Many MEPs on the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) questioned the way forward to achieve the goals of self-sufficiency and greening the European economy, during a first exchange on the update of the industrial strategy with European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton on Monday 10 May.
MEPs all welcomed the European Commission’s microeconomic analyses of ecosystems (see EUROPE 12713/6), although several, such as Christian Ehler (EPP, Germany), regretted that the analyses of the EU’s dependence on non-Member States only covered six sectors. Others regretted that there was no roadmap planning the transition in detail, as did Grzegorz Tobiszowsk (ECR, Poland).
In terms of criticism, Renew Europe group coordinator Christophe Grudler (France) welcomed the Commission’s work, but insisted that the EU should encourage the purchase of European products. On behalf of the Greens/EFA group, German MEP Henrike Hahn pointed to a lack of ambition to achieve climate neutrality.
Damien Carême (Greens/EFA, France), referring to the Friends of the Earth study (see EUROPE 12712/26), expressed his concerns about the use of thematic industrial alliances. In his view, such an approach is a windfall for the lobbies and silos industrial forces instead of uniting them in the face of climate challenges.
The Commissioner reminded MEPs that it was business, not the European Commission, that set the roadmap, recalling that the European Union was not a “command” economy. He indicated that further studies would be carried out in the year on addictions.
On financial resources, Mr Breton recalled the investment capacity mobilised in the framework of the Next Generation EU recovery plan and the InvestEU financial instrument, in particular. Responding to Mr Grudler, he said that the EU did not want to use the same tools as the US, which has a ‘Buy American Act’. However, he added that public orders in certain areas will be subject to very strict conditions, notably on foreign subsidies, which will de facto lead to a European preference.
Responding to criticism from the Greens, the Commissioner said that the issue of greening was everywhere in the industrial strategy, before insisting that the industrial alliances were forums for discussions open to NGOs and social partners.
Marc Botenga (The Left, Belgium) questioned the Commissioner on the EU’s vaccine strategy and in particular the ambiguity of his position on the lifting of patents on Covid-19 vaccines (see EUROPE 12716/2).
Mr Breton said that his position had not changed much: it was necessary to ensure that there was clear visibility on vaccine production before proceeding with a transfer of ownership. With vaccine production now secure in Europe, it is time to discuss lifting the patents, as proposed by US President Joe Biden, he added (see EUROPE 12716/2).
No questions were asked about the Single Market Emergency Instrument, which is considered among Member States as an important initiative in the context of updating the EU’s industrial strategy. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)