EU again delays hotly debated 'Made-in-Europe' plans

Brussels, Belgium: The EU executive has again delayed presenting a fiercely contested plan to favour European companies over foreign rivals in key sec...

Brussels, Belgium: The EU executive has again delayed presenting a fiercely contested plan to favour European companies over foreign rivals in key sectors, pushing it back to March 4 to give more time for talks, officials said Monday.

The proposal was expected Thursday but there has been strong pushback from some EU states and senior officials inside the European Commission over the plans.

The cabinet of EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne, who will present the proposal, said it hoped "this additional week of internal discussions will allow to make the proposal even more rock-solid".

This is the third time the presentation of the plans known as the "Industrial Accelerator Act" to facilitate "Made in Europe" production has been delayed.

It was initially expected in December, then it was postponed to January before it was again delayed to February.