Around 200 representatives from industry came together at the "European Convoy for Industrial Competitiveness".

Representatives of employers, workers' organisations and industrial associations called on European policymakers to take the necessary steps to safeguard the competitiveness of the sector.

The message they sent is a clear one. European industry, they say, has to be able to produce on European soil and to hold its own against international competition. High energy costs, strict regulations and pressure from third-country competitors are placing ever more companies under strain.

Without swift political action, the organisers warned, production, jobs and industrial know-how could disappear from Europe altogether.