Competitiveness Council: Ministers Split Over 'Made in Europe' Rules, Debate Chips Act 2.0 and Merger Guidelines

EU industry ministers meeting at the Competitiveness Council in Brussels debated the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and 'Made in Europe' public-procurement principles, alongside a policy debate on the Chips Act 2.0 and an exchange of views on the Commission's draft revised merger guidelines. France pushed to restrict EU public funds and procurement preference to factories located within the 27 member states, while Germany and Spain argued for a more flexible approach that would still allow trusted international partners to qualify. On Chips Act 2.0 — proposed by the Commission in June 2026 to cut strategic semiconductor dependencies — ministers debated how to balance technological sovereignty, competitiveness and international cooperation; the Commission expects to finalise the revised merger guidelines in Q4 2026.