Made in Europe scheme: Healey to push for UK access at EU talks

Chancellor Rachel Healey is set to make a direct pitch to EU finance ministers, urging them to open the bloc’s flagship Made in Europe industrial programme to British participation — a move she says would strengthen trade ties rather than complicate them.

Healey plans to raise the proposal at the next scheduled meeting of EU finance ministers, expected within weeks, arguing that exclusion from the scheme puts UK manufacturers at a structural disadvantage and risks undermining post-Brexit economic cooperation at exactly the wrong moment.

What the Made in Europe programme covers

The initiative, worth an estimated €180 billion over its current cycle, channels subsidies and preferential procurement rules toward goods produced within EU member states. It’s designed to counter competition from the United States and China, but critics say its current design effectively walls off close partners like the UK.

A Treasury spokesperson said the chancellor believes the programme should “deepen ties with the UK rather than erecting new barriers” — a line that reflects broader government thinking on resetting relations with Brussels.

The ask won’t be easy. Several EU member states are protective of the scheme’s benefits, and any amendment to eligibility rules would require consensus among all 27 governments.

Why timing matters

But Healey’s team is betting that momentum from recent UK-EU summits creates a narrow window. Trade in goods between the two sides still totals roughly £690 billion annually, and both sides have signalled appetite for practical, sector-specific deals.

If the pitch succeeds, British steel and automotive firms could qualify for co-investment as early as 2026.