Some of Australia’s biggest appliance suppliers including Miele, BSH, Electrolux, Groupe SEB, Vestel, Beko, Delonghi, Liebherr, and Ariston Group are up in arms at the treatment they are getting from the EU union.

Collectively they have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warning that the industry is being sidelined in EU industrial policy.

In a joint letter, the companies argue that despite appliances being “essential to modern life” — keeping food safe, enabling hygiene, preserving health, and helping millions of households cut energy bills and emissions — the sector has been excluded from Europe’s broader industrial strategy.

Beko rebrand 2025.

The manufacturers say they are being squeezed between “green ambition and industrial reality,” with rising energy costs, fragmented regulations, overlapping standards, and growing global trade tensions placing intense pressure on the sector.

The letter calls for a dedicated EU Action Plan for the Home Appliance Industry to secure investment, drive innovation, streamline regulation, and support local manufacturing. Without action, the brands warn that Europe risks:

Losing its manufacturing base, along with jobs and community stability.

Falling behind in smart home technology, a market forecast to hit $600 billion by 2030.

Weakening progress on the EU Green Deal, as 1.5 billion appliances are expected to be in use by 2030.

Increasing reliance on foreign competitors, eroding industrial sovereignty and leaving households more vulnerable to external shocks.

The companies argue that appliances are “not luxuries, but tools of resilience and transformation,” sitting at the crossroads of climate policy, competitiveness, and daily life. They insist Europe must position itself as the global hub for manufacturing by supporting circular production, rewarding green and digital innovation, and creating fair, enforceable standards that are ready for international trade.

“Europe has the capacity,” the letter warns, “but it must act now to remain an industrial leader — not slowly become an open-air museum.”

The brands are seeking an urgent meeting with von der Leyen to push their case, insisting that failure to act will undermine Europe’s ability to lead in sustainability, technology, and consumer innovation.