Europe’s automotive regions risk being left behind by competitors from other parts of the world if they do not benefit from adequate EU funding, workforce retraining and supporting infrastructure, regional leaders warned on Thursday 9 November at the second meeting of the Automotive Regions Alliance, held in Pamplona, Spain.
Production, research and development are the driving forces behind the EU automotive industry, which accounts for 7% of total employment in the EU and directly and indirectly supports the jobs of over 13 million Europeans.
According to the members of the Alliance, the transition to zero-emission and digitalised vehicles will have a considerable impact on regional ecosystems and socio-economic structures. Of the 35 member regions of the Automotive Regions Alliance, founded by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), 26 met in Pamplona to highlight the concerns of the sector.
They adopted a declaration calling for the introduction of a European mechanism in the next multiannual financial framework, with the aim of mitigating the disruptive effects of the current transition and strengthening the competitiveness of the automotive industry. The European Commission has been asked to increase the appropriations for the ‘Just Transition Fund’ to include measures to transform the automotive industry. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)