Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 10, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleValeo CEO Christophe Perillat advocates for minimum EU content in cars to enhance competitiveness amid the shift to electric vehicles.
By Rachel More
MUNICH (Reuters) -Introducing a minimum requirement for European content in cars sold in the EU is vital for keeping the region's auto sector competitive, Christophe Perillat, chief executive of French car parts supplier Valeo, said on Wednesday.
The European Commission is in talks with carmakers and their suppliers on ways to secure the sector's future as it navigates an expensive shift to electric vehicles, stiff competition from China and tariff uncertainty.
For car executives, the focus has been on revising an EU ban on new combustion engine vehicles from 2035, which they say is too narrow-sighted, while suppliers have pushed Brussels for minimum content requirements, asking for a quota of 80%.
"Such a mechanism would strengthen European sovereignty while at the same time protecting competitiveness," Perillat said at the IAA auto show in Munich, pointing to similar incentives in the United States and India.
He said he looked forward to discussing the proposal further during the next round of talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday.
The European Commission has said it plans to gradually introduce European content requirements for battery cells and components.
Perillat said there was work to be done on the issue in Europe, with some companies still opposed to such requirements, particularly in Germany.
"We still need to convince here about the importance of local content," he said.
Germany's VDA car lobby has previously said European resilience must not come at the cost of excessive regulation such as local content requirements.
(Reporting by Rachel More; Editing by Christoph Steitz and Bernadette Baum)
Valeo CEO Christophe Perillat advocates for a minimum requirement for European content in cars sold in the EU to maintain the region's competitiveness.
The sector is navigating a costly transition to electric vehicles and facing stiff competition from China, along with the upcoming EU ban on new combustion engine vehicles.
Germany's VDA car lobby has expressed that European resilience should not come at the cost of excessive regulations, such as local content requirements.
Perillat looks forward to discussing the proposal for minimum content requirements further during talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commission intends to gradually introduce European content requirements for battery cells and components as part of its strategy for the auto sector.
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