It's high time to act for industry

The EPP Group always wanted the European Green Deal and a strategic industrial policy to go hand in hand. The proposals to be presented by the European Commission today are also a response to calls from the EPP Group for initiatives that strengthen our competitiveness. The EPP Group welcomes the European Commission's proposals on the Net Zero Industry Act, the Raw Materials Act and the long-term strategy on competitiveness.

"The EPP Group has always said that the Green Deal and our climate policy need to go hand in hand with a strategic industrial policy. Since the beginning of this mandate, the focus has mostly been on the 'Green' aspects but not so much on the 'Deal' aspects of the Green Deal. Today's proposals are welcome and move us towards a more strategic approach. We need faster and more flexible planning and permit procedures but also more policy coherence and coordination on the wider climate and environmental agenda. The Net Zero Industry Act and the Raw Materials Act will help to make us less dependent on third countries", said Esther de Lange MEP, Vice-Chair of the EPP Group responsible for Economy and Environment.

"The competiveness of our industry is under pressure. We are at risk of achieving decarbonisation through deindustrialisation. The EPP Group has long highlighted this, but the real wake up call was the Inflation Reduction Act. Nevertheless we should not fall into the trap of blaming the Americans, but need to focus on our own homework, which is our declining competitiveness. The Future of European Industry will be decided at home, not in the United States or in China. The upcoming proposals are welcome steps in this direction, but they alone will not be sufficient. We need to reduce the dramatically increasing administrative burden and create breathing space for our industry. We are glad that the Commission has finally announced the intention to examine what more can be done, such as simplifying reporting obligations, for example." said Christian Ehler MEP, EPP Group spokesperson in the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.