 industrial sectors analysed, only aviation and defence can currently be defined as fully competitive globally. In key industries such as automotive, steel, chemicals, solar energy and other green technologies, European industry is losing market share.
The investments are not forthcoming. The development is too slow.
This is already being felt among workers across Europe. Several million industrial jobs have been lost, and Volkswagen, among others, has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 35,000 employees in Germany by 2030.
With this as a backdrop, industrial workers are demonstrating today in front of the European Commission's building in Brussels. The message is that if you fail to deliver an ambitious industrial strategy with a focus on investments, labour rights and resilient value chains, more jobs will disappear.
If Europe loses its competitiveness, this will also have major consequences for Norwegian business and industry.
Large parts of Norwegian industry are closely integrated into European value chains – about 90 per cent of everything we export goes to Europe.
The choices the EU makes in the future will affect Norway directly and may have serious consequences for Norwegian jobs, exports and competitiveness.
In recent years, the EU has launched political solutions that lie at the intersection between what is relevant to the EEA and what is not. At the same time, the EU has introduced tariffs on, among other things, ferroalloys to protect its own industry, where Norway was considered a third country.
There is little to indicate that this trend will reverse. On the contrary, Europe will pursue a more active and protective industrial policy in the future. One example is the "Made in Europe" initiative, which aims to strengthen European industry and business in everything from public procurement to support schemes.
The challenge going forward will be whether all 30 countries in the EEA area are defined as European or only the 27 member states of the EU. The answer to this is crucial for Norwegian business and industry and places new demands on Norwegian policy.
The Norwegian authorities must to a far greater extent take into account how a more protectionist industrial and trade policy will have a direct impact on Norwegian working life.
It is therefore more important than ever that Norwegian authorities, organisations and companies talk to Europe and argue that close and predictable industrial cooperation is in everyone's interest.
When the EU now develops more targeted "buy European" measures, Norway must be defined as a natural part of this area.
It is about ensuring stable framework conditions, long-term investments and a continued pan-European industrial base, for the benefit of both Norway and Europe as a whole.
