The Dutch economy minister told attendees of a G7 meeting in Rome that he believes a European Union (EU) "coalition of the willing" to strengthen the political bloc’s semiconductor industry. Dirk Beljaarts said: “To have a stronger EU, between the other global players, to get leverage, it's important to work together.”
Beljaarts added that such a coalition could help to "facilitate other [EU] countries having several plants in production, assembly, and packaging,” adding he has already held talks with his Italian counterpart Adolfo Urso about the idea.
Originally set to focus only on high-end chips, the EU Chips Act has since expanded to include older chips and research and design facilities. However, in September 2024, Europe’s largest semiconductor trade group – the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) – released a policy document making a number of recommendations in order to improve the legislation.
