Frankfurt/Brussels - 24.04.2020 – Thilo Brodtmann, Executive Director of VDMA, comments on thedebate about the gradual phase-out of corona measures:

“It is important that an intensive debate on an exit strategy is now being held throughout Europe. Unfortunately one of the most important issues for the export-oriented mechanical engineering industry is being ignored in this debate: the restoration of the EU's internal market. The Corona crisis shows us in a very vivid way that supply chains in industry are European. Border closures in Europe are making business immensely difficult and in some cases even impossible for mechanical engineering companies. That is why the rapid opening of borders in Europe must be a top priority in any exit strategy. Without a functioning internal market, we will not get the economy back on track. This requires a coordinated European approach to health care and, above all, a European solution to the problem of new infections. The widely discussed use of so-called tracing apps must not lead to national isolated solutions. It must also be possible to record cross-border movements.”

A photo of Thilo Brodtmann, Executive Director of VDMA, can be found here.

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The VDMA represents around 3300 German and European companies in the mechanical engineering industry. The industry represents innovation, export orientation, medium-sized companies and employs around four million people in Europe, more than one million of them in Germany.