Industry leaders from the home appliance industry in Europe launched on 14th April 2015 a ‘call to action’ on jobs, growth and competitiveness towards European policymakers. Their proposal, entitled “Home Appliance 2025”, sets out a series of policy asks, as well as highlighting the current contribution of home appliance manufacturing to Europe and the drivers and inhibitors of business growth in the EU.

At the launch event, attended by senior representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission, five Industry leaders called for policy action in four specific areas to help achieve their 2025 vision to be “an innovative home appliance sector in Europe enabled to advance sustainable lifestyles, achieve global leadership and provide skills and growth”.  These included:

• Smarter and better regulation: ensuring that when policy is needed it is clear, consistent, supports innovation and creates the conditions for competitiveness;
• Advancing sustainable lifestyles: safeguarding the choice of sustainable home solutions to support all consumer lifestyles;
• Making the connected home a reality: establishing the pre-conditions for the connected home through EU infrastructure investment and clear and consistent guidelines.
• Accelerating Europe’s economic growth: bolstering market surveillance and providing the engineering skills necessary to maintain jobs in Europe.

Said Dr Reinhard Zinkann, CEO of Miele and President of CECED, who addressed the event alongside the CEOs of Arçelik, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, Samsung and Whirlpool EMEA: “We hope our ‘Home Appliance 2025: Call to Action’ can act as a catalyst for an ongoing dialogue with the European Commission, the European Parliament and other stakeholders on how to maintain and maximise the benefits home appliance manufacturing provides to the European economy and the lives of all its 500 million citizens.”

Said Mr Antti Peltomäki, Deputy Director-General of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs DG at the European Commission: “Securing jobs, growth and competitiveness in the European economy over the next decade is a priority for the European Commission. Dialogue with industry stakeholders, such as the home appliance manufacturing industry, is important in this context”.

Home Appliance 2025 is backed by 19 major European employers:  Arçelik, Ariston Thermo Group, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, Candy Group, Daikin, De’Longhi, AB Electrolux, Gorenje, Indesit Company, LG Electronics, Liebherr Hausgeräte, Miele & Cie. GmbH & Co., Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Groupe SEB, Vestel, Vorwerk and Whirlpool.                            

Additional material:

View the vision in three minutes

The Call to Action on one page

Call to Action - vision document

Leaflet

Press release

Presentation - The economic impact of the Home Appliance Industry

Study - The economic impact of the Home Appliance Industry

Event picture gallery

Dr Reinhard Zinkann, CECED President, Executive Director and Co-Proprietor, Miele & Cie KG

Esther Berrozpe, President EMEA & Executive Vice President Whirlpool Corporation

Hakan Bulgurlu, CEO of Arçelik

Dr Dochul Choi, Senior Vice-President of Samsung

Dr Karsten Ottenberg, CEO of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH

Vicky Ford,Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee

Sirpa Pietikäinen, Member of the European Parliament, Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee

Despina Spanou, Director Consumers, DG for Justice and Consumers, European Commission

Maximilian Strotmann, Communication Advisor, Cabinet of Vice-President Ansip, European Commission

Colette Maloney, Head of Unit, Smart Cities and Sustainability, DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission

Paul Hodson, Head of Unit Energy Efficiency & Intelligent Energy, DG Energy, European Commission

Antti Peltomäki, Deputy Director-General, DG Growth, European Commission