About the Monitoring Report
Building on the Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Framework, the first annual Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Report provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the EU’s progress in implementing the ten key pillars outlined in the Declaration. Commissioned by Cefic and prepared by Deloitte, this report translates the framework’s KPIs into clear, measurable insights, providing a concrete picture of the EU’s progress towards industrial competitiveness while advancing the ambitious targets of the EU Green Deal.
Focusing on the essential enabling factors for a successful industrial transition, the report sets the stage for an informed, evidence-based discussion on the actions and structural changes required to develop a resilient and competitive European industry.
Through systemic data collection and analysis and extensive consultation with experts and representatives from the Antwerp Declaration community, the report delivers a transparent overview of the EU’s trajectory over time and benchmarks its performance against key global players. This international perspective offers valuable insights on the EU’s position in the global industrial transformation and aims to inform targeted decision-making.
As a first annual Monitoring Report, this publication marks the beginning of continuous progress tracking. Regular monitoring will be essential to ensure that concrete actions are taken promptly, enabling the EU to maintain its industrial relevance and competitiveness in the evolving global landscape.
Key Highlights
83 %
Competitiveness KPIs monitored for the EU showing stagnation or decline
14 %
Competitiveness KPIs benchmarked internationally demonstrating a very clear advantage for the EU
EU industrial users continue to face persistently high energy prices
In 2025, the gas price went up with 13% and the electricity price plateaued. Compared to other regions, the EU gas price is 4.6 times higher than the US and the electricity price is 2.4 higher than China, the US and India.
The EU is expanding clean energy capacity but is outpaced by China and its PPA market remains small
China now has 2.4 times the EU’s clean energy capacity and is further accelerating, deploying clean power at 5 times the EU’s rate. Cumulative EU PPA volumes represent only 6.4% of total clean energy capacity.
The EU struggles to deploy infrastructure at the required pace
Despite increased grid investment, at par with the US but lagging China, the EU did not make significant progress on interconnectivity. Besides, connection queues, up to twice the waiting time in the US, are a clear bottleneck. The EU remains distant from CCS and H2 targets.
EU regulatory landscape is an increased barrier to investment and significant time is spent on compliance
The proportion of EU firms identifying business regulation as a major barrier to investment has increased by 42% over the past three years. Senior staff dedicated to compliance is 1.5 times more vs the US and 11 times more vs China.
Funding shortfalls and complexity limit EU industrial transition
Member States provide 75% of public funding, yet distribution remains uneven. Structural EU-level funding gaps, illustrated by the Innovation Fund which is five times oversubscribed, are further exacerbated by a complex and fragmented funding architecture.
Demand-side levers for low-carbon and Made in Europe products remain underutilized despite significant potential
While public procurement accounts for 14% of the EU’s GDP, there is no EU-wide mandatory green public procurement and a lack of harmonization of data and standards.
The EU remains structurally constrained by persistent raw material dependencies and limited domestic production
The EU is fully import-dependent for more than half of critical raw materials. The EU leads with a circular material use rate of 12%, well above the global average, yet is faced with increased plastic recycling facility closures.
Improving the Single Market could significantly increase overall EU competitiveness
Internal market barriers impose costs equivalent to tariffs of approximately 65% for goods and up to 100% for services. 61% of EU manufacturing exporters have reported compliance with varying standards and rules across Member States.
The EU's innovation framework lags the US and China
Overall innovation performance ranks 20 percentage points lower than China, and 15 percentage points lower than the US. Deficiencies include a higher risk premium, significantly lower patent filings & venture capital activity, and inefficiencies in R&D spending despite individual successes among Member States.
The EU’s trade strategy has expanded beyond traditional tariff and barrier removal
The proportion of EU trade benefiting from preferential terms has grown with 29%. The number of EU trade defence cases, mainly concerning anti-dumping measures, has doubled over the past five years.
