It is clear that the new EU entrants are already well integrated within the wire and cable industry of Europe. With lower labour costs and prospects for more rapid market growth than the rest of Europe, their role as a production base for the region's wire and cable, and wire harnesses, is set to grow further.
Like other industries, the wire and cable business is already looking beyond the existing borders of the enlarged EU to find cheaper locations for production and markets with greater growth potential.
There are a number of countries of the western Balkans, such as Albania and the former Yugoslav republics of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro that could apply once having achieved the political stability required as a pre-requisite of entry. New countries now on the border to the east of the EU-25 are also potential candidates, including Belarus and the Ukraine. Whatever the time-scale of entry, it is likely that more countries will ultimately enter the European Union. This has implications for how the cable industry, like others, should define its »Europe« regional market and where it should look to place its investments.
