On Wednesday 12 March in Brussels, EU industry ministers debated the European Commission’s Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector, presented a week earlier (see EUROPE 13592/4, 13593/14). The ministers welcomed the Plan, but want to go further.
The three-year postponement of the regulation on CO2 standards announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has led to disputes within the Council (see EUROPE 13591/12). For the Swedish minister, Benjamin Dousa, “this will disadvantage early adopters and undermine the credibility of established EU legal acts, and also risk counteracting important investments, electrification efforts and the competitiveness of the European automotive industry”. In contrast, his Romanian and Czech counterparts argued for an average reference period of five years, “would offer the industry greater stability and predictability”, according to the Czech Martin Frélich. Frenchman Marc Ferracci welcomed the measure, but reiterated the importance of maintaining the targets set for reducing CO2 emissions.
The ministers also expressed concern about the battery industry, particularly following the announcement of the bankruptcy of the industry giant Northvolt in Sweden (see EUROPE 13598/6). Italy’s Adolfo Urso spoke of the suspension of investments by a number of players in the sector. “We need a real plan, an innovative strategic approach to support investment in the sector and also to help European consumers, so we need clear solutions”, he said. Marc Ferracci called for the ‘Battery Booster’ package, which is designed to support the manufacture of batteries under the Innovation Fund, to be presented as soon as possible. “European gigafactories must be able to benefit urgently from direct support for their production”, he said.
Like him and German Secretary of State Bernhard Kluttig, the Spanish minister Jordi Hereu Boher welcomed the plan to stimulate demand for electric vehicles and boost consumer confidence. He called for more financial support to stimulate the purchase of electric vehicles at European level and to give new impetus to the electric recharging infrastructure.
Like the Bulgarian representative, however, the Slovakian minister, Denisa Saková, expressed some reservations and called for caution. “On one hand (...) quotas stimulate the market for electric vehicles, but on the other hand, the directive approach distorts the market, and the principle of technological neutrality is also absent”, she highlighted. “A correct and balanced setup will be important”, she added.
Mr Kluttig also welcomed the social measures: a skilled workforce is essential for a competitive economy.
In the European Parliament, which debated the issue earlier that day, the Action Plan did not meet with unanimous approval (see EUROPE 13598/22). (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)