Lecture | European Union Seminar
Driving EU policy: Making rules for the European car industry in times of crisis
- Ioannis Barkis (MA IR alumnus and Public Affairs Manager at ACEA)
- Date
- Friday 13 March 2026
- Time
- Serie
- European Union Seminar Series
- Address
-
Johan Huizinga
Doelensteeg 16
2311 VL Leiden - Room
- 0.11 Journalism Lab
The European automotive industry is not just about cars; it’s one of the cornerstones of the European economy. It contributes around 7% of the EU’s GDP, supports millions of jobs, and sustains a vast, interconnected supply chain that fuels growth, exports and innovation across the continent. But this sector is at a crucial turning point. Rapid technological change, especially the shift to electric and zero-emission vehicles, is redefining how we think about mobility, while changing rules of international competition create new challenges. Decisions taken in EU institutions today determine what kind of vehicles will be built tomorrow, where investment will go, and how competitive the European industry will remain in a rapidly changing world. But how are these decision taken? Using real examples from practice, this talk explains how industry associations, NGOs, companies and institutions interact every day to shape policy, what this means for EU democracy, and how you too can be part of it.
About the speaker:
Ioannis Barkis is a Public Affairs Manager at the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), where for more than two years he leads the association’s strategic engagement and manages the relations with the European Commission, Parliament and Council. Before joining ACEA, he completed a traineeship in the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), advising EPP MEPs on key legislative files. He holds a master’s degree in international relations / European Union Studies from Leiden University.