Competitiveness must be EU leitmotif for the coming years

Today, the European Parliament will debate and approve the European Net-Zero Industry Act, a new law to boost the business case for industrial decarbonisation in the EU, which is needed to maintain industrial competitiveness in order to fulfil the EU's climate ambitions.

"It is particularly significant that we are deciding about this important law in the last plenary of this term. As the EPP Group, we have consistently highlighted that the Green Deal must be supported by robust industrial policies. We believe that the success of the Green Deal hinges on its ability to be a catalyst for the manufacturing of new technologies within Europe. The Net-Zero Industry Act is one of the answers to our calls, but many more are needed," says EPP Group MEP Christian Ehler, the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the new law.

"We welcome and support the clear signals we recently received from the last EU summit. Industrial competitiveness is again a top priority because it has become so visible that we have fallen behind. We need a coherent investment plan, an improved regulatory environment and other framework conditions such as investment in research and development. Improving our competitiveness must be the EU's leitmotif for the coming years. Today's adoption of the Net-Zero Industry Act is significant, but it can only be a start," adds Ehler, who is also the EPP Group Spokesman on Industry, Research and Energy.