The participants at the EMF Company Policy Conference, held in Brussels on 22 and 23 November 2006, declared their solidarity and full support for the workers at VW Forest whose jobs and future are now under threat.

The participants overwhelmingly agree that every effort should be made at European level to seek a viable alternative industrial plan for the Belgian VW plant to safeguard a maximum number of jobs and provide the basis for a sustainable future for the plant.

We call on VW management to show responsibility towards the workers affected by their decisions and to provide alternatives for the production in the Forest plant.

We are all aware that the European automotive sector is going through a period of far-reaching restructuring and that manufacturing jobs are under threat in general in Europe.

We therefore call on European politicians to act quickly to develop a strategy guaranteeing a future for manufacturing industry in Europe.